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diff --git a/old/14465-8.txt b/old/14465-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fc482be --- /dev/null +++ b/old/14465-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,16590 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gods and Fighting Men, by Lady I. A. Gregory + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Gods and Fighting Men + +Author: Lady I. A. Gregory + +Release Date: December 25, 2004 [EBook #14465] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GODS AND FIGHTING MEN *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Robert Ledger and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + +GODS AND FIGHTING MEN: + +THE STORY OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN +AND OF THE FIANNA OF IRELAND, + +ARRANGED AND PUT INTO ENGLISH BY LADY GREGORY. + +WITH A PREFACE BY W.B. YEATS + +1905 + + + + +DEDICATION TO THE MEMBERS OF THE IRISH LITERARY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK + + +My Friends, those I know and those I do not know, I am glad in the year +of the birth of your Society to have this book to offer you. + +It has given great courage to many workers here--working to build up +broken walls--to know you have such friendly thoughts of them in your +minds. A few of you have already come to see us, and we begin to hope +that one day the steamers across the Atlantic will not go out full, but +come back full, until some of you find your real home is here, and say +as some of us say, like Finn to the woman of enchantments-- + +[Illustration: Irish Gaelic] + +"We would not give up our own country--Ireland--if we were to get the +whole world as an estate, and the Country of the Young along with it." + +AUGUSTA GREGORY. + + + + +PREFACE + +I + +A few months ago I was on the bare Hill of Allen, "wide Almhuin of +Leinster," where Finn and the Fianna lived, according to the stories, +although there are no earthen mounds there like those that mark the +sites of old buildings on so many hills. A hot sun beat down upon +flowering gorse and flowerless heather; and on every side except the +east, where there were green trees and distant hills, one saw a level +horizon and brown boglands with a few green places and here and there +the glitter of water. One could imagine that had it been twilight and +not early afternoon, and had there been vapours drifting and frothing +where there were now but shadows of clouds, it would have set stirring +in one, as few places even in Ireland can, a thought that is peculiar to +Celtic romance, as I think, a thought of a mystery coming not as with +Gothic nations out of the pressure of darkness, but out of great spaces +and windy light. The hill of Teamhair, or Tara, as it is now called, +with its green mounds and its partly wooded sides, and its more gradual +slope set among fat grazing lands, with great trees in the hedgerows, +had brought before one imaginations, not of heroes who were in their +youth for hundreds of years, or of women who came to them in the +likeness of hunted fawns, but of kings that lived brief and politic +lives, and of the five white roads that carried their armies to the +lesser kingdoms of Ireland, or brought to the great fair that had given +Teamhair its sovereignty, all that sought justice or pleasure or had +goods to barter. + + +II + +It is certain that we must not confuse these kings, as did the mediæval +chroniclers, with those half-divine kings of Almhuin. The chroniclers, +perhaps because they loved tradition too well to cast out utterly much +that they dreaded as Christians, and perhaps because popular imagination +had begun the mixture, have mixed one with another ingeniously, making +Finn the head of a kind of Militia under Cormac MacArt, who is supposed +to have reigned at Teamhair in the second century, and making Grania, +who travels to enchanted houses under the cloak of Angus, god of Love, +and keeps her troubling beauty longer than did Helen hers, Cormac's +daughter, and giving the stories of the Fianna, although the impossible +has thrust its proud finger into them all, a curious air of precise +history. It is only when one separates the stories from that mediæval +pedantry, as in this book, that one recognises one of the oldest worlds +that man has imagined, an older world certainly than one finds in the +stories of Cuchulain, who lived, according to the chroniclers, about the +time of the birth of Christ. They are far better known, and one may be +certain of the antiquity of incidents that are known in one form or +another to every Gaelic-speaking countryman in Ireland or in the +Highlands of Scotland. Sometimes a labourer digging near to a cromlech, +or Bed of Diarmuid and Crania as it is called, will tell one a tradition +that seems older and more barbaric than any description of their +adventures or of themselves in written text or story that has taken form +in the mouths of professed story-tellers. Finn and the Fianna found +welcome among the court poets later than did Cuchulain; and one finds +memories of Danish invasions and standing armies mixed with the +imaginations of hunters and solitary fighters among great woods. One +never hears of Cuchulain delighting in the hunt or in woodland things; +and one imagines that the story-teller would have thought it unworthy in +so great a man, who lived a well-ordered, elaborate life, and had his +chariot and his chariot-driver and his barley-fed horses to delight in. +If he is in the woods before dawn one is not told that he cannot know +the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of the oak; and when Emer +laments him no wild creature comes into her thoughts but the cuckoo that +cries over cultivated fields. His story must have come out of a time +when the wild wood was giving way to pasture and tillage, and men had no +longer a reason to consider every cry of the birds or change of the +night. Finn, who was always in the woods, whose battles were but hours +amid years of hunting, delighted in the "cackling of ducks from the Lake +of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of Doire an +Cairn; the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries; the +whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories or from the rough +branches of the Ridge of the Stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim re Coir." When sorrow comes +upon the queens of the stories, they have sympathy for the wild birds +and beasts that are like themselves: "Credhe wife of Cael came with the +others and went looking through the bodies for her comely comrade, and +crying as she went. And as she was searching she saw a crane of the +meadows and her two nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching +the nestlings; and when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, +he would make a rush at the other bird, the way she had to stretch +herself out over the birds; and she would sooner have got her own death +by the fox than the nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was +looking at that, and she said: 'It is no wonder I to have such love for +my comely sweetheart, and the bird in that distress about her +nestlings.'" + + +III + +One often hears of a horse that shivers with terror, or of a dog that +howls at something a man's eyes cannot see, and men who live primitive +lives where instinct does the work of reason are fully conscious of many +things that we cannot perceive at all. As life becomes more orderly, +more deliberate, the supernatural world sinks farther away. Although the +gods come to Cuchulain, and although he is the son of one of the +greatest of them, their country and his are far apart, and they come to +him as god to mortal; but Finn is their equal. He is continually in +their houses; he meets with Bodb Dearg, and Angus, and Manannan, now as +friend with friend, now as with an enemy he overcomes in battle; and +when he has need of their help his messenger can say: "There is not a +king's son or a prince, or a leader of the Fianna of Ireland, without +having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother or a sweetheart of the +Tuatha de Danaan." When the Fianna are broken up at last, after hundreds +of years of hunting, it is doubtful that he dies at all, and certain +that he comes again in some other shape, and Oisin, his son, is made +king over a divine country. The birds and beasts that cross his path in +the woods have been fighting men or great enchanters or fair women, and +in a moment can take some beautiful or terrible shape. One thinks of him +and of his people as great-bodied men with large movements, that seem, +as it were, flowing out of some deep below the narrow stream of personal +impulse, men that have broad brows and quiet eyes full of confidence in +a good luck that proves every day afresh that they are a portion of the +strength of things. They are hardly so much individual men as portions +of universal nature, like the clouds that shape themselves and re-shape +themselves momentarily, or like a bird between two boughs, or like the +gods that have given the apples and the nuts; and yet this but brings +them the nearer to us, for we can remake them in our image when we will, +and the woods are the more beautiful for the thought. Do we not always +fancy hunters to be something like this, and is not that why we think +them poetical when we meet them of a sudden, as in these lines in +"Pauline": + + "An old hunter + Talking with gods; or a nigh-crested chief + Sailing with troops of friends to Tenedos" + + +IV + +One must not expect in these stories the epic lineaments, the many +incidents, woven into one great event of, let us say, the story of the +War for the Brown Bull of Cuailgne, or that of the last gathering at +Muirthemne. Even Diarmuid and Grania, which is a long story, has nothing +of the clear outlines of Deirdre, and is indeed but a succession of +detached episodes. The men who imagined the Fianna had the imagination +of children, and as soon as they had invented one wonder, heaped another +on top of it. Children--or, at any rate, it is so I remember my own +childhood--do not understand large design, and they delight in little +shut-in places where they can play at houses more than in great expanses +where a country-side takes, as it were, the impression of a thought. The +wild creatures and the green things are more to them than to us, for +they creep towards our light by little holes and crevices. When they +imagine a country for themselves, it is always a country where one can +wander without aim, and where one can never know from one place what +another will be like, or know from the one day's adventure what may meet +one with to-morrow's sun. I have wished to become a child again that I +might find this book, that not only tells one of such a country, but is +fuller than any other book that tells of heroic life, of the childhood +that is in all folk-lore, dearer to me than all the books of the western +world. + +Children play at being great and wonderful people, at the ambitions +they will put away for one reason or another before they grow into +ordinary men and women. Mankind as a whole had a like dream once; +everybody and nobody built up the dream bit by bit, and the ancient +story-tellers are there to make us remember what mankind would have been +like, had not fear and the failing will and the laws of nature tripped +up its heels. The Fianna and their like are themselves so full of power, +and they are set in a world so fluctuating and dream-like, that nothing +can hold them from being all that the heart desires. + +I have read in a fabulous book that Adam had but to imagine a bird, and +it was born into life, and that he created all things out of himself by +nothing more important than an unflagging fancy; and heroes who can make +a ship out of a shaving have but little less of the divine prerogatives. +They have no speculative thoughts to wander through eternity and waste +heroic blood; but how could that be otherwise, for it is at all times +the proud angels who sit thinking upon the hill-side and not the people +of Eden. One morning we meet them hunting a stag that is "as joyful as +the leaves of a tree in summer-time"; and whatever they do, whether they +listen to the harp or follow an enchanter over-sea, they do for the sake +of joy, their joy in one another, or their joy in pride and movement; +and even their battles are fought more because of their delight in a +good fighter than because of any gain that is in victory. They live +always as if they were playing a game; and so far as they have any +deliberate purpose at all, it is that they may become great gentlemen +and be worthy of the songs of poets. It has been said, and I think the +Japanese were the first to say it, that the four essential virtues are +to be generous among the weak, and truthful among one's friends, and +brave among one's enemies, and courteous at all times; and if we +understand by courtesy not merely the gentleness the story-tellers have +celebrated, but a delight in courtly things, in beautiful clothing and +in beautiful verse, one understands that it was no formal succession of +trials that bound the Fianna to one another. Only the Table Round, that +is indeed, as it seems, a rivulet from the same river, is bound in a +like fellowship, and there the four heroic virtues are troubled by the +abstract virtues of the cloister. Every now and then some noble knight +builds himself a cell upon the hill-side, or leaves kind women and +joyful knights to seek the vision of the Grail in lonely adventures. But +when Oisin or some kingly forerunner--Bran, son of Febal, or the +like--rides or sails in an enchanted ship to some divine country, he but +looks for a more delighted companionship, or to be in love with faces +that will never fade. No thought of any life greater than that of love, +and the companionship of those that have drawn their swords upon the +darkness of the world, ever troubles their delight in one another as it +troubles Iseult amid her love, or Arthur amid his battles. It is one of +the ailments of our speculation that thought, when it is not the +planning of something, or the doing of something or some memory of a +plain circumstance separates us from one another because it makes us +always more unlike, and because no thought passes through another's ear +unchanged. Companionship can only be perfect when it is founded on +things, for things are always the same under the hand, and at last one +comes to hear with envy of the voices of boys lighting a lantern to +ensnare moths, or of the maids chattering in the kitchen about the fox +that carried off a turkey before breakfast. This book is full of +fellowship untroubled like theirs, and made noble by a courtesy that has +gone perhaps out of the world. I do not know in literature better +friends and lovers. When one of the Fianna finds Osgar dying the proud +death of a young man, and asks is it well with him, he is answered, "I +am as you would have me be." The very heroism of the Fianna is indeed +but their pride and joy in one another, their good fellowship. Goll, old +and savage, and letting himself die of hunger in a cave because he is +angry and sorry, can speak lovely words to the wife whose help he +refuses. "'It is best as it is,' he said, 'and I never took the advice +of a woman east or west, and I never will take it. And oh, sweet-voiced +queen,' he said, 'what ails you to be fretting after me? and remember +now your silver and your gold, and your silks ... and do not be crying +tears after me, queen with the white hands,' he said, 'but remember your +constant lover Aodh, son of the best woman of the world, that came from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought on Corcar-an-Dearg; and go to +him now,' he said, 'for it is bad when a woman is without a good man.'" + + +VI + +They have no asceticism, but they are more visionary than any ascetic, +and their invisible life is but the life about them made more perfect +and more lasting, and the invisible people are their own images in the +water. Their gods may have been much besides this, for we know them from +fragments of mythology picked out with trouble from a fantastic history +running backward to Adam and Eve, and many things that may have seemed +wicked to the monks who imagined that history, may have been altered or +left out; but this they must have been essentially, for the old stories +are confirmed by apparitions among the country-people to-day. The Men of +Dea fought against the mis-shapen Fomor, as Finn fights against the +Cat-Heads and the Dog-Heads; and when they are overcome at last by men, +they make themselves houses in the hearts of hills that are like the +houses of men. When they call men to their houses and to their country +Under-Wave they promise them all that they have upon earth, only in +greater abundance. The god Midhir sings to Queen Etain in one of the +most beautiful of the stories: "The young never grow old; the fields and +the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's eggs; +warm streams of mead and wine flow through that country; there is no +care or no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we ourselves are not +seen." These gods are indeed more wise and beautiful than men; but men, +when they are great men, are stronger than they are, for men are, as it +were, the foaming tide-line of their sea. One remembers the Druid who +answered, when some one asked him who made the world, "The Druids made +it." All was indeed but one life flowing everywhere, and taking one +quality here, another there. It sometimes seems to one as if there is a +kind of day and night of religion, and that a period when the influences +are those that shape the world is followed by a period when the greater +power is in influences that would lure the soul out of the world, out of +the body. When Oisin is speaking with S. Patrick of the friends and the +life he has outlived, he can but cry out constantly against a religion +that has no meaning for him. He laments, and the country-people have +remembered his words for centuries: "I will cry my fill, but not for +God, but because Finn and the Fianna are not living." + + +VII + +Old writers had an admirable symbolism that attributed certain energies +to the influence of the sun, and certain others to the lunar influence. +To lunar influence belong all thoughts and emotions that were created by +the community, by the common people, by nobody knows who, and to the sun +all that came from the high disciplined or individual kingly mind. I +myself imagine a marriage of the sun and moon in the arts I take most +pleasure in; and now bride and bridegroom but exchange, as it were, full +cups of gold and silver, and now they are one in a mystical embrace. +From the moon come the folk-songs imagined by reapers and spinners out +of the common impulse of their labour, and made not by putting words +together, but by mixing verses and phrases, and the folk-tales made by +the capricious mixing of incidents known to everybody in new ways, as +one deals out cards, never getting the same hand twice over. When one +hears some fine story, one never knows whether it has not been hazard +that put the last touch of adventure. Such poetry, as it seems to me, +desires an infinity of wonder or emotion, for where there is no +individual mind there is no measurer-out, no marker-in of limits. The +poor fisher has no possession of the world and no responsibility for it; +and if he dreams of a love-gift better than the brown shawl that seems +too common for poetry, why should he not dream of a glove made from the +skin of a bird, or shoes made from the skin of a fish, or a coat made +from the glittering garment of the salmon? Was it not Aeschylus who said +he but served up fragments from the banquet of Homer?--but Homer himself +found the great banquet on an earthen floor and under a broken roof. We +do not know who at the foundation of the world made the banquet for the +first time, or who put the pack of cards into rough hands; but we do +know that, unless those that have made many inventions are about to +change the nature of poetry, we may have to go where Homer went if we +are to sing a new song. Is it because all that is under the moon thirsts +to escape out of bounds, to lose itself in some unbounded tidal stream, +that the songs of the folk are mournful, and that the story of the +Fianna, whenever the queens lament for their lovers, reminds us of songs +that are still sung in country-places? Their grief, even when it is to +be brief like Grania's, goes up into the waste places of the sky. But +in supreme art or in supreme life there is the influence of the sun too, +and the sun brings with it, as old writers tell us, not merely +discipline but joy; for its discipline is not of the kind the multitudes +impose upon us by their weight and pressure, but the expression of the +individual soul turning itself into a pure fire and imposing its own +pattern, its own music, upon the heaviness and the dumbness that is in +others and in itself. When we have drunk the cold cup of the moon's +intoxication, we thirst for something beyond ourselves, and the mind +flows outward to a natural immensity; but if we have drunk from the hot +cup of the sun, our own fullness awakens, we desire little, for wherever +one goes one's heart goes too; and if any ask what music is the +sweetest, we can but answer, as Finn answered, "what happens." And yet +the songs and stories that have come from either influence are a part, +neither less than the other, of the pleasure that is the bride-bed of +poetry. + + +VIII + +Gaelic-speaking Ireland, because its art has been made, not by the +artist choosing his material from wherever he has a mind to, but by +adding a little to something which it has taken generations to invent, +has always had a popular literature. One cannot say how much that +literature has done for the vigour of the race, for one cannot count the +hands its praise of kings and high-hearted queens made hot upon the +sword-hilt, or the amorous eyes it made lustful for strength and beauty. +One remembers indeed that when the farming people and the labourers of +the towns made their last attempt to cast out England by force of arms +they named themselves after the companions of Finn. Even when Gaelic has +gone, and the poetry with it, something of the habit of mind remains in +ways of speech and thought and "come-all-ye"s and poetical saying; nor +is it only among the poor that the old thought has been for strength or +weakness. Surely these old stories, whether of Finn or Cuchulain, helped +to sing the old Irish and the old Norman-Irish aristocracy to their end. +They heard their hereditary poets and story-tellers, and they took to +horse and died fighting against Elizabeth or against Cromwell; and when +an English-speaking aristocracy had their place, it listened to no +poetry indeed, but it felt about it in the popular mind an exacting and +ancient tribunal, and began a play that had for spectators men and women +that loved the high wasteful virtues. I do not think that their own +mixed blood or the habit of their time need take all, or nearly all, +credit or discredit for the impulse that made our modern gentlemen fight +duels over pocket-handkerchiefs, and set out to play ball against the +gates of Jerusalem for a wager, and scatter money before the public eye; +and at last, after an epoch of such eloquence the world has hardly seen +its like, lose their public spirit and their high heart and grow +querulous and selfish as men do who have played life out not heartily +but with noise and tumult. Had they understood the people and the game a +little better, they might have created an aristocracy in an age that has +lost the meaning of the word. When one reads of the Fianna, or of +Cuchulain, or of some great hero, one remembers that the fine life is +always a part played finely before fine spectators. There also one +notices the hot cup and the cold cup of intoxication; and when the fine +spectators have ended, surely the fine players grow weary, and +aristocratic life is ended. When O'Connell covered with a dark glove the +hand that had killed a man in the duelling field, he played his part; +and when Alexander stayed his army marching to the conquest of the world +that he might contemplate the beauty of a plane-tree, he played his +part. When Osgar complained as he lay dying, of the keening of the women +and the old fighting men, he too played his part; "No man ever knew any +heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered with +iron; but the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the keening +of the old fighting men and the crying of the women one after another, +those are the things that are vexing me." If we would create a great +community--and what other game is so worth the labour?--we must recreate +the old foundations of life, not as they existed in that splendid +misunderstanding of the eighteenth century, but as they must always +exist when the finest minds and Ned the beggar and Seaghan the fool +think about the same thing, although they may not think the same thought +about it. + + +IX + +When I asked the little boy who had shown me the pathway up the Hill of +Allen if he knew stories of Finn and Oisin, he said he did not, but that +he had often heard his grandfather telling them to his mother in Irish. +He did not know Irish, but he was learning it at school, and all the +little boys he knew were learning it. In a little while he will know +enough stories of Finn and Oisin to tell them to his children some day. +It is the owners of the land whose children might never have known what +would give them so much happiness. But now they can read this book to +their children, and it will make Slieve-na-man, Allen, and Benbulben, +the great mountain that showed itself before me every day through all my +childhood and was yet unpeopled, and half the country-sides of south and +west, as populous with memories as are Dundealgan and Emain Macha and +Muirthemne; and after a while somebody may even take them to some famous +place and say, "This land where your fathers lived proudly and finely +should be dear and dear and again dear"; and perhaps when many names +have grown musical to their ears, a more imaginative love will have +taught them a better service. + + +X + +I need say nothing about the translation and arrangement of this book +except that it is worthy to be put beside "Cuchulain of Muirthemne." +Such books should not be commended by written words but by spoken words, +were that possible, for the written words commending a book, wherein +something is done supremely well, remain, to sound in the ears of a +later generation, like the foolish sound of church bells from the tower +of a church when every pew is full. + +W.B. YEATS. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +PART I. THE GODS + + Book I. The Coming of the Tuatha de Danaan + + Chap. I. The Fight with the Firbolgs + II. The Reign of Bres + + Book II. Lugh of the Long Hand + + Chap. I. The Coming of Lugh + II. The Sons of Tuireann + III. The Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh + IV. The Hidden House of Lugh + + Book III. The Coming of the Gael + + Chap. I. The Landing + II. The Battle of Tailltin + + Book IV. The Ever-Living Living Ones + + Chap. I. Bodb Dearg + II. The Dagda + III. Angus Og + IV. The Morrigu + V. Aine + VI. Aoibhell + VII. Midhir and Etain + VIII. Manannan + IX. Manannan at play + X. His Call to Bran + XI. His Three Calls to Cormac + XII. Cliodna's Wave + XIII. His Call to Connla + XIV. Tadg in Manannan's Islands + XV. Laegaire in the Happy Plain + + Book V. The Fate of The Children of Lir + + +PART II. THE FIANNA + + Book I. Finn, Son of Cumhal + + Chap. I. The Coming of Finn + II. Finn's Household + III. Birth of Bran + IV. Oisin's Mother + V. The Best Men of the Fianna + + Book II. Finn's Helpers + + Chap. I. The Lad of the Skins + II. Black, Brown, and Grey + III. The Hound + IV. Red Ridge + + Book III. The Battle of the White Strand + + Chap. I. The Enemies of Ireland + II. Cael and Credhe + III. Conn Crither + IV. Glas, Son of Dremen + V. The Help of the Men of Dea + VI. The March of the Fianna + VII. The First Fighters + VIII. The King of Ulster's Son + IX. The High King's Son + X. The King of Lochlann and his Sons + XI. Labran's Journey + XII. The Great Fight + XIII. Credhe's Lament + + Book IV. Huntings and Enchantments + + Chap. I. The King of Britain's Son + II. The Cave of Ceiscoran + III. Donn, Son of Midhir + IV. The Hospitality of Cuanna's House + V. Cat-Heads and Dog-Heads + VI. Lomna's Head + VII. Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh + VIII. The Cave of Cruachan + IX. The Wedding at Ceann Slieve + X. The Shadowy One + XI. Finn's Madness + XII. The Red Woman + XIII. Finn and the Phantoms + XIV. The Pigs of Angus + XV. The Hunt of Slieve Cuilinn + + Book V. Oisin's Children + + + Book VI. Diarmuid + + Chap. I. Birth of Diarmuid + II. How Diarmuid got his Love-Spot + III. The Daughter of King Under-Wave + IV. The Hard Servant + V. The House of the Quicken Trees + + Book VII. Diarmuid and Grania + + Chap. I. The Flight from Teamhair + II. The Pursuit + III. The Green Champions + IV. The Wood of Dubhros + V. The Quarrel + VI. The Wanderers + VII. Fighting and Peace + VIII. The Boar of Beinn Gulbain + + Book VIII. Cnoc-an-Air + + Chap. I. Tailc, Son of Treon + II. Meargach's Wife + III. Ailne's Revenge + + Book IX. The Wearing Away of the Fianna + + Chap. I. The Quarrel with the Sons of Morna + II. Death of Goll + III. The Battle of Gabhra + + Book X. The End of the Fianna + + Chap. I. Death of Bran + II. The Call of Oisin + III. The Last of the Great Men + + Book XI. Oisin and Patrick + + Chap. I. Oisin's Story + II. Oisin in Patrick's House + III. The Arguments + IV. Oisin's Laments + + + + +GODS AND FIGHTING MEN. + +PART ONE: THE GODS. + +BOOK ONE: THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN. + +CHAPTER I. THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRBOLGS + + +It was in a mist the Tuatha de Danaan, the people of the gods of Dana, +or as some called them, the Men of Dea, came through the air and the +high air to Ireland. + +It was from the north they came; and in the place they came from they +had four cities, where they fought their battle for learning: great +Falias, and shining Gorias, and Finias, and rich Murias that lay to the +south. And in those cities they had four wise men to teach their young +men skill and knowledge and perfect wisdom: Senias in Murias; and Arias, +the fair-haired poet, in Finias; and Urias of the noble nature in +Gorias; and Morias in Falias itself. And they brought from those four +cities their four treasures: a Stone of Virtue from Falias, that was +called the Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny; and from Gorias they brought +a Sword; and from Finias a Spear of Victory; and from Murias the fourth +treasure, the Cauldron that no company ever went away from unsatisfied. + +It was Nuada was king of the Tuatha de Danaan at that time, but +Manannan, son of Lir, was greater again. And of the others that were +chief among them were Ogma, brother to the king, that taught them +writing, and Diancecht, that understood healing, and Neit, a god of +battle, and Credenus the Craftsman, and Goibniu the Smith. And the +greatest among their women were Badb, a battle goddess; and Macha, whose +mast-feeding was the heads of men killed in battle; and the Morrigu, +the Crow of Battle; and Eire and Fodla and Banba, daughters of the +Dagda, that all three gave their names to Ireland afterwards; and Eadon, +the nurse of poets; and Brigit, that was a woman of poetry, and poets +worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was +a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it +was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the +night. And the one side of her face was ugly, but the other side was +very comely. And the meaning of her name was Breo-saighit, a fiery +arrow. And among the other women there were many shadow-forms and great +queens; but Dana, that was called the Mother of the Gods, was beyond +them all. + +And the three things they put above all others were the plough and the +sun and the hazel-tree, so that it was said in the time to come that +Ireland was divided between those three, Coll the hazel, and Cecht the +plough, and Grian the sun. + +And they had a well below the sea where the nine hazels of wisdom were +growing; that is, the hazels of inspiration and of the knowledge of +poetry. And their leaves and their blossoms would break out in the same +hour, and would fall on the well in a shower that raised a purple wave. +And then the five salmon that were waiting there would eat the nuts, and +their colour would come out in the red spots of their skin, and any +person that would eat one of those salmon would know all wisdom and all +poetry. And there were seven streams of wisdom that sprang from that +well and turned back to it again; and the people of many arts have all +drank from that well. + +It was on the first day of Beltaine, that is called now May Day, the +Tuatha de Danaan came, and it was to the north-west of Connacht they +landed. But the Firbolgs, the Men of the Bag, that were in Ireland +before them, and that had come from the South, saw nothing but a mist, +and it lying on the hills. + +Eochaid, son of Erc, was king of the Firbolgs at that time, and +messengers came to him at Teamhair, and told him there was a new race of +people come into Ireland, but whether from the earth or the skies or on +the wind was not known, and that they had settled themselves at Magh +Rein. + +They thought there would be wonder on Eochaid when he heard that news; +but there was no wonder on him, for a dream had come to him in the +night, and when he asked his Druids the meaning of the dream, it is what +they said, that it would not be long till there would be a strong enemy +coming against him. + +Then King Eochaid took counsel with his chief advisers, and it is what +they agreed, to send a good champion of their own to see the strangers +and to speak with them. So they chose out Sreng, that was a great +fighting man, and he rose up and took his strong red-brown shield, and +his two thick-handled spears, and his sword, and his head-covering, and +his thick iron club, and he set out from Teamhair, and went on towards +the place the strangers were, at Magh Rein. + +But before he reached it, the watchers of the Tuatha de Danaan got sight +of him, and they sent out one of their own champions, Bres, with his +shield and his sword and his two spears, to meet him and to talk with +him. + +So the two champions went one towards the other slowly, and keeping a +good watch on one another, and wondering at one another's arms, till +they came near enough for talking; and then they stopped, and each put +his shield before his body and struck it hard into the ground, and they +looked at one another over the rim. Bres was the first to speak, and +when Sreng heard it was Irish he was talking, his own tongue, he was +less uneasy, and they drew nearer, and asked questions as to one +another's family and race. + +And after a while they put their shields away, and it was what Sreng +said, that he had raised his in dread of the thin, sharp spears Bres had +in his hand. And Bres said he himself was in dread of the thick-handled +spears he saw with Sreng, and he asked were all the arms of the Firbolgs +of the same sort. And Sreng took off the tyings of his spears to show +them better, and Bres wondered at them, being so strong and so heavy, +and so sharp at the sides though they had no points. And Sreng told him +the name of those spears was Craisech, and that they would break through +shields and crush flesh and bones, so that their thrust was death or +wounds that never healed. And then he looked at the sharp, thin, +hard-pointed spears that were with Bres. And in the end they made an +exchange of spears, the way the fighters on each side would see the +weapons the others were used to. And it is the message Bres sent to the +Firbolgs, that if they would give up one half of Ireland, his people +would be content to take it in peace; but if they would not give up that +much, there should be a battle. And he and Sreng said to one another +that whatever might happen in the future, they themselves would be +friends. + +Sreng went back then to Teamhair and gave the message and showed the +spear; and it is what he advised his people, to share the country and +not to go into battle with a people that had weapons so much better than +their own. But Eochaid and his chief men consulted together, and they +said in the end: "We will not give up the half of the country to these +strangers; for if we do," they said, "they will soon take the whole." + +Now as to the Men of Dea, when Bres went back to them, and showed them +the heavy spear, and told them of the strong, fierce man he had got it +from, and how sturdy he was and well armed, they thought it likely there +would soon be a battle. And they went back from where they were to a +better place, farther west in Connacht, and there they settled +themselves, and made walls and ditches on the plain of Magh Nia, where +they had the great mountain, Belgata, in their rear. And while they were +moving there and putting up their walls, three queens of them, Badb and +Macha and the Morrigu, went to Teamhair where the Firbolgs were making +their plans. And by the power of their enchantments they brought mists +and clouds of darkness over the whole place, and they sent showers of +fire and of blood over the people, the way they could not see or speak +with one another through the length of three days. But at the end of +that time, the three Druids of the Firbolgs, Cesarn and Gnathach and +Ingnathach, broke the enchantment. + +The Firbolgs gathered their men together then, and they came with their +eleven battalions and took their stand at the eastern end of the plain +of Magh Nia. + +And Nuada, king of the Men of Dea, sent his poets to make the same offer +he made before, to be content with the half of the country if it was +given up to him. King Eochaid bade the poets to ask an answer of his +chief men that were gathered there; and when they heard the offer they +would not consent. So the messengers asked them when would they begin +the battle. "We must have a delay," they said; "for we want time to put +our spears and our armour in order, and to brighten our helmets and to +sharpen our swords, and to have spears made like the ones you have. And +as to yourselves," they said, "you will be wanting to have spears like +our Craisechs made for you." So they agreed then to make a delay of a +quarter of a year for preparation. + +It was on a Midsummer day they began the battle. Three times nine +hurlers of the Tuatha de Danaan went out against three times nine +hurlers of the Firbolgs, and they were beaten, and every one of them was +killed. And the king, Eochaid, sent a messenger to ask would they have +the battle every day or every second day. And it is what Nuada answered +that they would have it every day, but there should be just the same +number of men fighting on each side. Eochaid agreed to that, but he was +not well pleased, for there were more men of the Firbolgs than of the +Men of Dea. + +So the battle went on for four days, and there were great feats done on +each side, and a great many champions came to their death. But for those +that were alive at evening, the physicians on each side used to make a +bath of healing, with every sort of healing plant or herb in it, the way +they would be strong and sound for the next day's fight. + +And on the fourth day the Men of Dea got the upper hand, and the +Firbolgs were driven back. And a great thirst came on Eochaid, their +king, in the battle, and he went off the field looking for a drink, and +three fifties of his men protecting him; but three fifties of the Tuatha +de Danaan followed after them till they came to the strand that is +called Traigh Eothaile, and they had a fierce fight there, and at the +last King Eochaid fell, and they buried him there, and they raised a +great heap of stones over his grave. + +And when there were but three hundred men left of the eleven battalions +of the Firbolgs, and Sreng at the head of them, Nuada offered them +peace, and their choice among the five provinces of Ireland. And Sreng +said they would take Connacht; and he and his people lived there and +their children after them. It is of them Ferdiad came afterwards that +made such a good fight against Cuchulain, and Erc, son of Cairbre, that +gave him his death. And that battle, that was the first fought in +Ireland by the Men of Dea, was called by some the first battle of Magh +Tuireadh. + +And the Tuatha de Danaan took possession of Teamhair, that was sometimes +called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and Liathdruim, the Grey Ridge, +and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the Outlook, all those names were +given to Teamhair. And from that time it was above all other places, for +its king was the High King over all Ireland. The king's rath lay to the +north, and the Hill of the Hostages to the north-east of the High Seat, +and the Green of Teamhair to the west of the Hill of the Hostages. And +to the north-east, in the Hill of the Sidhe, was a well called Nemnach, +and out of it there flowed a stream called Nith, and on that stream the +first mill was built in Ireland. + +And to the north of the Hill of the Hostages was the stone, the Lia +Fail, and it used to roar under the feet of every king that would take +possession of Ireland. And the Wall of the Three Whispers was near the +House of the Women that had seven doors to the east, and seven doors to +the west; and it is in that house the feasts of Teamhair used to be +held. And there was the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, and near it, +to the south, the little Hill of the Woman Soldiers. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF BRES + + +But if Nuada won the battle, he lost his own arm in it, that was struck +off by Sreng; and by that loss there came troubles and vexation on his +people. + +For it was a law with the Tuatha de Danaan that no man that was not +perfect in shape should be king. And after Nuada had lost the battle he +was put out of the kingship on that account. + +And the king they chose in his place was Bres, that was the most +beautiful of all their young men, so that if a person wanted to praise +any beautiful thing, whether it was a plain, or a dun, or ale, or a +flame, or a woman, or a man, or a horse, it is what he would say, "It is +as beautiful as Bres." And he was the son of a woman of the Tuatha de +Danaan, but who his father was no one knew but herself. + +But in spite of Bres being so beautiful, his reign brought no great good +luck to his people; for the Fomor, whose dwelling-place was beyond the +sea, or as some say below the sea westward, began putting tribute on +them, the way they would get them under their own rule. + +It was a long time before that the Fomor came first to Ireland; dreadful +they were to look at, and maimed, having but one foot or one hand, and +they under the leadership of a giant and his mother. There never came to +Ireland an army more horrible or more dreadful than that army of the +Fomor. And they were friendly with the Firbolgs and content to leave +Ireland to them, but there was jealousy between them and the Men of Dea. + +And it was a hard tax they put on them, a third part of their corn they +asked, and a third part of their milk, and a third part of their +children, so that there was not smoke rising from a roof in Ireland but +was under tribute to them. And Bres made no stand against them, but let +them get their way. + +And as to Bres himself, he put a tax on every house in Ireland of the +milk of hornless dun cows, or of the milk of cows of some other single +colour, enough for a hundred men. And one time, to deceive him, Nechtan +singed all the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, and then he smeared +them with the ashes of flax seed, the way they were all dark brown. He +did that by the advice of the Druid Findgoll, son of Findemas. And +another time they made three hundred cows of wood with dark brown pails +in place of udders, and the pails were filled with black bog stuff. Then +Bres came to look at the cows, and to see them milked before him, and +Cian, father of Lugh, was there. And when they were milked it was the +bog stuff that was squeezed out; and Bres took a drink of it thinking it +to be milk, and he was not the better of it for a long time. + +And there was another thing against Bres; he was no way open-handed, and +the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan grumbled against him, for their +knives were never greased in his house, and however often they might +visit him there was no smell of ale on their breath. And there was no +sort of pleasure or merriment in his house, and no call for their poets, +or singers, or harpers, or pipers, or horn-blowers, or jugglers, or +fools. And as to the trials of strength they were used to see between +their champions, the only use their strength was put to now was to be +doing work for the king. Ogma himself, the shining poet, was under +orders to bring firing to the palace every day for the whole army from +the Islands of Mod; and he so weak for want of food that the sea would +sweep away two-thirds of his bundle every day. And as to the Dagda, he +was put to build raths, for he was a good builder, and he made a trench +round Rath Brese. And he used often to be tired at the work, and one +time he nearly gave in altogether for want of food, and this is the way +that happened. He used to meet in the house an idle blind man, Cridenbel +his name was, that had a sharp tongue, and that coveted the Dagda's +share of food, for he thought his own to be small beside it. So he said +to him: "For the sake of your good name let the three best bits of your +share be given to me." And the Dagda gave in to that every night; but he +was the worse of it, for what the blind man called a bit would be the +size of a good pig, and with his three bits he would take a full third +of the whole. + +But one day, as the Dagda was in the trench, he saw his son, Angus Og, +coming to him. "That is a good meeting," said Angus; "but what is on +you, for you have no good appearance to-day?" "There is a reason for +that," said the Dagda, "for every evening, Cridenbel, the blind man, +makes a demand for the three best bits of my share of food, and takes +them from me." "I will give you an advice," said Angus. He put his hand +in his bag then, and took out three pieces of gold and gave them to him. + +"Put these pieces of gold into the three bits you will give this evening +to Cridenbel," he said, "and they will be the best bits in the dish, and +the gold will turn within him the way he will die." + +So in the evening the Dagda did that; and no sooner had Cridenbel +swallowed down the gold than he died. Some of the people said then to +the king: "The Dagda has killed Cridenbel, giving him some deadly herb." +The king believed that, and there was anger on him against the Dagda, +and he gave orders he should be put to death. But the Dagda said: "You +are not giving the right judgment of a prince." And he told all that had +happened, and how Cridenbel used to say, "Give me the three best bits +before you, for my own share is not good to-night." "And on this +night," he said, "the three pieces of gold were the best things before +me, and I gave them to him, and he died." + +The king gave orders then to have the body cut open. And they found the +gold inside it, and they knew it was the truth the Dagda had told. + +And Angus came to him again the next day, and he said: "Your work will +soon be done, and when you are given your wages, take nothing they may +offer you till the cattle of Ireland are brought before you, and choose +out a heifer then, black and black-maned, that I will tell you the signs +of." + +So when the Dagda had brought his work to an end, and they asked him +what reward he wanted, he did as Angus had bidden him. And that seemed +folly to Bres; he thought the Dagda would have asked more than a heifer +of him. + +There came a day at last when a poet came to look for hospitality at the +king's house, Corpre, son of Etain, poet of the Tuatha de Danaan. And it +is how he was treated, he was put in a little dark narrow house where +there was no fire, or furniture, or bed; and for a feast three small +cakes, and they dry, were brought to him on a little dish. When he rose +up on the morrow he was no way thankful, and as he was going across the +green, it is what he said: "Without food ready on a dish; without milk +enough for a calf to grow on; without shelter; without light in the +darkness of night; without enough to pay a story-teller; may that be the +prosperity of Bres." + +And from that day there was no good luck with Bres, but it is going down +he was for ever after. And that was the first satire ever made in +Ireland. + +Now as to Nuada: after his arm being struck off, he was in his sickness +for a while, and then Diancecht, the healer, made an arm of silver for +him, with movement in every finger of it, and put it on him. And from +that he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand, for ever after. + +Now Miach, son of Diancecht, was a better hand at healing than his +father, and had done many things. He met a young man, having but one +eye, at Teamhair one time, and the young man said: "If you are a good +physician you will put an eye in the place of the eye I lost." "I could +put the eye of that cat in your lap in its place," said Miach. "I would +like that well," said the young man. So Miach put the cat's eye in his +head; but he would as soon have been without it after, for when he +wanted to sleep and take his rest, it is then the eye would start at the +squeaking of the mice, or the flight of the birds, or the movement of +the rushes; and when he was wanting to watch an army or a gathering, it +is then it was sure to be in a deep sleep. + +And Miach was not satisfied with what his father had done to the king, +and he took Nuada's own hand that had been struck off, and brought it to +him and set it in its place, and he said: "Joint to joint, and sinew to +sinew." Three days and three nights he was with the king; the first day +he put the hand against his side, and the second day against his breast, +till it was covered with skin, and the third day he put bulrushes that +were blackened in the fire on it, and at the end of that time the king +was healed. + +But Diancecht was vexed when he saw his son doing a better cure than +himself, and he threw his sword at his head, that it cut the flesh, but +the lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Then Diancecht threw it +a second time, that it reached the bone, but the lad was able to cure +the wound. Then he struck him the third time and the fourth, till he cut +out the brain, for he knew no physician could cure him after that blow; +and Miach died, and he buried him. + +And herbs grew up from his grave, to the number of his joints and +sinews, three hundred and sixty-five. And Airmed, his sister, came and +spread out her cloak and laid out the herbs in it, according to their +virtue. But Diancecht saw her doing that, and he came and mixed up the +herbs, so that no one knows all their right powers to this day. + +Then when the Tuatha de Danaan saw Nuada as well as he was before, they +gathered together to Teamhair, where Bres was, and they bade him give up +the kingship, for he had held it long enough. So he had to give it up, +though he was not very willing, and Nuada was put back in the kingship +again. + +There was great vexation on Bres then, and he searched his mind to know +how could he be avenged on those that had put him out, and how he could +gather an army against them; and he went to his mother, Eri, daughter of +Delbaith, and bade her tell him what his race was. + +"I know that well," she said; and she told him then that his father was +a king of the Fomor, Elathan, son of Dalbaech, and that he came to her +one time over a level sea in some great vessel that seemed to be of +silver, but she could not see its shape, and he himself having the +appearance of a young man with yellow hair, and his clothes sewed with +gold, and five rings of gold about his neck. And she that had refused +the love of all the young men of her own people, gave him her love, and +she cried when he left her. And he gave her a ring from his hand, and +bade her give it only to the man whose finger it would fit, and he went +away then the same way as he had come. + +And she brought out the ring then to Bres, and he put it round his +middle finger, and it fitted him well. And they went then together to +the hill where she was the time she saw the silver vessel coming, and +down to the strand, and she and Bres and his people set out for the +country of the Fomor. + +And when they came to that country they found a great plain with many +gatherings of people on it, and they went to the gathering that looked +the best, and the people asked where did they come from, and they said +they were come from Ireland. "Have you hounds with you?" they asked them +then, for it was the custom at that time, when strangers came to a +gathering, to give them some friendly challenge. "We have hounds," said +Bres. So the hounds were matched against one another, and the hounds of +the Tuatha de Danaan were better than the hounds of the Fomor. "Have you +horses for a race?" they asked then. "We have," said Bres. And the +horses of the Tuatha de Danaan beat the horses of the Fomor. + +Then they asked was any one among them a good hand with the sword, and +they said Bres was the best. But when he put his hand to his sword, +Elathan, his father, that was among them, knew the ring, and he asked +who was this young man. Then his mother answered him and told the whole +story, and that Bres was his own son. + +There was sorrow on his father then, and he said: "What was it drove you +out of the country you were king over?" And Bres said: "Nothing drove me +out but my own injustice and my own hardness; I took away their +treasures from the people, and their jewels, and their food itself. And +there were never taxes put on them before I was their king." + +"That is bad," said his father; "it is of their prosperity you had a +right to think more than of your own kingship. And their good-will +would be better than their curses," he said; "and what is it you are +come to look for here?" "I am come to look for fighting men," said Bres, +"that I may take Ireland by force." "You have no right to get it by +injustice when you could not keep it by justice," said his father. "What +advice have you for me then?" said Bres. + +And Elathan bade him go to the chief king of the Fomor, Balor of the +Evil Eye, to see what advice and what help would he give him. + + + + +BOOK TWO: LUGH OF THE LONG HAND. + +CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF LUGH + + +Now as to Nuada of the Silver Hand, he was holding a great feast at +Teamhair one time, after he was back in the kingship. And there were two +door-keepers at Teamhair, Gamal, son of Figal, and Camel, son of +Riagall. And a young man came to the door where one of them was, and +bade him bring him in to the king. "Who are you yourself?" said the +door-keeper. "I am Lugh, son of Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan, and of +Ethlinn, daughter of Balor, King of the Fomor," he said; "and I am +foster-son of Taillte, daughter of the King of the Great Plain, and of +Echaid the Rough, son of Duach." "What are you skilled in?" said the +door-keeper; "for no one without an art comes into Teamhair." "Question +me," said Lugh; "I am a carpenter." "We do not want you; we have a +carpenter ourselves, Luchtar, son of Luachaid." "Then I am a smith." "We +have a smith ourselves, Colum Cuaillemech of the Three New Ways." "Then +I am a champion." "That is no use to us; we have a champion before, +Ogma, brother to the king." "Question me again," he said; "I am a +harper." "That is no use to us; we have a harper ourselves, Abhean, son +of Bicelmos, that the Men of the Three Gods brought from the hills." "I +am-a poet," he said then, "and a teller of tales." "That is no use to +us; we have a teller of tales ourselves, Ere, son of Ethaman." "And I am +a magician." "That is no use to us; we have plenty of magicians and +people of power." "I am a physician," he said. "That is no use; we have +Diancecht-for our physician." "Let me be a cup-bearer," he said. "We do +not want you; we have nine cup-bearers ourselves." "I am a good worker +in brass." "We have a worker in brass ourselves, that is Credne Cerd." + +Then Lugh said: "Go and ask the king if he has any one man that can do +all these things, and if he has, I will not ask to come into Teamhair." +The door-keeper went into the king's house then and told him all that. +"There is a young man at the door," he said, "and his name should be the +Ildánach, the Master of all Arts, for all the things the people of your +house can do, he himself is able to do every one of them." "Try him with +the chess-boards," said Nuada. So the chess-boards were brought out, and +every game that was played, Lugh won it. And when Nuada was told that, +he said: "Let him in, for the like of him never came into Teamhair +before." + +Then the door-keeper let him pass, and he came into the king's house and +sat down in the seat of knowledge. And there was a great flag-stone +there that could hardly be moved by four times twenty yoke of oxen, and +Ogma took it up and hurled it out through the house, so that it lay on +the outside of Teamhair, as a challenge to Lugh. But Lugh hurled it back +again that it lay in the middle of the king's house. He played the harp +for them then, and he had them laughing and crying, till he put them +asleep at the end with a sleepy tune. And when Nuada saw all the things +Lugh could do, he began to think that by his help the country might get +free of the taxes and the tyranny put on it by the Fomor. And it is what +he did, he came down from his throne, and he put Lugh on it in his +place, for the length of thirteen days, the way they might all listen to +the advice he would give. + +This now is the story of the birth of Lugh. The time the Fomor used to +be coming to Ireland, Balor of the Strong Blows, or, as some called +him, of the Evil Eye, was living on the Island of the Tower of Glass. +There was danger for ships that went near that island, for the Fomor +would come out and take them. And some say the sons of Nemed in the old +time, before the Firbolgs were in Ireland, passed near it in their +ships, and what they saw was a tower of glass in the middle of the sea, +and on the tower something that had the appearance of men, and they went +against it with Druid spells to attack it. And the Fomor worked against +them with Druid spells of their own; and the sons of Nemed attacked the +tower, and it vanished, and they thought it was destroyed. But a great +wave rose over them then, and all their ships went down and all that +were in them. + +And the tower was there as it was before, and Balor living in it. And it +is the reason he was called "of the Evil Eye," there was a power of +death in one of his eyes, so that no person could look at it and live. +It is the way it got that power, he was passing one time by a house +where his father's Druids were making spells of death, and the window +being open he looked in, and the smoke of the poisonous spells was +rising up, and it went into his eye. And from that time he had to keep +it closed unless he wanted to be the death of some enemy, and then the +men that were with him would lift the eyelid with a ring of ivory. + +Now a Druid foretold one time that it was by his own grandson he would +get his death. And he had at that time but one child, a daughter whose +name was Ethlinn; and when he heard what the Druid said, he shut her up +in the tower on the island. And he put twelve women with her to take +charge of her and to guard her, and he bade them never to let her see a +man or hear the name of a man. + +So Ethlinn was brought up in the tower, and she grew to be very +beautiful; and sometimes she would see men passing in the currachs, and +sometimes she would see a man in her dreams. But when she would speak of +that to the women, they would give her no answer. + +So there was no fear on Balor, and he went on with war and robbery as he +was used, seizing every ship that passed by, and sometimes going over to +Ireland to do destruction there. + +Now it chanced at that time there were three brothers of the Tuatha de +Danaan living together in a place that was called Druim na Teine, the +Ridge of the Fire, Goibniu and Samthainn and Cian. Cian was a lord of +land, and Goibniu was the smith that had such a great name. Now Cian had +a wonderful cow, the Glas Gaibhnenn, and her milk never failed. And +every one that heard of her coveted her, and many had tried to steal her +away, so that she had to be watched night and day. + +And one time Cian was wanting some swords made, and he went to Goibniu's +forge, and he brought the Glas Gaibhnenn with him, holding her by a +halter. When he came to the forge his two brothers were there together, +for Samthainn had brought some steel to have weapons made for himself; +and Cian bade Samthainn to hold the halter while he went into the forge +to speak with Goibniu. + +Now Balor had set his mind for a long time on the Glas Gaibhnenn, but he +had never been able to get near her up to this time. And he was watching +not far off, and when he saw Samthainn holding the cow, he put on the +appearance of a little boy, having red hair, and came up to him and told +him he heard his two brothers that were in the forge saying to one +another that they would use all his steel for their own swords, and make +his of iron. "By my word," said Samthainn, "they will not deceive me so +easily. Let you hold the cow, little lad," he said, "and I will go in to +them." With that he rushed into the forge, and great anger on him. And +no sooner did Balor get the halter in his hand than he set out, dragging +the Glas along with him, to the strand, and across the sea to his own +island. + +When Cian saw his brother coming in he rushed out, and there he saw +Balor and the Glas out in the sea. And he had nothing to do then but to +reproach his brother, and to wander about as if his wits had left him, +not knowing what way to get his cow back from Balor. At last he went to +a Druid to ask an advice from him; and it is what the Druid told him, +that so long as Balor lived, the cow would never be brought back, for no +one would go within reach of his Evil Eye. + +Cian went then to a woman-Druid, Birog of the Mountain, for her help. +And she dressed him in a woman's clothes, and brought him across the sea +in a blast of wind, to the tower where Ethlinn was. Then she called to +the women in the tower, and asked them for shelter for a high queen she +was after saving from some hardship, and the women in the tower did not +like to refuse a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan, and they let her and her +comrade in. Then Birog by her enchantments put them all into a deep +sleep, and Cian went to speak with Ethlinn. And when she saw him she +said that was the face she had seen in her dreams. So she gave him her +love; but after a while he was brought away again on a blast of wind. + +And when her time came, Ethlinn gave birth to a son. And when Balor knew +that, he bade his people put the child in a cloth and fasten it with a +pin, and throw him into a current of the sea. And as they were carrying +the child across an arm of the sea, the pin dropped out, and the child +slipped from the cloth into the water, and they thought he was drowned. +But he was brought away by Birog of the Mountain, and she brought him to +his father Cian; and he gave him to be fostered by Taillte, daughter of +the King of the Great Plain. It is thus Lugh was born and reared. + +And some say Balor came and struck the head off Cian on a white stone, +that has the blood marks on it to this day; but it is likely it was some +other man he struck the head off, for it was by the sons of Tuireann +that Cian came to his death. + +And after Lugh had come to Teamhair, and made his mind up to join with +his father's people against the Fomor, he put his mind to the work; and +he went to a quiet place in Grellach Dollaid, with Nuada and the Dagda, +and with Ogma; and Goibniu and Diancecht were called to them there. A +full year they stopped there, making their plans together in secret, the +way the Fomor would not know they were going to rise against them till +such time as all would be ready, and till they would know what their +strength was. And it is from that council the place got the name +afterwards of "The Whisper of the Men of Dea." + +And they broke up the council, and agreed to meet again that day three +years, and every one of them went his own way, and Lugh went back to his +own friends, the sons of Manannan. + +And it was a good while after that, Nuada was holding a great assembly +of the people on the Hill of Uisnech, on the west side of Teamhair. And +they were not long there before they saw an armed troop coming towards +them from the east, over the plain; and there was a young man in front +of the troop, in command over the rest, and the brightness of his face +was like the setting sun, so that they were not able to look at him +because of its brightness. + +And when he came nearer they knew it was Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long +Hand, that had come back to them, and along with him were the Riders of +the Sidhe from the Land of Promise, and his own foster-brothers, the +sons of Manannan, Sgoith Gleigeil, the White Flower, and Goitne +Gorm-Shuileach, the Blue-eyed Spear, and Sine Sindearg, of the Red Ring, +and Donall Donn-Ruadh, of the Red-brown Hair. And it is the way Lugh +was, he had Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, of the One Mane, under him, +that was as swift as the naked cold wind of spring, and the sea was the +same as dry land to her, and the rider was never killed off her back. +And he had Manannan's breast-plate on him, that kept whoever was wearing +it from wounds, and a helmet on his head with two beautiful precious +stones set in the front of it and one at the back, and when he took it +off, his forehead was like the sun on a dry summer day. And he had +Manannan's sword, the Freagarthach, the Answerer, at his side, and no +one that was wounded by it would ever get away alive; and when that +sword was bared in a battle, no man that saw it coming against him had +any more strength than a woman in child-birth. + +And the troop came to where the King of Ireland was with the Tuatha de +Danaan, and they welcomed one another. + +And they were not long there till they saw a surly, slovenly troop +coming towards them, nine times nine of the messengers of the Fomor, +that were coming to ask rent and taxes from the men of Ireland; and the +names of the four that were the hardest and the most cruel were Eine and +Eathfaigh and Coron and Compar; and there was such great dread of these +four on the Tuatha de Danaan, that not one of them would so much as +punish his own son or his foster-son without leave from them. + +They came up then to where the King of Ireland was with the Riders of +the Sidhe, and the king and all the Tuatha de Danaan stood up before +them. And Lugh of the Long Hand said: "Why do you rise up before that +surly, slovenly troop, when you did not rise up before us?" + +"It is needful for us to do it," said the king; "for if there was but a +child of us sitting before them, they would not think that too small a +cause for killing him." "By my word," said Lugh, "there is a great +desire coming on me to kill themselves." "That is a thing would bring +harm on us," said the king, "for we would meet our own death and +destruction through it." "It is too long a time you have been under this +oppression," said Lugh. And with that he started up and made an attack +on the Fomor, killing and wounding them, till he had made an end of +eight nines of them, but he let the last nine go under the protection of +Nuada the king. "And I would kill you along with the others," he said, +"but I would sooner see you go with messages to your own country than my +own people, for fear they might get any ill-treatment." + +So the nine went back then till they came to Lochlann, where the men of +the Fomor were, and they told them the story from beginning to end, and +how a young well-featured lad had come into Ireland and had killed all +the tax-gatherers but themselves, "and it is the reason he let us off," +they said, "that we might tell you the story ourselves." + +"Do you know who is the young man?" said Balor of the Evil Eye then. + +"I know well," said Ceithlenn, his wife; "he is the son of your +daughter and mine. And it was foretold," she said, "that from the time +he would come into Ireland, we would never have power there again for +ever." + +Then the chief men of the Fomor went into a council, Eab, son of Neid, +and Seanchab, grandson of Neid, and Sital Salmhor, and Liath, son of +Lobais, and the nine poets of the Fomor that had learning and the gift +of foreknowledge, and Lobais the Druid, and Balor himself and his twelve +white-mouthed sons, and Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth, his queen. + +And it was just at that time Bres and his father Elathan were come to +ask help of the Fomor, and Bres said: "I myself will go to Ireland, and +seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor along with me, and I +will give battle to this Ildánach, this master of all arts, and I will +strike his head off and bring it here to you, to the green of Berbhe." +"It would be a fitting thing for you to do," said they all. "Let my +ships be made ready for me," said Bres, "and let food and provisions be +put in them." + +So they made no delay, but went and got the ships ready, and they put +plenty of food and drink in them, and the two swift Luaths were sent out +to gather the army to Bres. And when they were all gathered, they made +ready their armour and their weapons, and they set out for Ireland. + +And Balor the king followed them to the harbour, and he said: "Give +battle to that Ildánach, and strike off his head; and tie that island +that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying +water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not +one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time." + +Then they pushed out their ships and put up their painted sails, and +went out from the harbour on the untilled country, on the ridges of the +wide-lying sea, and they never turned from their course till they came +to the harbour of Eas Dara. And from that they sent out an army through +West Connacht and destroyed it altogether, through and through. And the +King of Connacht at that time was Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE SONS OF TUIREANN + + +And Lugh of the Long Hand was at that time at Teamhair with the King of +Ireland, and it was showed to him that the Fomor were after landing at +Eas Dara. And when he knew that, he made ready Manannan's horse, the +Aonbharr, at the time of the battle of the day and night; and he went +where Nuada the king was, and told him how the Fomor had landed at Eas +Dara and had spoiled Bodb Dearg's country; "and it is what I want," he +said, "to get help from you to give battle to them." But Nuada was not +minded to avenge the destruction that was done on Bodb Dearg and not on +himself, and Lugh was not well pleased with his answer, and he went +riding out of Teamhair westward. And presently he saw three armed men +coming towards him, his own father Cian, with his brothers Cu and +Ceithen, that were the three sons of Cainte, and they saluted him. "What +is the cause of your early rising?" they said. "It is good cause I have +for it," said Lugh, "for the Fomor are come into Ireland and have robbed +Bodb Dearg; and what help will you give me against them?" he said. + +"Each one of us will keep off a hundred from you in the battle," said +they. "That is a good help," said Lugh; "but there is a help I would +sooner have from you than that: to gather the Riders of the Sidhe to me +from every place where they are." + +So Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, and Cian set out northward, +and he did not stop till he reached the Plain of Muirthemne. And as he +was going across the plain he saw three armed men before him, that were +the three sons of Tuireann, son of Ogma. And it is the way it was +between the three sons of Tuireann and the three sons of Cainte, they +were in hatred and enmity towards one another, so that whenever they met +there was sure to be fighting among them. + +Then Cian said: "If my two brothers had been here it is a brave fight we +would make; but since they are not, it is best for me to fall back." +Then he saw a great herd of pigs near him, and he struck himself with a +Druid rod that put on him the shape of a pig of the herd, and he began +rooting up the ground like the rest. + +Then Brian, one of the sons of Tuireann, said to his brothers: "Did you +see that armed man that was walking the plain a while ago?" "We did see +him," said they. "Do you know what was it took him away?" said Brian. +"We do not know that," said they. "It is a pity you not to be keeping a +better watch over the plains of the open country in time of war," said +Brian; "and I know well what happened him, for he struck himself with +his Druid rod into the shape of a pig of these pigs, and he is rooting +up the ground now like any one of them; and whoever he is, he is no +friend to us." "That is bad for us," said the other two, "for the pigs +belong to some one of the Tuatha de Danaan, and even if we kill them +all, the Druid pig might chance to escape us in the end." + +"It is badly you got your learning in the city of learning," said Brian, +"when you cannot tell an enchanted beast from a natural beast." And +while he was saying that, he struck his two brothers with his Druid +rod, and he turned them into two thin, fast hounds, and they began to +yelp sharply on the track of the enchanted pig. + +And it was not long before the pig fell out from among the others, and +not one of the others made away but only itself, and it made for a wood, +and at the edge of the wood Brian gave a cast of his spear that went +through its body. And the pig cried out, and it said: "It is a bad thing +you have done to have made a cast at me when you knew me." "It seems to +me you have the talk of a man," said Brian. "I was a man indeed," said +he; "I am Cian, son of Cainte, and give me your protection now." "I +swear by the gods of the air," said Brian, "that if the life came back +seven times to you, I would take it from you every time." "If that is +so," said Cian, "give me one request: let me go into my own shape +again." "We will do that," said Brian, "for it is easier to me to kill a +man than a pig." + +So Cian took his own shape then, and he said: "Give me mercy now." "We +will not give it," said Brian. "Well, I have got the better of you for +all that," said Cian; "for if it was in the shape of a pig you had killed +me there would only be the blood money for a pig on me; but as it is in +my own shape you will kill me, there never was and never will be any +person killed for whose sake a heavier fine will be paid than for +myself. And the arms I am killed with," he said, "it is they will tell +the deed to my son." + +"It is not with weapons you will be killed, but with the stones lying on +the ground," said Brian. And with that they pelted him with stones, +fiercely and roughly, till all that was left of him was a poor, +miserable, broken heap; and they buried him the depth of a man's body in +the earth, and the earth would not receive that murder from them, but +cast it up again. Brian said it should go into the earth again, and they +put it in the second time, and the second time the earth would not take +it. And six times the sons of Tuireann buried the body, and six times it +was cast up again; but the seventh time it was put underground the earth +kept it. And then they went on to join Lugh of the Long Hand for the +battle. + +Now as to Lugh; upon parting with his father he went forward from +Teamhair westward, to the hills that were called afterwards Gairech and +Ilgairech, and to the ford of the Shannon that is now called Athluain, +and to Bearna nah-Eadargana, the Gap of Separation, and over Magh Luirg, +the Plain of Following, and to Corr Slieve na Seaghsa, the Round +Mountain of the Poet's Spring, and to the head of Sean-Slieve, and +through the place of the bright-faced Corann, and from that to Magh Mor +an Aonaigh, the Great Plain of the Fair, where the Fomor were, and the +spoils of Connacht with them. + +It is then Bres, son of Elathan, rose up and said: "It is a wonder to me +the sun to be rising in the west to-day, and it rising in the east every +other day." "It would be better for us it to be the sun," said the +Druids. "What else is it?" said he. "It is the shining of the face of +Lugh, son of Ethlinn," said they. + +Lugh came up to them then and saluted them. "Why do you come like a +friend to us?" said they. "There is good cause for that," he said, "for +there is but one half of me of the Tuatha de Danaan, and the other half +of yourselves. And give me back now the milch cows of the men of +Ireland," he said. "May early good luck not come to you till you get +either a dry or a milch cow here," said a man of them, and anger on him. + +But Lugh stopped near them for three days and three nights, and at the +end of that time the Riders of the Sidhe came to him. And Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, came with twenty-nine hundred men, and he said: + +"What is the cause of your delay in giving battle?" + +"Waiting for you I was," said Lugh. + +Then the kings and chief men of the men of Ireland took their armour on +them, and they raised the points of their spears over their heads, and +they made close fences of their shields. And they attacked their enemies +on Magh Mor an Aonaigh, and their enemies answered them, and they threw +their whining spears at one another, and when their spears were broken +they drew their swords from their blue-bordered sheaths and began to +strike at one another, and thickets of brown flames rose above them from +the bitterness of their many-edged weapons. + +And Lugh saw the battle pen where Bres, son of Elathan, was, and he made +a fierce attack on him and on the men that were guarding him, till he +had made an end of two hundred of them. + +When Bres saw that, he gave himself up to Lugh's protection. "Give me my +life this time," he said, "and I will bring the whole race of the Fomor +to fight it out with you in a great battle; and I bind myself to that, +by the sun and the moon, the sea and the land," he said. + +On that Lugh gave him his life, and then the Druids that were with him +asked his protection for themselves. "By my word," said Lugh, "if the +whole race of the Fomor went under my protection they would not be +destroyed by me." So then Bres and the Druids set out for their own +country. + +Now as to Lugh and the sons of Tuireann. After the battle of Magh Mor an +Aonaigh, he met two of his kinsmen and asked them did they see his +father in the fight. "We did not," said they. "I am sure he is not +living," said Lugh; "and I give my word," he said, "there will no food +or drink go into my mouth till I get knowledge by what death my father +died." + +Then he set out, and the Riders of the Sidhe after him, till they came +to the place where he and his father parted from one another, and from +that to the place where his father went into the shape of a pig when he +saw the sons of Tuireann. + +And when Lugh came to that place the earth spoke to him, and it said: +"It is in great danger your father was here, Lugh, when he saw the sons +of Tuireann before him, and it is into the shape of a pig he had to go, +but it is in his own shape they killed him." + +Then Lugh told that to his people, and he found the spot where his +father was buried, and he bade them dig there, the way he would know by +what death the sons of Tuireann had made an end of him. + +Then they raised the body out of the grave and looked at it, and it was +all one bed of wounds. And Lugh said: "It was the death of an enemy the +sons of Tuireann gave my dear father." And he gave him three kisses, and +it is what he said: "It is bad the way I am myself after this death, for +I can hear nothing with my ears, and I can see nothing with my eyes, and +there is not a living pulse in my heart, with grief after my father. And +you gods I worship," he said, "it is a pity I not to have come here the +time this thing was done. And it is a great thing that has been done +here," he said, "the people of the gods of Dana to have done treachery +on one another, and it is long they will be under loss by it and be +weakened by it. And Ireland will never be free from trouble from this +out, east and west," he said. + +Then they put Cian under the earth again, and after that there was +keening made over his grave, and a stone was raised on it, and his name +was written in Ogham, And Lugh said: "This hill will take its name from +Cian, although he himself is stripped and broken. And it was the sons of +Tuireann did this thing," he said, "and there will grief and anguish +fall on them from it, and on their children after them. And it is no +lying story I am telling you," he said; "and it is a pity the way I am, +and my heart is broken in my breast since Cian, the brave man, is not +living." + +Then he bade his people to go before him to Teamhair, "But do not tell +the story till I tell it myself," he said. + +And when Lugh came to Teamhair he sat in the high seat of the king, and +he looked about him and he saw the three sons of Tuireann. And those +were the three that were beyond all others at Teamhair at that time for +quickness and skill, for a good hand in battle, for beauty and an +honourable name. + +Then Lugh bade his people to shake the chain of silence, and they did +so, and they all listened. And Lugh said: "What are your minds fixed on +at this time, Men of Dea?" "On yourself indeed," said they. "I have a +question to ask of you," he said. "What is the vengeance each one of you +would take on the man that would kill your father?" + +There was great wonder on them when they heard that, and one of the +chief men among them said: "Tell us was it your own father that was +killed?" "It was indeed," said Lugh; "and I see now in this house," he +said, "the men that killed him, and they know themselves what way they +killed him better than I know it." Then the king said: "It is not a +death of one day only I would give the man that had killed my father, if +he was in my power, but to cut off one of his limbs from day to day till +I would make an end of him." All the chief men said the same, and the +sons of Tuireann like the rest. + +"There are making that answer," said Lugh, "the three men that killed my +father; and let them pay the fine for him now, since you are all +together in the one place. And if they will not," he said, "I will not +break the protection of the king's house, but they must make no attempt +to quit this house till they have settled with me." + +"If it was I myself had killed your father," said the king, "I would be +well content you to take a fine from me for him." + +"It is at us Lugh is saying all this," said the sons of Tuireann among +themselves. "Let us acknowledge the killing of his father to him," said +Iuchar and Iucharba. "I am in dread," said Brian, "that it is wanting an +acknowledgment from us he is, in the presence of all the rest, and that +he will not let us off with a fine afterwards." "It is best to +acknowledge it," said the others; "and let you speak it out since you +are the eldest." + +Then Brian, son of Tuireann, said: "It is at us you are speaking, Lugh, +for you are thinking we went against the sons of Cainte before now; and +we did not kill your father," he said, "but we will pay the fine for him +the same as if we did kill him." "I will take a fine from you that you +do not think of," said Lugh, "and I will say here what it is, and if it +is too much for you, I will let you off a share of it." "Let us hear it +from you," said they. "Here it is," said Lugh; "three apples, and the +skin of a pig, and a spear, and two horses, and a chariot, and seven +pigs, and a dog's whelp, and a cooking-spit, and three shouts on a hill. +That is the fine I am asking," he said; "and if it is too much for you, +a part of it will be taken off you presently, and if you do not think it +too much, then pay it" + +"It is not too much," said Brian, "or a hundred times of it would not be +too much. And we think it likely," he said, "because of its smallness +that you have some treachery towards us behind it." "I do not think it +too little of a fine," said Lugh; "and I give you the guarantee of the +Tuatha de Danaan I will ask no other thing, and I will be faithful to +you, and let you give the same pledge to me." "It is a pity you to ask +that," said Brian, "for our own pledge is as good as any pledge in the +world." "Your own pledge is not enough," said Lugh, "for it is often the +like of you promised to pay a fine in this way, and would try to back +out of it after." + +So then the sons of Tuireann bound themselves by the King of Ireland, +and by Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and by the chief men of the Tuatha +de Danaan, that they would pay that fine to Lugh. + +"It would be well for me now," said Lugh, "to give you better knowledge +of the fine." "It would be well indeed," said they. + +"This is the way of it then," said Lugh. "The three apples I asked of +you are the three apples from the Garden in the East of the World, and +no other apples will do but these, for they are the most beautiful and +have most virtue in them of the apples of the whole world. And it is +what they are like, they are of the colour of burned gold, and they are +the size of the head of a child a month old, and there is the taste of +honey on them, and they do not leave the pain of wounds or the vexation +of sickness on any one that eats them, and they do not lessen by being +eaten for ever. And the skin I asked of you," he said, "is the pig skin +of Tuis, King of Greece, and it heals all the wounds and all the +sickness of the world, and whatever danger a man may be in, if it can +but overtake the life in him, it will cure him; and it is the way it was +with that pig, every stream of water it would go through would be turned +into wine to the end of nine days after, and every wound it touched was +healed; and it is what the Druids of Greece said, that it is not in +itself this virtue was, but in the skin, and they skinned it, and the +skin is there ever since. And I think, too, it will not be easy for you +to get it, with or without leave." + +"And do you know what is the spear I am asking of you?" he said. "We do +not," said they. "It is a very deadly spear belonging to the King of +Persia, the Luin it is called, and every choice thing is done by it, and +its head is kept steeped in a vessel of water, the way it will not burn +down the place where it is, and it will be hard to get it. And do you +know what two horses and what chariot I am asking of you? They are the +chariot and the two wonderful horses of Dobar, King of Siogair, and the +sea is the same as land to them, and there are no faster horses than +themselves, and there is no chariot equal to that one in shape and in +strength. + +"And do you know what are the seven pigs I asked of you? They are the +pigs of Easal, King of the Golden Pillars; and though they are killed +every night, they are found alive again the next day, and there will be +no disease or no sickness on any person that will eat a share of them. + +"And the whelp I asked of you is Fail-Inis, the whelp belonging to the +King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country. And all the wild beasts of the world +would fall down at the sight of her, and she is more beautiful than the +sun in his fiery wheels, and it will be hard to get her. + +"And the cooking-spit I asked of you is a spit of the spits of the women +of Inis Cenn-fhinne, the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair. And the three +shouts you are to give on a hill must be given on the Hill of Miochaoin +in the north of Lochlann. And Miochaoin and his sons are under bonds not +to allow any shouts to be given on that hill; and it was with them my +father got his learning, and if I would forgive you his death, they +would not forgive you. And if you get through all your other voyages +before you reach to them, it is my opinion they themselves will avenge +him on you. And that is the fine I have asked of you," said Lugh. + +There was silence and darkness on the sons of Tuireann when they heard +that. And they went to where their father was, and told him the fine +that had been put on them. "It is bad news that is," said Tuireann; "and +it is to your death and your destruction you will be going, looking for +those things. But for all that, if Lugh himself had a mind to help you, +you could work out the fine, and all the men of the world could not do +it but by the power of Manannan or of Lugh. Go then and ask the loan of +Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, from Lugh, and if he has any wish to get +the fine, he will give it to you; but if he does not wish it he will say +the horse is not his, and that he would not give the loan of a loan. Ask +him then for the loan of Manannan's curragh, the Scuabtuinne, the +Sweeper of the Waves. And he will give that, for he is under bonds not +to refuse a second request, and the curragh is better for you than the +horse," he said. + +So the sons of Tuireann went to where Lugh was, and they saluted him, +and they said they could not bring him the fine without his own help, +and for that reason it would be well for them to get a loan of the +Aonbharr. "I have that horse only on loan myself," said Lugh, "and I +will not give a loan of a loan." + +"If that is so, give us the loan of Manannan's curragh," said Brian. "I +will give that," said Lugh. "What place is it?" said they. "At Brugh na +Boinn," said Lugh. + +Then they went back again to where Tuireann was, and his daughter Ethne, +their sister, with him, and they told him they had got the curragh. "It +is not much the better you will be for it," said Tuireann, "although +Lugh would like well to get every part of this fine he could make use of +before the battle with the Fomor. But he would like yourselves to come +to your death looking for it." + +Then they went away, and they left Tuireann sorrowful and lamenting, and +Ethne went with them to where the curragh was. And Brian got into it, +and he said: "There is place but for one other person along with me +here." And he began to find fault with its narrowness. "You ought not to +be faulting the curragh," said Ethne; "and O my dear brother," she said, +"it was a bad thing you did, to kill the father of Lugh of the Long +Hand; and whatever harm may come to you from it, it is but just." "Do +not say that, Ethne," they said, "for we are in good heart, and we will +do brave deeds. And we would sooner be killed a hundred times over," +they said, "than to meet with the death of cowards." "My grief," said +Ethne, "there is nothing more sorrowful than this, to see you driven out +from your own country." + +Then the three pushed out their curragh from the beautiful clear-bayed +shore of Ireland. "What course shall we take first?" said they. "We will +go look for the apples," said Brian, "as they were the first thing we +were bade bring. And so we ask of you, curragh of Manannan that is under +us, to sail to the Garden in the East of the World." + +And the curragh did not neglect that order, but it sailed forward over +the green-sided waves and deep places till it came to its harbour in the +east of the world. + +And then Brian asked his brothers: "What way have you a mind to get into +the garden? for I think," he said, "the king's champions and the +fighting men of the country are always guarding it, and the king himself +is chief over them." "What should we do," said his brothers, "but to +make straight at them and attack them, and bring away the apples or fall +ourselves, since we cannot escape from these dangers that are before us +without meeting our death in some place." "It would be better," said +Brian, "the story of our bravery and our craftiness to be told and to +live after us, than folly and cowardice to be told of us. And what is +best for us to do now," he said, "is to go in the shape of swift hawks +into the garden, and the watchers have but their light spears to throw +at us, and let you take good care to keep out of their reach; and after +they have thrown them all, make a quick flight to the apples and let +each of you bring away an apple of them in your claws, and I will bring +away the third." + +They said that was a good advice, and Brian struck himself and the +others with his Druid rod, and changed them into beautiful hawks. And +they flew towards the garden, and the watchers took notice of them and +shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts, +but the hawks kept out of their reach as Brian had bade them, till all +the spears were spent, and then they swept down bravely on the apples, +and brought them away with them, without so much as a wound. + +And the news went through the city and the whole district, and the king +had three wise, crafty daughters, and they put themselves into the shape +of three ospreys, and they followed the hawks to the sea, and sent +flashes of lightning before them and after them, that scorched them +greatly. + +"It is a pity the way we are now," said the sons of Tuireann, "for we +will be burned through and through with this lightning if we do not get +some relief." "If I can give you relief I will do it," said Brian. With +that he struck himself and his brothers with the Druid rod, and they +were turned into three swans, and they went down quickly into the sea, +and the ospreys went away from them then, and the sons of Tuireann went +into their boat. + +After that they consulted together, and it is what they agreed, to go to +Greece and to bring away the skin of the pig, with or without leave. So +they went forward till they came near to the court of the King of +Greece. + +"What appearance should we put on us going in here?" said Brian. "What +appearance should we go in with but our own?" said the others. "That is +not what I think best," said Brian; "but to go in with the appearance of +poets from Ireland, the way the high people of Greece will hold us in +respect and in honour." "It would be hard for us to do that," they said, +"and we without a poem, and it is little we know how to make one." + +However, they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they knocked at the +door of the court, and the door-keeper asked who was in it. "We are +poets of Ireland," said Brian, "and we are come with a poem to the +king." + +The door-keeper went in and told the king that there were poets from +Ireland at the door. "Let them in," said the king, "for it is in search +of a good man they came so far from their own country." And the king +gave orders that everything should be well set out in the court, the way +they would say they had seen no place so grand in all their travels. + +The sons of Tuireann were let in then, having the appearance of poets, +and they fell to drinking and pleasure without delay; and they thought +they had never seen, and there was not in the world, a court so good as +that or so large a household, or a place where they had met with better +treatment. + +Then the king's poets got up to give out their poems and songs. And then +Brian, son of Tuireann, bade his brothers to say a poem for the king. +"We have no poem," said they; "and do not ask any poem of us, but the +one we know before, and that is to take what we want by the strength of +our hand if we are the strongest, or to fall by those that are against +us if they are the strongest." "That is not a good way to make a poem," +said Brian. And with that he rose up himself and asked a hearing. And +they all listened to him, and it is what he said: + +"O Tuis, we do not hide your fame; we praise you as the oak among kings; +the skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I ask for +it. + +"The war of a neighbour against an ear; the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him; he who gives us what he owns, his court will not be +the scarcer for it. + +"A raging army and a sudden sea are a danger to whoever goes against +them. The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I +ask, O Tuis." + +"That is a good poem," said the king; "but I do not know a word of its +meaning." "I will tell you its meaning," said Brian. "'O Tuis, we do not +hide your fame; we praise you as the oak above the kings.' That is, as +the oak is beyond the kingly trees of the wood, so are you beyond the +kings of the world for open-handedness and for grandeur. + +"'The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness.' That is, the skin of a +pig you own is what I would wish to get from you as a reward for my +poem. + +"'The war of a neighbour against an ear, the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him.' That is, you and I will be by the ears about the +skin, unless I get it with your consent. + +"And that is the meaning of the poem," said Brian. + +"I would praise your poem," said the king, "if there was not so much +about my pig-skin in it; and you have no good sense, man of poetry," he +said, "to be asking that thing of me, and I would not give it to all +the poets and the learned men and the great men of the world, since they +could not take it away without my consent. But I will give you three +times the full of the skin of gold as the price of your poem," he said. + +"May good be with you, king," said Brian, "and I know well it was no +easy thing I was asking, but I knew I would get a good ransom for it. +And I am that covetous," he said, "I will not be satisfied without +seeing the gold measured myself into the skin." + +The king sent his servants with them then to the treasure-house to +measure the gold. "Measure out the full of it to my brothers first," +said Brian, "and then give good measure to myself, since it was I made +the poem." + +But when the skin was brought out, Brian made a quick sudden snatch at +it with his left hand, and drew his sword and made a stroke at the man +nearest him, and made two halves of him. And then he kept a hold of the +skin and put it about himself, and the three of them rushed out of the +court, cutting down every armed man before them, so that not one escaped +death or wounding. And then Brian went to where the king himself was, +and the king made no delay in attacking him, and they made a hard fight +of it, and at the end the King of Greece fell by the hand of Brian, son +of Tuireann. + +The three brothers rested for a while after that, and then they said +they would go and look for some other part of the fine. "We will go to +Pisear, King of Persia," said Brian, "and ask him for the spear." + +So they went into their boat, and they left the blue streams of the +coast of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have the apples +and the skin." And they stopped nowhere till they came to the borders of +Persia. + +"Let us go to the court with the appearance of poets," said Brian, "the +same as we went to the King of Greece." "We are content to do that," +said the others, "as all turned out so well the last time we took to +poetry; not that it is easy for us to take to a calling that does not +belong to us." + +So they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they were as well treated +as they were at the other court; and when the time came for poems Brian +rose up, and it is what he said: + +"It is little any spear looks to Pisear; the battles of enemies are +broken, it is not too much for Pisear to wound every one of them. + +"A yew, the most beautiful of the wood, it is called a king, it is not +bulky. May the spear drive on the whole crowd to their wounds of death." + +"That is a good poem," said the king, "but I do not understand why my +own spear is brought into it, O Man of Poetry from Ireland." + +"It is because it is that spear of your own I would wish to get as the +reward of my poem," said Brian. "It is little sense you have to be +asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my court never +showed greater respect for poetry than now, when they did not put you to +death on the spot." + +When Brian heard that talk from the king, he thought of the apple that +was in his hand, and he made a straight cast and hit him in the +forehead, so that his brains were put out at the back of his head, and +he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the +other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help +bravely till they had made an end of all they met of the people of the +court. And then they found the spear, and its head in a cauldron of +water, the way it would not set fire to the place. + +And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look for the +rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one another what +way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of Siogair," +said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses and the chariot the +Ildánach asked of us." + +They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and it is proud +the three champions were after all they had done. And they went on till +they were come to the court of the King of Siogair. + +"It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with the +appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make friends with +the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the +chariot are kept." And when they had settled on that they went forward +to the lawn before the king's house. + +The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and came through +the fair that was going on there, and they saluted the king, and he +asked who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they +said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it +your wish to stop with me for a while?" said the king. "That is what we +are wanting," said they. So then they made an agreement and took service +with him. + +They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they never saw +the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is a bad way we are +in, to have no more news of the horses now than the first day we came to +the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us +do this," said Brian, "let us take our arms and gather our things +together, and go to the king and tell him we will leave the country and +this part of the world unless he will show us those horses." + +So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them what did they +mean by getting themselves ready for a journey. "You will hear that, +high king," said Brian; "it is because trained fighting men from +Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in them by the kings they +guard, and we are used to be told the secrets and the whispers of any +person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we +came to you. For you have two horses and a chariot that are the best in +the world, as we have been told, and we have not been given a sight of +them yet." "It would be a pity you to go on that account," said the +king, "when I would have showed them to you the first day, if I had +known you had a wish to see them. And if you have a mind to see them +now," he said, "you may see them; for I think there never came soldiers +from Ireland to this place that were thought more of by myself and by my +people than yourselves." + +He sent for the horses then, and they were yoked to the chariot, and +their going was as fast as the cold spring wind, and the sea was the +same as the land to them. + +And Brian was watching the horses closely, and on a sudden he took hold +of the chariot and took the chariot driver out and dashed him against +the nearest rock, and made a leap into his place himself, and made a +cast of the Persian spear at the king, that went through his heart. And +then he and his brothers scattered the people before them, and brought +away the chariot. + +"We will go now to Easal, the King of the Golden Pillars," said Brian, +"to look for the seven pigs the Ildánach bade us bring him." + +They sailed on then without delay or drawback to that high country. And +it is the way the people of that country were, watching their harbours +for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told +in all parts, how they had been sent out of Ireland by force, and how +they were bringing away with them all the gifted treasures of the whole +world. + +Easal came to the edge of the harbour to meet them, and he asked was it +true what he heard, that the king of every country they had gone to had +fallen by them. Brian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to +them for it. "What was it made you do that?" said Easal. Brian told him +then it was the oppression and the hard sentence of another had put them +to it; and he told him all that had happened, and how they had put down +all that offered to stand against them until that time. + +"What did you come to this country now for?" said the king. "For the +pigs belonging to yourself," said Brian; "for to bring them away with us +is a part of the fine." "What way do you think to get them?" said the +king. "If we get them with good-will," said Brian, "we are ready to take +them thankfully; and if we do not, we are ready to do battle with +yourself and your people on the head of them, that you may fall by us, +and we may bring away the pigs in spite of you." "If that is to be the +end of it," said the king, "it would be a pity to bring my people into a +battle." "It would be a pity indeed," said Brian. + +Then the king whispered and took advice with his people about the +matter, and it is what they agreed, to give up the pigs of their own +free will to the sons of Tuireann, since they could not see that any one +had been able to stand against them up to that time. + +Then the sons of Tuireann gave their thanks to Easal, and there was +wonder on them to have got the pigs like that, when they had to fight +for every other part of the fine. And more than that, they had left a +share of their blood in every other place till then. + +Easal brought them to his own house that night, and they were served +with food, and drink, and good beds, and all they could wish for. And +they rose up on the morrow and came into the king's presence, and the +pigs were given to them. "It is well you have done by us, giving us +these pigs," said Brian, "for we did not get any share of the fine +without fighting but these alone." And he made a poem for the king then, +praising him, and putting a great name on him for what he had done. + +"What journey are you going to make now, sons of Tuireann?" said Easal. +"We are going," they said, "to the country of Ioruaidh, on account of a +whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said Easal, "and that is to +bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh, for a daughter of mine is his +wife, and I would wish to persuade him to give you the whelp without a +battle." "That will please us well," they said. + +So the king's ship was made ready, and we have no knowledge of what +happened till they came to the delightful, wonderful coast of Ioruaidh. +The people and the armies were watching the harbours and landing-places +before them, and they knew them at once and shouted at them. + +Then Easal went on shore peaceably, and he went to where his son-in-law, +the king, was, and told him the story of the sons of Tuireann from +beginning to end. "What has brought them to this country?" said the King +of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you have," said Easal. "It was a bad +thought you had coming with them to ask it," said the king, "for the +gods have not given that much luck to any three champions in the world, +that they would get my hound by force or by good-will." "It would be +better for you to let them have the hound," said Easal, "since they have +put down so many of the kings of the world." + +But all he could say was only idleness to the king. So he went then to +where the sons of Tuireann were, and gave them the whole account. And +when they heard the king's answer, they made no delay, but put quick +hands on their arms, and offered to give battle to the army of Ioruaidh. +And when they met, there was a brave battle fought on both sides. And as +for the sons of Tuireann, they began to kill and to strike at the men of +Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar +and Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the +other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was before +Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of Ioruaidh in the +battle pen where he was. And then the two brave champions began a fierce +fight together, and they did not spare one another in it. And at the +last Brian overcame the king, and bound him, and brought him through the +middle of the army, till he came to the place where Easal was, and it is +what he said: "There is your son-in-law for you, and I swear by my hand +of valour, I would think it easier to kill him three times than to bring +him to you once like this." + +So then the whelp was given to the sons of Tuireann, and the king was +unbound, and peace was made between them. And when they had brought all +this to an end, they bade farewell to Easal and to all the rest. + +Now as to Lugh of the Long Hand, it was showed to him that the sons of +Tuireann had got all the things that were wanting to him against the +battle with the Fomor; and on that he sent a Druid spell after them to +put forgetfulness on them of the rest of the fine that they had not got. +And he put a great desire and longing on them to go back to Ireland; so +they forgot that a part of the fine was wanting to them, and they turned +back again toward home. + +And it is the place where Lugh was at the time, at a gathering of the +people for a fair on the green outside Teamhair, and the King of Ireland +along with him. And it was made known to Lugh that the sons of Tuireann +were landed at Brugh na Boinn. And he went into the city of Teamhair, +and shut the gate after him, and he put on Manannan's smooth armour, and +the cloak, of the daughters of Flidais, and he took his own arms in his +hand. + +And the sons of Tuireann came where the king was, and they were made +welcome by him and by the Tuatha de Danaan. And the king asked them did +they get the fine. "We did get it," said they; "and where is Lugh till +we give it to him?" "He was here a while ago," said the king. And the +whole fair was searched for him, but he was not found. + +"I know the place where he is," said Brian; "for it has been made known +to him that we are come to Ireland, and these deadly arms with us, and +he is gone into Teamhair to avoid us." + +Messengers were sent to him then, and it is the answer he gave them that +he would not come, but that the fine should be given to the king. + +So the sons of Tuireann did that, and when the king had taken the fine +they all went to the palace in Teamhair; and Lugh came out on the lawn +and the fine was given to him, and it is what he said: "There is a good +payment here for any one that ever was killed or that ever will be +killed. But there is something wanting to it yet that it is not lawful +to leave out. And where is the cooking-spit?" he said; "and where are +the three shouts on the hill that you did not give yet?" + +And when the sons of Tuireann heard that there came clouds of weakness +on them. And they left the place and went to their father's house that +night, and they told him all they had done, and the way Lugh had treated +them. + +There was grief and darkness on Tuireann then, and they spent the night +together. And on the morrow they went to their ship, and Ethne, their +sister, with them, and she was crying and lamenting, and it is what she +said: + +"It is a pity, Brian of my life, it is not to Teamhair your going is, +after all the troubles you have had before this, even if I could not +follow you. + +"O Salmon of the dumb Boinn, O Salmon of the Lifé River, since I cannot +keep you here I am loath to part from you. + +"O Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh, the man that stands best in the fight, +if you come back again, I think it will not be pleasing to your enemy. + +"Is there pity with you for the sons of Tuireann leaning now on their +green shields? Their going is a cause for pity, my mind is filled up +with it. + +"You to be to-night at Beinn Edair till the heavy coming of the morning, +you who have taken forfeits from brave men, it is you have increased our +grief. + +"It is a pity your journey is from Teamhair, and from the pleasant +plains, and from great Uisnech of Midhe; there is nothing so pitiful as +this." + +After that complaint they went out on the rough waves of the green sea; +and they were a quarter of a year on the sea without getting any news of +the island. + +Then Brian put on his water dress and he made a leap, and he was a long +time walking in the sea looking for the Island of the Fair-Haired Women, +and he found it in the end. And he went looking for the court, and when +he came to it, all he found was a troop of women doing needlework and +embroidering borders. And among all the other things they had with them, +there was the cooking-spit. + +And when Brian saw it, he took it up in his hand and he was going to +bring it with him to the door. And all the women began laughing when +they saw him doing that, and it is what they said: "It is a brave deed +you put your hand to; for even if your brothers were along with you, the +least of the three times fifty women of us would not let the spit go +with you or with them. But for all that," they said, "take a spit of the +spits with you, since you had the daring to try and take it in spite of +us." + +Brian bade them farewell then, and went to look for the boat. And his +brothers thought it was too long he was away from them, and just as they +were going to leave the place they were, they saw him coming towards +them, and that raised their courage greatly. + +And he went into the boat, and they went on to look for the Hill of +Miochaoin. And when they came there, Miochaoin, that was the guardian of +the hill, came towards them; and when Brian saw him he attacked him, and +the fight of those two champions was like the fight of two lions, till +Miochaoin fell at the last. + +And after Miochaoin had fallen, his three sons came out to fight with +the three sons of Tuireann. And if any one ever came from the east of +the world to look at any fight, it is to see the fight of these +champions he had a right to come, for the greatness of their blows and +the courage of their minds. The names of the sons of Miochaoin were Core +and Conn and Aedh, and they drove their three spears through the bodies +of the sons of Tuireann, and that did not discourage them at all and +they put their own three spears through the bodies of the sons of +Miochaoin, so that they fell into the clouds and the faintness of death. + +And then Brian said: "What way are you now, my dear brothers?" "We are +near our death," said they. "Let us rise up," he said, "and give three +shouts upon the hill, for I see the signs of death coming on us." "We +are not able to do that," said they. Then Brian rose up and raised each +of them with one hand, and he shedding blood heavily all the time, +until they gave the three shouts. + +After that Brian brought them with him to the boat, and they were +travelling the sea for a long time, but at last Brian said: "I see Beinn +Edair and our father's dun, and Teamhair of the Kings." "We would have +our fill of health if we could see that," said the others; "and for the +love of your good name, brother," they said, "raise up our heads on your +breast till we see Ireland again, and life or death will be the same to +us after that. And O Brian," they said, "Flame of Valour without +treachery, we would sooner death to bring ourselves away, than to see +you with wounds upon your body, and with no physician to heal you." + +Then they came to Beinn Edair, and from that they went on to their +father's house, and Brian said to Tuireann: "Go, dear father, to +Teamhair, and give this spit to Lugh, and bring the skin that has +healing in it for our relief. Ask it from him for the sake of +friendship," he said, "for we are of the one blood, and let him not give +hardness for hardness. And O dear father," he said, "do not be long on +your journey, or you will not find us alive before you." + +Then Tuireann went to Teamhair, and he found Lugh of the Long Hand +before him, and he gave him the spit, and he asked the skin of him to +heal his children, and Lugh said he would not give it And Tuireann came +back to them and told them he had not got the skin. And Brian said: +"Bring me with you to Lugh, to see would I get it from him." + +So they went to Lugh, and Brian asked the skin of him. And Lugh said he +would not give it, and that if they would give him the breadth of the +earth in gold for it, he would not take it from them, unless he was sure +their death would come on them in satisfaction for the deed they had +done. + +When Brian heard that, he went to the place his two brothers were, and +he lay down between them, and his life went out from him, and out from +the other two at the same time. + +And their father cried and lamented over his three beautiful sons, that +had the making of a king of Ireland in each of them, and his strength +left him and he died; and they were buried in the one grave. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE GREAT BATTLE OF MAGH TUIREADH + + +And it was not long after Lugh had got the fine from the sons of +Tuireann that the Fomor came and landed at Scetne. + +The whole host of the Fomor were come this time, and their king, Balor, +of the Strong Blows and of the Evil Eye, along with them; and Bres, and +Indech, son of De Domnann, a king of the Fomor, and Elathan, son of +Lobos, and Goll and Ingol, and Octriallach, son of Indech, and Elathan, +son of Delbaeth. + +Then Lugh sent the Dagda to spy out the Fomor, and to delay them till +such time as the men of Ireland would come to the battle. + +So the Dagda went to their camp, and he asked them for a delay, and they +said he might have that. And then to make sport of him, the Fomor made +broth for him, for he had a great love for broth. So they filled the +king's cauldron with four times twenty gallons of new milk, and the same +of meal and fat, and they put in goats and sheep and pigs along with +that, and boiled all together, and then they poured it all out into a +great hole in the ground. And they called him to it then, and told him +he should eat his fill, the way the Fomor would not be reproached for +want of hospitality the way Bres was. "We will make an end of you if +you leave any part of it after you," said Indech, son of De Domnann. + +So the Dagda took the ladle, and it big enough for a man and a woman to +lie in the bowl of it, and he took out bits with it, the half of a +salted pig, and a quarter of lard a bit would be. "If the broth tastes +as well as the bits taste, this is good food," he said. And he went on +putting the full of the ladle into his mouth till the hole was empty; +and when all was gone he put down his hand and scraped up all that was +left among the earth and the gravel. + +Sleep came on him then after eating the broth, and the Fomor were +laughing at him, for his belly was the size of the cauldron of a great +house. But he rose up after a while, and, heavy as he was, he made his +way home; and indeed his dress was no way sightly, a cape to the hollow +of the elbows, and a brown coat, long in the breast and short behind, +and on his feet brogues of horse hide, with the hair outside, and in his +hand a wheeled fork it would take eight men to carry, so that the track +he left after him was deep enough for the boundary ditch of a province. +And on his way he saw the Battle-Crow, the Morrigu, washing herself in +the river Unius of Connacht, and one of her two feet at Ullad Echne, to +the south of the water, and the other at Loscuinn, to the north of the +water, and her hair hanging in nine loosened locks. And she said to the +Dagda, that she would bring the heart's blood of Indech, son of De +Domnann, that had threatened him, to the men of Ireland. + +And while he was away Lugh had called together the Druids, and smiths, +and physicians, and law-makers, and chariot-drivers of Ireland, to make +plans for the battle. + +And he asked the great magician Mathgen what could he do to help them. +"It is what I can do," said Mathgen, "through my power I can throw down +all the mountains of Ireland on the Fomor, until their tops will be +rolling on the ground. And the twelve chief mountains of Ireland will +bring you their help," he said, "and will fight for you: Slieve Leag and +Denda Ulad, and Bennai Boirche and Bri Ruri, and Slieve Bladma and +Slieve Snechtae, and Slieve Mis and Blai-Slieve, and Nemthann and Slieve +Macca Belgodon, and Segois and Cruachan Aigle." + +Then he asked the cup-bearers what help they could give. "We will put a +strong thirst on the Fomor," they said, "and then we will bring the +twelve chief lochs of Ireland before them, and however great their +thirst may be, they will find no water in them: Derc-Loch, Loch +Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, +Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, Mor-Loch. And we will +go," they said, "to the twelve chief rivers of Ireland: the Buas, the +Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the +Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech, the Siuir; and they will +all be hidden away from the Fomor the way they will not find a drop in +them. But as for the men of Ireland," they said, "there will be drink +for them if they were to be in the battle to the end of seven years." + +And Figol, son of Mamos, the Druid, was asked then what he would do, and +he said: "It is what I will do, I will cause three showers of fire to +pour on the faces of the army of the Fomor, and I will take from them +two-thirds of their bravery and their strength, and I will put sickness +on their bodies, and on the bodies of their horses. But as to the men of +Ireland," he said, "every breath they breathe will be an increase of +strength and of bravery to them; and if they are seven years in the +battle they will never be any way tired." + +Then Lugh asked his two witches, Bechulle and Dianan: "What power can +you bring to the battle?" "It is easy to say that," they said. "We will +put enchantment on the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth, +till they become an armed host against the Fomor, and put terror on them +and put them to the rout." + +Then Lugh asked Carpre, the poet, son of Etain, what could he do. "It is +not hard to say that," said Carpre. "I will make a satire on them at +sunrise, and the wind from the north, and I on a hill-top and my back to +a thorn-tree, and a stone and a thorn in my hand. And with that satire," +he said, "I will put shame on them and enchantment, the way they will +not be able to stand against fighting men." + +Then he asked Goibniu the Smith what would he be able to do. "I will do +this," he said. "If the men of Ireland stop in the battle to the end of +seven years, for every sword that is broken and for every spear that is +lost from its shaft, I will put a new one in its place. And no +spear-point that will be made by my hand," he said, "will ever miss its +mark; and no man it touches will ever taste life again. And that is more +than Dolb, the smith of the Fomor, can do," he said. + +"And you, Credne," Lugh said then to his worker in brass, "what help can +you give to our men in the battle?" "It is not hard to tell that," said +Credne, "rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses +and rims for their shields, I will supply them all." + +"And you, Luchta," he said then to his carpenter, "what will you do?" "I +will give them all they want of shields and of spear shafts," said +Luchta. + +Then he asked Diancecht, the physician, what would he do, and it is what +he said: "Every man that will be wounded there, unless his head is +struck off, or his brain or his marrow cut through, I will make him +whole and sound again for the battle of the morrow." + +Then the Dagda said: "Those great things you are boasting you will do, +I will do them all with only myself." "It is you are the good god!" said +they, and they all gave a great shout of laughter. + +Then Lugh spoke to the whole army and put strength in them, so that each +one had the spirit in him of a king or a great lord. + +Then when the delay was at an end, the Fomor and the men of Ireland came +on towards one another till they came to the plain of Magh Tuireadh. +That now was not the same Magh Tuireadh where the first battle was +fought, but it was to the north, near Ess Dara. + +And then the two armies threatened one another. "The men of Ireland are +daring enough to offer battle to us," said Bres to Indech, son of De +Domnann. "I give my word," said Indech, "it is in small pieces their +bones will be, if they do not give in to us and pay their tribute." + +Now the Men of Dea had determined not to let Lugh go into the battle, +because of the loss his death would be to them; and they left nine of +their men keeping a watch on him. + +And on the first day none of the kings or princes went into the battle, +but only the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough. + +And the battle went on like that from day to day with no great advantage +to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomor on account +of one thing. Such of their own weapons as were broken or blunted in the +fight lay there as they were, and such of their own men as were killed +showed no sign of life on the morrow; but it was not so with the Tuatha +de Danaan, for if their men were killed or their weapons were broken +to-day, they were as good as before on the morrow. + +And this is the way that happened. The well of Slaine lay to the west +of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. And Diancecht and his son +Octruil and his daughter Airmed used to be singing spells over the well +and to be putting herbs in it; and the men that were wounded to death in +the battle would be brought to the well and put into it as dead men, and +they would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the +spells. And not only were they healed, but there was such fire put into +them that they would be quicker in the fight than they were before. + +And as to the arms, it is the way they were made new every day. Goibniu +the Smith used to be in the forge making swords and spears, and he would +make a spear-head by three turns, and then Luchta the Carpenter would +make the shaft by three cuts, and the third cut was a finish, and would +set it in the ring of the spear. And when the spear-heads were stuck in +the side of the forge, he would throw the shaft and the rings the way +they would go into the spear-head and want no more setting. And then +Credne the Brazier would make the rivets by three turns and would cast +the rings of the spears to them, and with that they were ready and were +set together. + +And all this went against the Fomor, and they sent one of their young +men to spy about the camp and to see could he find out how these things +were done. It was Ruadan, son of Bres and of Brigit daughter of the +Dagda they sent, for he was a son and grandson of the Tuatha de Danaan. +So he went and saw all that was done, and came back to the Fomor. + +And when they heard his story it is what they thought, that Goibniu the +Smith was the man that hindered them most. And they sent Ruadan back +again, and bade him make an end of him. + +So he went back again to the forge, and he asked Goibniu would he give +him a spear-head. And then he asked rivets of Credne, and a shaft of +the carpenter, and all was given to him as he asked. And there was a +woman there, Cron, mother to Fianlug, grinding the spears. + +And after the spear being given to Ruadan, he turned and threw it at +Goibniu, that it wounded him. But Goibniu pulled it out and made a cast +of it at Ruadan, that it went through him and he died; and Bres, his +father, and the army of the Fomor, saw him die. And then Brigit came and +keened her son with shrieking and with crying. + +And as to Goibniu, he went into the well and was healed. But after that +Octriallach, son of Indech, called to the Fomor and bade each man of +them bring a stone of the stones of Drinnes and throw them into the well +of Slane. And they did that till the well was dried up, and a cairn +raised over it, that is called Octriallach's Cairn. + +And it was while Goibniu was making spear-heads for the battle of Magh +Tuireadh, a charge was brought against his wife. And it was seen that it +was heavy news to him, and that jealousy came on him. And it is what he +did, there was a spear-shaft in his hand when he heard the story, Nes +its name was; and he sang spells over the spear-shaft, and any one that +was struck with that spear afterwards, it would burn him up like fire. + +And at last the day of the great battle came, and the Fomor came out of +their camp and stood in strong ranks. And there was not a leader or a +fighting man of them was without good armour to his skin, and a helmet +on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sword in his belt, +a strong shield on his shoulder. And to attack the army of the Fomor +that day was to strike the head against a rock, or to go up fighting +against a fire. + +And the Men of Dea rose up and left Lugh and his nine comrades keeping +him, and they went on to the battle; and Midhir was with them, and Bodb +Dearg and Diancecht. And Badb and Macha and the Morrigu called out that +they would go along with them. + +And it was a hard battle was fought, and for a while it was going +against the Tuatha de Danaan; and Nuada of the Silver Hand, their King, +and Macha, daughter of Emmass, fell by Balor, King of the Fomor. And +Cass-mail fell by Octriallach, and the Dagda got a dreadful wound from a +casting spear that was thrown by Ceithlenn, wife of Balor. + +But when the battle was going on, Lugh broke away from those that were +keeping him, and rushed out to the front of the Men of Dea. And then +there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of +Ireland to fight well, the way they would not be in bonds any longer. +For it was better for them, he said, to die protecting their own country +than to live under bonds and under tribute any longer. And he sang a +song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went +into battle, and then they met together, and each of them began to +attack the other. + +And there was great slaughter, and laying low in graves, and many comely +men fell there in the stall of death. Pride and shame were there side by +side, and hardness and red anger, and there was red blood on the white +skin of young fighting men. And the dashing of spear against shield, and +sword against sword, and the shouting of the fighters, and the whistling +of casting spears and the rattling of scabbards was like harsh thunder +through the battle. And many slipped in the blood that was under their +feet, and they fell, striking their heads one against another; and the +river carried away bodies of friends and enemies together. + +Then Lugh and Balor met in the battle, and Lugh called out reproaches to +him; and there was anger on Balor, and he said to the men that were with +him: "Lift up my eyelid till I see this chatterer that is talking to +me." Then they raised Balor's eyelid, but Lugh made a cast of his red +spear at him, that brought the eye out through the back of his head, so +that it was towards his own army it fell, and three times nine of the +Fomor died when they looked at it. And if Lugh had not put out that eye +when he did, the whole of Ireland would have been burned in one flash. +And after this, Lugh struck his head off. + +And as for Indech, son of De Domnann, he fell and was crushed in the +battle, and blood burst from his mouth, and he called out for Leat Glas, +his poet, as he lay there, but he was not able to help him. And then the +Morrigu came into the battle, and she was heartening the Tuatha de +Danaan to fight the battle well; and, as she had promised the Dagda, she +took the full of her two hands of Indech's blood, and gave it to the +armies that were waiting at the ford of Unius; and it was called the +Ford of Destruction from that day. + +And after that it was not a battle any more, but a rout, and the Fomor +were beaten back to the sea. And Lugh and his comrades were following +them, and they came up with Bres, son of Elathan, and no guard with him, +and he said: "It is better for you to spare my life than to kill me. And +if you spare me now," he said, "the cows of Ireland will never go dry." +"I will ask an advice about that from our wise men," said Lugh. So he +told Maeltine Mor-Brethach, of the Great Judgments, what Bres was after +saying. But Maeltine said: "Do not spare him for that, for he has no +power over their offspring, though he has power so long as they are +living." + +Then Bres said: "If you spare me, the men of Ireland will reap a harvest +of corn every quarter." But Maeltine said: "The spring is for ploughing +and sowing, and the beginning of summer for the strength of corn, and +the beginning of autumn for its ripeness, and the winter for using it." + +"That does not save you," said Lugh then to Bres. But then to make an +excuse for sparing him, Lugh said: "Tell us what is the best way for the +men of Ireland to plough and to sow and to reap." + +"Let their ploughing be on a Tuesday, and their casting seed into the +field on a Tuesday, and their reaping on a Tuesday," said Bres. So Lugh +said that would do, and he let him go free after that. + +It was in this battle Ogma found Orna, the sword of Tethra, a king of +the Fomor, and he took it from its sheath and cleaned it. And when the +sword was taken out of the sheath, it told all the deeds that had been +done by it, for there used to be that power in swords. + +And Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma followed after the Fomor, for they had +brought away the Dagda's harp with them, that was called Uaitne. And +they came to a feasting-house, and in it they found Bres and his father +Elathan, and there was the harp hanging on the wall. And it was in that +harp the Dagda had bound the music, so that it would not sound till he +would call to it. And sometimes it was called Dur-da-Bla, the Oak of Two +Blossoms, and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, the Four-Angled Music. + +And when he saw it hanging on the wall it is what he said: "Come summer, +come winter, from the mouth of harps and bags and pipes." Then the harp +sprang from the wall, and came to the Dagda, and it killed nine men on +its way. + +And then he played for them the three things harpers understand, the +sleepy tune, and the laughing tune, and the crying tune. And when he +played the crying tune, their tearful women cried, and then he played +the laughing tune, till their women and children laughed; and then he +played the sleepy tune, and all the hosts fell asleep. And through that +sleep the three went away through the Fomor that would have been glad to +harm them. And when all was over, the Dagda brought out the heifer he +had got as wages from Bres at the time he was making his dun. And she +called to her calf, and at the sound of her call all the cattle of +Ireland the Fomor had brought away as tribute, were back in their fields +again. + +And Cé, the Druid of Nuada of the Silver Hand, was wounded in the +battle, and he went southward till he came to Carn Corrslebe. And there +he sat down to rest, tired with his wounds and with the fear that was on +him, and the journey. And he saw a smooth plain before him, and it full +of flowers, and a great desire came on him to reach to that plain, and +he went on till he came to it, and there he died. And when his grave was +made there, a lake burst out over it and over the whole plain, and it +was given the name of Loch Cé. And there were but four men of the Fomor +left in Ireland after the battle, and they used to be going through the +country, spoiling corn and milk and fruit, and whatever came from the +sea, till they were driven out one Samhain night by the Morrigu and by +Angus Og, that the Fomor might never be over Ireland again. + +And after the battle was won, and the bodies were cleared away, the +Morrigu gave out the news of the great victory to the hosts and to the +royal heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and its invers, and it +is what she said: "Peace up to the skies, the skies down to earth, the +earth under the skies; strength to every one." + +And as to the number of men that fell in the battle, it will not be +known till we number the stars of the sky, or flakes of snow, or the dew +on the grass, or grass under the feet of cattle, or the horses of the +Son of Lir in a stormy sea. + +And Lugh was made king over the Men of Dea then, and it was at Nas he +had his court. + +And while he was king, his foster-mother Taillte, daughter of Magh Mor, +the Great Plain, died. And before her death she bade her husband Duach +the Dark, he that built the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, to clear +away the wood of Cuan, the way there could be a gathering of the people +around her grave. So he called to the men of Ireland to cut down the +wood with their wide-bladed knives and bill-hooks and hatchets, and +within a month the whole wood was cut down. + +And Lugh buried her in the plain of Midhe, and raised a mound over her, +that is to be seen to this day. And he ordered fires to be kindled, and +keening to be made, and games and sports to be held in the summer of +every year out of respect to her. And the place they were held got its +name from her, that is Taillten. + +And as to Lugh's own mother, that was tall beautiful Ethlinn, she came +to Teamhair after the battle of Magh Tuireadh, and he gave her in +marriage to Tadg, son of Nuada. And the children that were born to them +were Muirne, mother of Finn, the Head of the Fianna of Ireland, and +Tuiren, that was mother of Bran. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HIDDEN HOUSE OF LUGH + + +And after Lugh had held the kingship for a long time, the Dagda was made +king in his place. + +And Lugh went away out of Ireland, and some said he died at Uisnech, the +place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever +a fire kindled in Ireland. It was by Mide, son of Brath, it was kindled, +for the sons of Nemed, and it was burning through six years, and it was +from that fire every chief fire was kindled in Ireland. + +But Lugh was seen again in Ireland at the time Conchubar and the Men of +the Red Branch went following white birds southward to the Boinn at the +time of Cuchulain's birth. And it was he came and kept watch over +Cuchulain in his three days' sleep at the time of the War for the Bull +of Cuailgne. + +And after that again he was seen by Conn of the Hundred Battles, and +this is the way that happened. + +Conn was in Teamhair one time, and he went up in the early morning to +the Rath of the Kings at the rising of the sun, and his three Druids +with him, Maol and Bloc and Bhuice; and his three poets, Ethain and Corb +and Cesarn. And the reason he had for going up there with them every +day, was to look about on every side, the way if any men of the Sidhe +would come into Ireland they would not come unknown to him. And on this +day he chanced to stand upon a stone that was in the rath, and the stone +screamed under his feet, that it was heard all over Teamhair and as far +as Bregia. + +Then Conn asked his chief Druid how the stone came there, and what it +screamed for. And the Druid said he would not answer that till the end +of fifty-three days. And at the end of that time, Conn asked him again, +and it is what the Druid said: "The Lia Fail is the name of the stone; +it is out of Falias it was brought, and it is in Teamhair it was set up, +and in Teamhair it will stay for ever. And as long as there is a king in +Teamhair it is here will be the gathering place for games, and if there +is no king to come to the last day of the gathering, there will be +hardness in that year. And when the stone screamed under your feet," he +said, "the number of the screams it gave was a foretelling of the number +of kings of your race that would come after you. But it is not I myself +will name them for you," he said. + +And while they were in the same place, there came a great mist about +them and a darkness, so that they could not know what way they were +going, and they heard the noise of a rider coming towards them. "It +would be a great grief to us," said Conn, "to be brought away into a +strange country." Then the rider threw three spears at them, and every +one came faster than the other. "It is the wounding of a king indeed," +said the Druids, "any one to cast at Conn of Teamhair." + +The rider stopped casting his spears on that, and he came to them and +bade Conn welcome, and asked him to come to his house. They went on then +till they came to a beautiful plain, and there they saw a king's rath, +and a golden tree at its door, and inside the rath a grand house with a +roof of white bronze. So they went into the house, and the rider that +had come to meet them was there before them, in his royal seat, and +there had never been seen a man like him in Teamhair for comeliness or +for beauty, or the wonder of his face. + +And there was a young woman in the house, having a band of gold on her +head, and a silver vessel with hoops of gold beside her, and it full of +red ale, and a golden bowl on its edge, and a golden cup at its mouth. +She said then to the master of the house: "Who am I to serve drink to?" +"Serve it to Conn of the Hundred Battles," he said, "for he will gain a +hundred battles before he dies." And after that he bade her to pour out +the ale for Art of the Three Shouts, the son of Conn; and after that he +went through the names of all the kings of Ireland that would come after +Conn, and he told what would be the length of their lifetime. And the +young woman left the vessel with Conn, and the cup and the bowl, and she +gave him along with that the rib of an ox and of a hog; twenty-four feet +was the length of the ox-rib. + +And the master of the house told them the young woman was the Kingship +of Ireland for ever. "And as for myself," he said, "I am Lugh of the +Long Hand, son of Ethlinn." + + + + +BOOK THREE: THE COMING OF THE GAEL. + +CHAPTER I. THE LANDING + + +It is not known, now, for what length of time the Tuatha de Danaan had +the sway over Ireland, and it is likely it was a long time they had it, +but they were put from it at last. + +It was at Inver Slane, to the north of Leinster, the sons of Gaedhal of +the Shining Armour, the Very Gentle, that were called afterwards the +Sons of the Gael, made their first attempt to land in Ireland to avenge +Ith, one of their race that had come there one time and had met with his +death. + +It is under the leadership of the sons of Miled they were, and it was +from the south they came, and their Druids had told them there was no +country for them to settle in till they would come to that island in the +west. "And if you do not get possession of it yourselves," they said, +"your children will get possession of it." + +But when the Tuatha de Danaan saw the ships coming, they flocked to the +shore, and by their enchantments they cast such a cloud over the whole +island that the sons of Miled were confused, and all they could see was +some large thing that had the appearance of a pig. + +And when they were hindered from landing there by enchantments, they +went sailing along the coast till at last they were able to make a +landing at Inver Sceine in the west of Munster. + +From that they marched in good order as far as Slieve Mis. And there +they were met by a queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, and a train of +beautiful women attending on her, and her Druids and wise men following +her. Amergin, one of the sons of Miled, spoke to her then, and asked her +name, and she said it was Banba, wife of Mac Cuill, Son of the Hazel. + +They went on then till they came to Slieve Eibhline, and there another +queen of the Tuatha de Danaan met them, and her women and her Druids +after her, and they asked her name, and she said it was Fodhla, wife of +Mac Cecht, Son of the Plough. + +They went on then till they came to the hill of Uisnech, and there they +saw another woman coming towards them. And there was wonder on them +while they were looking at her, for in the one moment she would be a +wide-eyed most beautiful queen, and in another she would be a +sharp-beaked, grey-white crow. She came on to where Eremon, one of the +sons of Miled, was, and sat down before him, and he asked her who was +she, and she said: "I am Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun." + +And the names of those three queens were often given to Ireland in the +after time. + +The Sons of the Gael went on after that to Teamhair, where the three +sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth, son of the Dagda, that had the kingship +between them at that time held their court. And these three were +quarrelling with one another about the division of the treasures their +father had left, and the quarrel was so hot it seemed likely it would +come to a battle in the end. + +And the Sons of the Gael wondered to see them quarrelling about such +things, and they having so fruitful an island, where the air was so +wholesome, and the sun not too strong, or the cold too bitter, and where +there was such a plenty of honey and acorns, and of milk, and of fish, +and of corn, and room enough for them all. + +Great grandeur they were living in, and their Druids about them, at the +palace of Teamhair. And Amergin went to them, and it is what he said, +that they must give up the kingship there and then, or they must leave +it to the chance of a battle. And he said he asked this in revenge for +the death of Ith, of the race of the Gael, that had come to their court +before that time, and that had been killed by treachery. + +When the sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth heard Amergin saying such fierce +words, there was wonder on them, and it is what they said, that they +were not willing to fight at that time, for their army was not ready. +"But let you make an offer to us," they said, "for we see well you have +good judgment and knowledge. But if you make an offer that is not fair," +they said, "we will destroy you with our enchantments." + +At that Amergin bade the men that were with him to go back to Inver +Sceine, and to hurry again into their ships with the rest of the Sons of +the Gael, and to go out the length of nine waves from the shore. And +then he made his offer to the Tuatha de Danaan, that if they could +hinder his men from landing on their island, he and all his ships would +go back again to their own country, and would never make any attempt to +come again; but that if the Sons of the Gael could land on the coast in +spite of them, then the Tuatha de Danaan should give up the kingship and +be under their sway. + +The Tuatha de Danaan were well pleased with that offer, for they thought +that by the powers of their enchantments over the winds and the sea, and +by their arts, they would be well able to keep them from ever setting +foot in the country again. + +So the Sons of the Gael did as Amergin bade them and they went back into +their ship and drew up their anchors, and moved out to the length of +nine waves from the shore. And as soon as the Men of Dea saw they had +left the land, they took to their enchantments and spells, and they +raised a great wind that scattered the ships of the Gael, and drove them +from one another. But Amergin knew it was not a natural storm was in +it, and Arranan, son of Miled, knew that as well, and he went up in the +mast of his ship to look about him. But a great blast of wind came +against him, and he fell back into the ship and died on the moment. And +there was great confusion on the Gael, for the ships were tossed to and +fro, and had like to be lost. And the ship that Donn, son of Miled, was +in command of was parted from the others by the dint of the storm, and +was broken in pieces, and he himself and all with him were drowned, +four-and-twenty men and women in all. And Ir, son of Miled, came to his +death in the same way, and his body was cast on the shore, and it was +buried in a small island that is now called Sceilg Michill. A brave man +Ir was, leading the Sons of the Gael to the front of every battle, and +their help and their shelter in battle, and his enemies were in dread of +his name. + +And Heremon, another of the sons of Miled, with his share of the ships, +was driven to the left of the island, and it is hardly he got safe to +land. And the place where he landed was called Inver Colpa, because +Colpa of the Sword, another of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, and +he trying to get to land. Five of the sons of Miled in all were +destroyed by the storm and the winds the Men of Dea had raised by their +enchantments, and there were but three of them left, Heber, and Heremon, +and Amergin. + +And one of them, Donn, before he was swept into the sea, called out: "It +is treachery our knowledgeable men are doing on us, not to put down this +wind." "There is no treachery," said Amergin, his brother. And he rose +up then before them, and whatever enchantment he did on the winds and +the sea, he said these words along with it: + +"That they that are tossing in the great wide food-giving sea may reach +now to the land. + +"That they may find a place upon its plains, its mountains, and its +valleys; in its forests that are full of nuts and of all fruits; on its +rivers and its streams, on its lakes and its great waters. + +"That we may have our gatherings and our races in this land; that there +may be a king of our own in Teamhair; that it may be the possession of +our many kings. + +"That the sons of Miled may be seen in this land, that their ships and +their boats may find a place there. + +"This land that is now under darkness, it is for it we are asking; let +our chief men, let their learned wives, ask that we may come to the +noble woman, great Eriu." + +After he had said this, the wind went down and the sea was quiet again +on the moment. + +And those that were left of the sons of Miled and of the Sons of the +Gael landed then at Inver Sceine. + +And Amergin was the first to put his foot on land, and when he stood on +the shore of Ireland, it is what he said: + + "I am the wind on the sea; + I am the wave of the sea; + I am the bull of seven battles; + I am the eagle on the rock; + I am a flash from the sun; + I am the most beautiful of plants; + I am a strong wild boar; + I am a salmon in the water; + I am a lake in the plain; + I am the word of knowledge; + I am the head of the spear in battle; + I am the god that puts fire in the head; + Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills? + Who can tell the ages of the moon? + Who can tell the place where the sun rests?" + + + +CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF TAILLTIN + + +And three days after the landing of the Gael, they were attacked by +Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun, and she having a good share of +men with her. And they fought a hard battle, and many were killed on +both sides. And this was the first battle fought between the Sons of the +Gael and the Men of Dea for the kingship of Ireland. + +It was in that battle Fais, wife of Un, was killed in a valley at the +foot of the mountain, and it was called after her, the Valley of Fais. +And Scota, wife of Miled, got her death in the battle, and she was +buried in a valley on the north side of the mountain near the sea. But +the Sons of the Gael lost no more than three hundred men, and they beat +back the Men of Dea and killed a thousand of them. And Eriu was beaten +back to Tailltin, and as many of her men as she could hold together; and +when she came there she told the people how she had been worsted in the +battle, and the best of her men had got their death. But the Gael +stopped on the battle-field, and buried their dead, and they gave a +great burial to two of their Druids, Aer and Eithis, that were killed in +the fight. + +And after they had rested for a while, they went on to Inver Colpa in +Leinster, and Heremon and his men joined them there. And then they sent +messengers to the three kings of Ireland, the three sons of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and bade them to come out and fight a battle that would +settle the ownership of the country once for all. + +So they came out, and the best of the fighters of the Tuatha de Danaan +with them, to Tailltin. And there they attacked one another, and the +Sons of the Gael remembered the death of Ith, and there was great anger +on them, and they fell on the Men of Dea to avenge him, and there was a +fierce battle fought. And for a while neither side got the better of the +other, but at the last the Gael broke through the army of the Men of Dea +and put them to the rout, with great slaughter, and drove them out of +the place. And their three kings were killed in the rout, and the three +queens of Ireland, Eriu and Fodhla and Banba. And when the Tuatha de +Danaan saw their leaders were dead they fell back in great disorder, and +the Sons of the Gael followed after them. But in following them they +lost two of their best leaders, Cuailgne, son of Breagan, at Slieve +Cuailgne, and Fuad, his brother, at Slieve Fuad. But they were no way +daunted by that, but followed the Men of Dea so hotly that they were +never able to bring their army together again, but had to own themselves +beaten, and to give up the country to the Gael. + +And the leaders, the sons of Miled, divided the provinces of Ireland +between them. Heber took the two provinces of Munster, and he gave a +share of it to Amergin; and Heremon got Leinster and Connacht for his +share, and Ulster was divided between Eimhir, son of Ir, son of Miled, +and some others of their chief men. And it was of the sons of Eimhir, +that were called the Children of Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain +Macha for nine hundred years, some of the best men of Ireland came; +Fergus, son of Rogh, was of them, and Conall Cearnach, of the Red Branch +of Ulster. + +And from the sons of Ith, the first of the Gael to get his death in +Ireland, there came in the after time Fathadh Canaan, that got the sway +over the whole world from the rising to the setting sun, and that took +hostages of the streams and the birds and the languages. + +And it is what the poets of Ireland used to be saying, that every brave +man, good at fighting, and every man that could do great deeds and not +be making much talk about them, was of the Sons of the Gael; and that +every skilled man that had music and that did enchantments secretly, +was of the Tuatha de Danaan. But they put a bad name on the Firbolgs and +the men of Domnand and the Gaileoin, for lies and for big talk and +injustice. But for all that there were good fighters among them, and +Ferdiad, that made so good a stand against Cuchulain, in the war for the +Bull of Cuailgne was one of them. And the Gaileoin fought well in the +same war; but the men of Ireland had no great liking for them, and their +Druids drove them out of the country afterwards. + + + + +BOOK FOUR: THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES. + +CHAPTER I. BODB DEARG + + +But as to the Tuatha de Danaan after they were beaten, they would not go +under the sway of the sons of Miled, but they went away by themselves. +And because Manannan, son of Lir, understood all enchantments, they left +it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their +enemies. So he chose out the most beautiful of the hills and valleys of +Ireland for them to settle in; and he put hidden walls about them, that +no man could see through, but they themselves could see through them and +pass through them. + +And he made the Feast of Age for them, and what they drank at it was the +ale of Goibniu the Smith, that kept whoever tasted it from age and from +sickness and from death. And for food at the feast he gave them his own +swine, that though they were killed and eaten one day, would be alive +and fit for eating again the next day, and that would go on in that way +for ever. + +And after a while they said: "It would be better for us one king to be +over us, than to be scattered the way we are through the whole of +Ireland." + +Now the men among them that had the best chance of getting the kingship +at that time were Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda; and Ilbrech of Ess +Ruadh; and Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, the Hill of the White Field, on +Slieve Fuad; and Midhir the Proud of Bri Leith, and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda; but he did not covet the kingship at all, but would sooner be +left as he was. Then all the chief men but those five went into council +together, and it is what they agreed, to give the kingship to Bodb +Dearg, for the sake of his father, for his own sake, and because he was +the eldest among the children of the Dagda. + +It was in Sidhe Femen Bodb Dearg had his house, and he put great +enchantments about it. Cliach, the Harper of the King of the Three +Rosses in Connacht, went one time to ask one of his daughters in +marriage, and he stayed outside the place through the whole length of a +year, playing his harp, and able to get no nearer to Bodb or to his +daughter. And he went on playing till a lake burst up under his feet, +the lake that is on the top of a mountain, Loch Bel Sead. + +It was Bodb's swineherd went to Da Derga's Inn, and his squealing pig +along with him, the night Conaire, the High King of Ireland, met with +his death; and it was said that whatever feast that swineherd would go +to, there would blood be shed before it was over. + +And Bodb had three sons, Angus, and Artrach, and Aedh. And they used +often to be living among men in the time of the Fianna afterwards. +Artrach had a house with seven doors, and a free welcome for all that +came, and the king's son of Ireland, and of Alban, used to be coming to +Angus to learn the throwing of spears and darts; and troops of poets +from Alban and from Ireland used to be with Aedh, that was the comeliest +of Bodb's sons, so that his place used to be called "The Rath of Aedh of +the Poets." And indeed it was a beautiful rath at that time, with +golden-yellow apples in it and crimson-pointed nuts of the wood. But +after the passing away of the Fianna, the three brothers went back to +the Tuatha de Danaan. + +And Bodb Dearg was not always in his own place, but sometimes he was +with Angus at Brugh na Boinn. + +Three sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland, Eochaid, and Fiacha, and +Ruide, went there one time, for their father refused them any land till +they would win it for themselves. And when he said that, they rose with +the ready rising of one man, and went and sat down on the green of Brugh +na Boinn, and fasted there on the Tuatha de Danaan, to see if they +could win some good thing from them. + +And they were not long there till they saw a young man, quiet and with +pleasant looks, coming towards them, and he wished them good health, and +they answered him the same way. "Where are you come from?" they asked +him then. "From the rath beyond, with the many lights," he said. "And I +am Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," he said, "and come in with me now to +the rath." + +So they went in, and supper was made ready for them, but they did not +use it. Bodb Dearg asked them then why was it they were using nothing. +"It is because our father has refused land to us," said they; "and there +are in Ireland but the two races, the Sons of the Gael and the Men of +Dea, and when the one failed us we are come to the other." + +Then the Men of Dea consulted together. And the chief among them was +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and it is what he said: "Let us give a wife +to every one of these three men, for it is from a wife that good or bad +fortune comes." + +So they agreed to that, and Midhir's three daughters, Doirenn, and Aife, +and Aillbhe, were given to them. Then Midhir asked Bodb to say what +marriage portion should be given to them. "I will tell you that," said +Bodb. "We are three times fifty sons of kings in this hill; let every +king's son give three times fifty ounces of red gold. And I myself," he +said, "will give them along with that, three times fifty suits of +clothing of all colours." "I will give them a gift," said a young man of +the Tuatha de Danaan, from Rachlainn in the sea. "A horn I will give +them, and a vat. And there is nothing wanting but to fill the vat with +pure water, and it will turn into mead, fit to drink, and strong enough +to make drunken. And into the horn," he said, "you have but to put salt +water from the sea, and it will turn into wine on the moment." "A gift +to them from me," said Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, "three times fifty +swords, and three times fifty well-riveted long spears." "A gift from +me," said Angus Og, son of the Dagda, "a rath and a good town with high +walls, and with bright sunny houses, and with wide houses, in whatever +place it will please them between Rath Chobtaige and Teamhair." "A gift +to them from me," said Aine, daughter of Modharn, "a woman-cook that I +have, and there is _geasa_ on her not to refuse food to any; and +according as she serves it out, her store fills up of itself again." +"Another gift to them from me," said Bodb Dearg, "a good musician that I +have, Fertuinne, son of Trogain; and although there were women in the +sharpest pains of childbirth, and brave men wounded early in the day, in +a place where there were saws going through wood, they would sleep at +the sweetness of the music he makes. And whatever house he may be in, +the people of the whole country round will hear him." + +So they stopped in Brugh na Boinne three days and three nights, and when +they left it, Angus bade them bring away from the oak-wood three +apple-trees, one in full bloom, and one shedding its blossom, and the +third covered with ripe fruit. + +They went then to their own dun that was given them, and it is a good +place they had there, and a troop of young men, and great troops of +horses and of greyhounds; and they had three sorts of music that comely +kings liked to be listening to, the music of harps and of lutes, and the +chanting of Trogain's son; and there were three great sounds, the +tramping on the green, and the uproar of racing, and the lowing of +cattle; and three other sounds, the grunting of good pigs with the fat +thick on them, and the voices of the crowd on the green lawn, and the +noise of men drinking inside the house. And as to Eochaid, it was said +of him that he never took a step backwards in flight, and his house was +never without music or drinking of ale. And it was said of Fiacha that +there was no man of his time braver than himself, and that he never said +a word too much. And as to Ruide, he never refused any one, and never +asked anything at all of any man. + +And when their lifetime was over, they went back to the Tuatha de +Danaan, for they belonged to them through their wives, and there they +have stopped ever since. + +And Bodb Dearg had a daughter, Scathniamh, the Flower of Brightness, +that gave her love to Caoilte in the time of the Fianna; and they were +forced to part from one another, and they never met again till the time +Caoilte was, old and withered, and one of the last that was left of the +Fianna. And she came to him out of the cave of Cruachan, and asked him +for the bride-price he had promised her, and that she was never able to +come and ask for till then. And Caoilte went to a cairn that was near +and that was full up of gold, that was wages earned by Conan Maol and +hidden there, and he gave the gold to Bodb Dearg's daughter. And the +people that were there wondered to see the girl so young and comely, and +Caoilte so grey and bent and withered. "There is no wonder in that," +said Caoilte, "for I am of the sons of Miled that wither and fade away, +but she is of the Tuatha de Danaan that never change and that never +die." + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE DAGDA + + +And it was at Brugh na Boinne the Dagda, the Red Man of all Knowledge, +had his house. And the most noticeable things in it were the Hall of the +Morrigu, and the Bed of the Dagda, and the Birthplace of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and the Prison of the Grey of Macha that was Cuchulain's +horse afterwards. And there was a little hill by the house that was +called the Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife; and another that was +called the Hill of Dabilla, that was the little hound belonging to +Boann. And the Valley of the Mata was there, the Sea-Turtle that could +suck down a man in armour. + +And it is likely the Dagda put up his cooking oven there, that Druimne, +son of Luchair, made for him at Teamhair. And it is the way it was, the +axle and the wheel were of wood, and the body was iron, and there were +twice nine wheels in its axle, that it might turn the faster; and it was +as quick as the quickness of a stream in turning, and there were three +times nine spits from it, and three times nine pots. And it used to lie +down with the cinders and to rise to the height of the roof with the +flame. + +The Dagda himself made a great vat one time for Ainge, his daughter, but +she was not well satisfied with it, for it would not stop from dripping +while the sea was in flood, though it would not lose a drop during the +ebb-tide. And she gathered a bundle of twigs to make a new vat for +herself, but Gaible, son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, stole it from her +and hurled it away. And in the place where it fell a beautiful wood grew +up, that was called Gaible's Wood. + +And the Dagda had his household at Brugh na Boinne, and his steward was +Dichu, and Len Linfiaclach was the smith of the Brugh. It was he lived +in the lake, making the bright vessels of Fand, daughter of Flidhais; +and every evening when he left off work he would make a cast of the +anvil eastward to Indeoin na Dese, the Anvil of the Dese, as far as the +Grave End. Three showers it used to cast, a shower of fire, and a shower +of water, and a shower of precious stones of pure purple. + +But Tuirbe, father of Goibniu the Smith, used to throw better again, for +he would make a cast of his axe from Tulach na Bela, the Hill of the +Axe, in the face of the flood tide, and he would put his order on the +sea, and it would not come over the axe. + +And Corann was the best of the harpers of the household; he was harper +to the Dagda's son, Diancecht. And one time he called with his harp to +Cailcheir, one of the swine of Debrann. And it ran northward with all +the strength of its legs, and the champions of Connacht were following +after it with all their strength of running, and their hounds with them, +till they got as far as Ceis Corain, and they gave it up there, all +except Niall that went on the track of the swine till he found it in the +oak-wood of Tarba, and then it made away over the plain of Ai, and +through a lake. And Niall and his hound were drowned in following it +through the lake. And the Dagda gave Corann a great tract of land for +doing his harping so well. + +But however great a house the Dagda had, Angus got it away from him in +the end, through the help of Manannan, son of Lir. For Manannan bade him +to ask his father for it for the length of a day and a night, and that +he by his art would take away his power of refusing. So Angus asked for +the Brugh, and his father gave it to him for a day and a night. But when +he asked it back again, it is what Angus said, that it had been given to +him for ever, for the whole of life and time is made up of a day and a +night, one following after the other. + +So when the Dagda heard that he went away and his people and his +household with him, for Manannan had put an enchantment on them all. + +But Dichu the Steward was away at the time, and his wife and his son, +for they were gone out to get provisions for a feast for Manannan and +his friends. And when he came back and knew his master was gone, he took +service with Angus. + +And Angus stopped in Brugh na Boinne, and some say he is there to this +day, with the hidden walls about him, drinking Goibniu's ale and eating +the pigs that never fail. + +As to the Dagda, he took no revenge, though he had the name of being +revengeful and quick in his temper. And some say it was at Teamhair he +made his dwelling-place after that, but wherever it was, a great +misfortune came on him. + +It chanced one time Corrgenn, a great man of Connacht, came to visit +him, and his wife along with him. And while they were there, Corrgenn +got it in his mind that there was something that was not right going on +between his wife and Aedh, one of the sons of the Dagda. And great +jealousy and anger came on him, and he struck at the young man and +killed him before his father's face. + +Every one thought the Dagda would take Corrgenn's life then and there in +revenge for his son's life. But he would not do that, for he said if his +son was guilty, there was no blame to be put on Corrgenn for doing what +he did. So he spared his life for that time, but if he did, Corrgenn did +not gain much by it. For the punishment he put on him was to take the +dead body of the young man on his back, and never to lay it down till he +would find a stone that would be its very fit in length and in breadth, +and that would make a gravestone for him; and when he had found that, he +could bury him in the nearest hill. + +So Corrgenn had no choice but to go, and he set out with his load; but +he had a long way to travel before he could find a stone that would fit, +and it is where he found one at last, on the shore of Loch Feabhail. So +then he left the body up on the nearest hill, and he went down and +raised the stone and brought it up and dug a grave and buried the +Dagda's son. And it is many an Ochone! he gave when he was putting the +stone over him, and when he had that done he was spent, and he dropped +dead there and then. + +And the Dagda brought his two builders, Garbhan and Imheall, to the +place, and he bade them build a rath there round the grave. It was +Garbhan cut the stones and shaped them, and Imheall set them all round +the house till the work was finished, and then he closed the top of the +house with a slab. And the place was called the Hill of Aileac, that is, +the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone, for it was tears of blood the Dagda +shed on account of the death of his son. + + + + +CHAPTER III. ANGUS OG + + +And as to Angus Og, son of the Dagda, sometimes he would come from Brugh +na Boinn and let himself be seen upon the earth. + +It was a long time after the coming of the Gael that he was seen by +Cormac, King of Teamhair, and this is the account he gave of him. + +He was by himself one day in his Hall of Judgment, for he used to be +often reading the laws and thinking how he could best carry them out. +And on a sudden he saw a stranger, a very comely young man, at the end +of the hall; and he knew on the moment it was Angus Og, for he had often +heard his people talking of him, but he himself used to be saying he did +not believe there was any such person at all. And when his people came +back to the hall, he told them how he had seen Angus himself, and had +talked with him, and Angus had told him his name, and had foretold what +would happen him in the future. "And he was a beautiful young man," he +said, "with high looks, and his appearance was more beautiful than all +beauty, and there were ornaments of gold on his dress; in his hand he +held a silver harp with strings of red gold, and the sound of its +strings was sweeter than all music under the sky; and over the harp were +two birds that seemed to be playing on it. He sat beside me pleasantly +and played his sweet music to me, and in the end he foretold things that +put drunkenness on my wits." + +The birds, now, that used to be with Angus were four of his kisses that +turned into birds and that used to be coming about the young men of +Ireland, and crying after them. "Come, come," two of them would say, and +"I go, I go," the other two would say, and it was hard to get free of +them. But as to Angus, even when he was in his young youth, he used to +be called the Frightener, or the Disturber; for the plough teams of the +world, and every sort of cattle that is used by men, would make away in +terror before him. + +And one time he appeared in the shape of a land-holder to two men, Ribh +and Eocho, that were looking for a place to settle in. The first place +they chose was near Bregia on a plain that was belonging to Angus; and +it was then he came to them, leading his horse in his hand, and told +them they should not stop there. And they said they could not carry away +their goods without horses. Then he gave them his horse, and bade them +to put all they had a mind to on that horse and he would carry it, and +so he did. But the next place they chose was Magh Find, the Fine Plain, +that was the playing ground of Angus and of Midhir. And that time Midhir +came to them in the same way and gave them a horse to put their goods +on, and he went on with them as far as Magh Dairbthenn. + +And there were many women loved Angus, and there was one Enghi, daughter +of Elcmair, loved him though she had not seen him. And she went one time +looking for him to the gathering for games between Cletech and Sidhe in +Broga; and the bright troops of the Sidhe used to come to that gathering +every Samhain evening, bringing a moderate share of food with them, that +is, a nut. And the sons of Derc came from the north, out of Sidhe +Findabrach, and they went round about the young men and women without +their knowledge and they brought away Elcmair's daughter. There were +great lamentations made then, and the name the place got was Cnoguba, +the Nut Lamentation, from the crying there was at that gathering. + +And Derbrenn, Eochaid Fedlech's daughter, was another that was loved by +Angus, and she had six fosterlings, three boys and three girls. But the +mother of the boys, Dalb Garb, the Rough, put a spell on them she made +from a gathering of the nuts of Caill Ochuid, that turned them into +swine. + +And Angus gave them into the care of Buichet, the Hospitaller of +Leinster, and they stopped a year with him. But at the end of that time +there came a longing On Buichet's wife to eat a bit of the flesh of one +of them. So she gathered a hundred armed men and a hundred hounds to +take them. But the pigs made away, and went to Brugh na Boinn, to Angus, +and he bade them welcome, and they asked him to give them his help. But +he said he could not do that till they had shaken the Tree of Tarbga, +and eaten the salmon of Inver Umaill. + +So they went to Glascarn, and stopped a year in hiding with Derbrenn. +And then they shook the Tree of Tarbga, and they went on towards Inver +Umaill. But Maeve gathered the men of Connacht to hunt them, and they +all fell but one, and their heads were put in a mound, and it got the +name of Duma Selga, the Mound of the Hunting. + +And it was in the time of Maeve of Cruachan that Angus set his love on +Caer Ormaith, of the Province of Connacht, and brought her away to Brugh +na Boinn. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE MORRIGU + + +As to the Morrigu, the Great Queen, the Crow of Battle, where she lived +after the coming of the Gael is not known, but before that time it was +in Teamhair she lived. And she had a great cooking-spit there, that held +three sorts of food on it at the one time: a piece of raw meat, and a +piece of dressed meat, and a piece of butter. And the raw was dressed, +and the dressed was not burned, and the butter did not melt, and the +three together on the spit. + +Nine men that were outlaws went to her one time and asked for a spit to +be made for themselves. And they brought it away with them, and it had +nine ribs in it, and every one of the outlaws would carry a rib in his +hand wherever he would go, till they would all meet together at the +close of day. And if they wanted the spit to be high, it could be raised +to a man's height, and at another time it would not be more than the +height of a fist over the fire, without breaking and without lessening. + +And Mechi, the son the Morrigu had, was killed by Mac Cecht on Magh +Mechi, that till that time had been called Magh Fertaige. Three hearts +he had, and it is the way they were, they had the shapes of three +serpents through them. And if Mechi had not met with his death, those +serpents in him would have grown, and what they left alive in Ireland +would have wasted away. And Mac Cecht burned the three hearts on Magh +Luathad, the Plain of Ashes, and he threw the ashes into the stream; and +the rushing water of the stream stopped and boiled up, and every +creature in it died. + +And the Morrigu used often to be meddling in Ireland in Cuchulain's +time, stirring up wars and quarrels. It was she came and roused up +Cuchulain one time when he was but a lad, and was near giving in to some +enchantment that was used against him. "There is not the making of a +hero in you," she said to him, "and you lying there under the feet of +shadows." And with that Cuchulain rose up and struck off the head of a +shadow that was standing over him, with his hurling stick. And the time +Conchubar was sending out Finched to rouse up the men of Ulster at the +time of the war for the Bull of Cuailgne, he bade him to go to that +terrible fury, the Morrigu, to get help for Cuchulain. And she had a +dispute with Cuchulain one time he met her, and she bringing away a cow +from the Hill of Cruachan; and another time she helped Talchinem, a +Druid of the household of Conaire Mor, to bring away a bull his wife had +set her mind on. And indeed she was much given to meddling with cattle, +and one time she brought away a cow from Odras, that was of the +household of the cow-chief of Cormac Hua Cuined, and that was going +after her husband with cattle. And the Morrigu brought the cow away with +her to the Cave of Cruachan, and the Hill of the Sidhe. And Odras +followed her there till sleep fell on her in the oak-wood of Falga; and +the Morrigu awoke her and sang spells over her, and made of her a pool +of water that went to the river that flows to the west of Slieve Buane. + +And in the battle of Magh Rath, she fluttered over Congal Claen in the +shape of a bird, till he did not know friend from foe. And after that +again at the battle of Cluantarbh, she was flying over the head of +Murchadh, son of Brian; for she had many shapes, and it was in the shape +of a crow she would sometimes fight her battles. + +And if it was not the Morrigu, it was Badb that showed herself in the +battle of Dunbolg, where the men of Ireland were fighting under Aedh, +son of Niall; and Brigit was seen in the same battle on the side of the +men of Leinster. + + + + +CHAPTER V. AINE + + +And as to Aine, that some said was a daughter of Manannan, but some said +was the Morrigu herself, there was a stone belonging to her that was +called Cathair Aine. And if any one would sit on that stone he would be +in danger of losing his wits, and any one that would sit on it three +times would lose them for ever. And people whose wits were astray would +make their way to it, and mad dogs would come from all parts of the +country, and would flock around it, and then they would go into the sea +to Aine's place there. But those that did cures by herbs said she had +power over the whole body; and she used to give gifts of poetry and of +music, and she often gave her love to men, and they called her the +Leanan Sidhe, the Sweet-heart of the Sidhe. + +And it was no safe thing to offend Aine, for she was very revengeful. +Oilioll Oluim, a king of Ireland, killed her brother one time, and it is +what she did, she made a great yew-tree by enchantment beside the river +Maigh in Luimnech, and she put a little man in it, playing sweet music +on a harp. And Oilioll's son was passing the river with his +step-brother, and they saw the tree and heard the sweet music from it. +And first they quarrelled as to which of them would have the little +harper, and then they quarrelled about the tree, and they asked a +judgment from Oilioll, and he gave it for his own son. And it was the +bad feeling about that judgment that led to the battle of Magh +Mucruimhe, and Oilioll and his seven sons were killed there, and so Aine +got her revenge. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. AOIBHELL + + +And Aoibhell, another woman of the Sidhe, made her dwelling-place in +Craig Liath, and at the time of the battle of Cluantarbh she set her +love on a young man of Munster, Dubhlaing ua Artigan, that had been sent +away in disgrace by the King of Ireland. But before the battle he came +back to join with Murchadh, the king's son, and to fight for the Gael. +And Aoibhell came to stop him; and when he would not stop with her she +put a Druid covering about him, the way no one could see him. + +And he went where Murchadh was fighting, and he made a great attack on +the enemies of Ireland, and struck them down on every side. And Murchadh +looked around him, and he said; "It seems to me I hear the sound of the +blows of Dubhlaing ua Artigan, but I do not see himself." Then Dubhlaing +threw off the Druid covering that was about him, and he said: "I will +not keep this covering upon me when you cannot see me through it. And +come now across the plain to where Aoibhell is," he said, "for she can +give us news of the battle." + +So they went where she was, and she bade them both to quit the battle, +for they would lose their lives in it. But Murchadh said to her, "I will +tell you a little true story," he said; "that fear for my own body will +never make me change my face. And if we fall," he said, "the strangers +will fall with us; and it is many a man will fall by my own hand, and +the Gael will be sharing their strong places." "Stop with me, +Dubhlaing," she said then, "and you will have two hundred years of happy +life with myself." "I will not give up Murchadh," he said, "or my own +good name, for silver or gold." And there was anger on Aoibhell when he +said that, and she said: "Murchadh will fall, and you yourself will +fall, and your proud blood will be on the plain to-morrow." And they +went back into the battle, and got their death there. + +And it was Aoibhell gave a golden harp to the son of Meardha the time +he was getting his learning at the school of the Sidhe in Connacht and +that he heard his father had got his death by the King of Lochlann. And +whoever heard the playing of that harp would not live long after it. And +Meardha's son went where the three sons of the King of Lochlann were, +and played on his harp for them, and they died. + +It was that harp Cuchulain heard the time his enemies were gathering +against him at Muirthemne, and he knew by it that his life was near its +end. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. MIDHIR AND ETAIN + + +And Midhir took a hill for himself, and his wife Fuamach was with him +there, and his daughter, Bri. And Leith, son of Celtchar of Cualu, was +the most beautiful among the young men of the Sidhe of Ireland at that +time, and he loved Bri, Midhir's daughter. And Bri went out with her +young girls to meet him one time at the Grave of the Daughters beside +Teamhair. And Leith came and his young men along with him till he was on +the Hill of the After Repentance. And they could not come nearer to one +another because of the slingers on Midhir's hill that were answering one +another till their spears were as many as a swarm of bees on a day of +beauty. And Cochlan, Leith's servant, got a sharp wound from them and he +died. + +Then the girl turned back to Midhir's hill, and her heart broke in her +and she died. And Leith said: "Although I am not let come to this girl, +I will leave my name with her." And the hill was called Bri Leith from +that time. + +After a while Midhir took Etain Echraide to be his wife. And there was +great jealousy on Fuamach, the wife he had before, when she saw the +love that Midhir gave to Etain, and she called to the Druid, Bresal +Etarlaim to help her, and he put spells on Etain the way Fuamach was +able to drive her away. + +And when she was driven out of Bri Leith, Angus Og, son of the Dagda, +took her into his keeping; and when Midhir asked her back, he would not +give her up, but he brought her about with him to every place he went. +And wherever they rested, he made a sunny house for her, and put +sweet-smelling flowers in it, and he made invisible walls about it, that +no one could see through and that could not be seen. + +But when news came to Fuamach that Etain was so well cared by Angus, +anger and jealousy came on her again, and she searched her mind for a +way to destroy Etain altogether. + +And it is what she did, she persuaded Midhir and Angus to go out and +meet one another and to make peace, for there had been a quarrel between +them ever since the time Etain was sent away. And when Angus was away +from Brugh na Boinn, Fuamach went and found Etain there, in her sunny +house. And she turned her with Druid spells into a fly, and then she +sent a blast of wind into the house, that swept her away through the +window. + +But as to Midhir and Angus, they waited a while for Fuamach to come and +join them. And when she did not come they were uneasy in their minds, +and Angus hurried back to Brugh na Boinn. And when he found the sunny +house empty, he went in search of Fuamach, and it was along with +Etarlaim, the Druid, he found her, and he struck her head off there and +then. + +And for seven years Etain was blown to and fro through Ireland in great +misery. And at last she came to the house of Etar, of Inver Cechmaine, +where there was a feast going on, and she fell from a beam of the roof +into the golden cup that was beside Etar's wife. And Etar's wife drank +her down with the wine, and at the end of nine months she was born again +as Etar's daughter. + +And she had the same name as before, Etain; and she was reared as a +king's daughter, and there were fifty young girls, daughters of princes, +brought up with her to keep her company. + +And it happened one day Etain and all the rest of the young girls were +out bathing in the bay at Inver Cechmaine, and they saw from the water a +man, with very high looks, coming towards them over the plain, and he +riding a bay horse with mane and tail curled. A long green cloak he had +on him, and a shirt woven with threads of red gold, and a brooch of gold +that reached across to his shoulders on each side. And he had on his +back a shield of silver with a rim of gold and a boss of gold, and in +his hand a sharp-pointed spear covered with rings of gold from heel to +socket. Fair yellow hair he had, coming over his forehead, and it bound +with a golden band to keep it from loosening. + +And when he came near them he got down from his horse, and sat down on +the bank, and it is what he said: + +"It is here Etain is to-day, at the Mound of Fair Women. It is among +little children is her life on the strand of Inver Cechmaine. + +"It is she healed the eye of the king from the well of Loch da Lig; it +is she was swallowed in a heavy drink by the wife of Etar. + +"Many great battles will happen for your sake to Echaid of Midhe; +destruction will fall upon the Sidhe, and war on thousands of men." + +And when he had said that, he vanished, and no one knew where he went. +And they did not know the man that had come to them was Midhir of Bri +Leith. + +And when Etain was grown to be a beautiful young woman, she was seen by +Eochaid Feidlech, High King of Ireland, and this is the way that +happened. + +He was going one time over the fair green of Bri Leith, and he saw at +the side of a well a woman, with a bright comb of gold and silver, and +she washing in a silver basin having four golden birds on it, and little +bright purple stones set in the rim of the basin. A beautiful purple +cloak she had, and silver fringes to it, and a gold brooch; and she had +on her a dress of green silk with a long hood, embroidered in red gold, +and wonderful clasps of gold and silver on her breasts and on her +shoulder. The sunlight was falling on her, so that the gold and the +green silk were shining out. Two plaits of hair she had, four locks in +each plait, and a bead at the point of every lock, and the colour of her +hair was like yellow flags in summer, or like red gold after it is +rubbed. + +There she was, letting down her hair to wash it, and her arms out +through the sleeve-holes of her shift. Her soft hands were as white as +the snow of a single night, and her eyes as blue as any blue flower, and +her lips as red as the berries of the rowan-tree, and her body as white +as the foam of a wave. The bright light of the moon was in her face, the +highness of pride in her eyebrows, a dimple of delight in each of her +cheeks, the light of wooing in her eyes, and when she walked she had a +step that was steady and even like the walk of a queen. + +And Eochaid sent his people to bring her to him, and he asked her name, +and she told him her name was Etain, daughter of Etar, King of the +Riders of the Sidhe. And Eochaid gave her his love, and he paid the +bride-price, and brought her home to Teamhair as his wife, and there was +a great welcome before her there. + +And after a while there was a great feast made at Teamhair, and all the +chief men of Ireland came to it, and it lasted from the fortnight before +Samhain to the fortnight after it. And King Eochaid's brother Ailell, +that was afterwards called Ailell Anglonach, of the Only Fault, came to +the feast. And when he saw his brother's wife Etain, he fell in love +with her on the moment, and all through the length of the feast he was +not content unless he could be looking at her. And a woman, the daughter +of Luchta Lamdearg, of the Red Hand, took notice of it, and she said: +"What far thing are you looking at, Ailell? It is what I think, that to +be looking the way you are doing is a sign of love." Then Ailell checked +himself, and did not look towards Etain any more. + +But when the feast was at an end, and the gathering broken up, great +desire and envy came on Ailell, so that he fell sick, and they brought +him to a house in Teffia. And he stopped there through the length of a +year, and he was wasting away, but he told no one the cause of his +sickness. And at the end of the year, Eochaid came to visit his brother, +and he passed his hand over his breast, and Ailell let a groan. "What +way are you?" said Eochaid then. "Are you getting any easier, for you +must not let this illness come to a bad end." "By my word," said Ailell, +"it is not easier I am, but worse and worse every day and every night." +"What is it ails you?" said Eochaid. "And what is it that is coming +against you." "By my word, I cannot tell you that," said Ailell. "I will +bring one here that will know the cause of your sickness," said the +king. + +With that he sent Fachtna, his own physician, to Ailell; and when he +came he passed his hand over Ailell's heart, and at that he groaned +again. "This sickness will not be your death," said Fachtna then; "and I +know well what it comes from. It is either from the pains of jealousy, +or from love you have given, and that you have not found a way out of." +But there was shame on Ailell, and he would not confess to the physician +that what he said was right. So Fachtna went away then and left him. + +As to King Eochaid, he went away to visit all the provinces of Ireland +that were under his kingship, and he left Etain after him, and it is +what he said: "Good Etain," he said, "take tender care of Ailell so long +as he is living; and if he should die from us, make a sodded grave for +him, and raise a pillar stone over it, and write his name on it in +Ogham." And with that he went away on his journey. + +One day, now, Etain went into the house where Ailell was lying in his +sickness, and they talked together, and then she made a little song for +him, and it is what she said: + +"What is it ails you, young man, for it is a long time you are wasted +with this sickness, and it is not the hardness of the weather has +stopped your light footstep." + +And Ailell answered her in the same way, and he said: "I have good cause +for my hurt; the music of my own harp does not please me; there is no +sort of food is pleasant to me, and so I am wasted away." Then Etain +said: "Tell me what is it ails you, for I am a woman that is wise. Tell +me is there anything that would cure you, the way I may help you to it?" +And Ailell answered her: "O kind, beautiful woman, it is not good to +tell a secret to a woman, but sometimes it may be known through the +eyes." And Etain said: "Though it is bad to tell a secret, yet it ought +to be told now, or how can help be given to you?" And Ailell answered: +"My blessing on you, fair-haired Etain. It is not fit I am to be spoken +with; my wits have been no good help to me; my body is a rebel to me. +All Ireland knows, O king's wife, there is sickness in my head and in my +body." And Etain said: "If there is a woman of the fair-faced women of +Ireland tormenting you this way, she must come to you here if it +pleases you; and it is I myself will woo her for you," she said. + +Then Ailell said to her: "Woman, it would be easy for you yourself to +put my sickness from me. And my desire," he said, "is a desire that is +as long as a year; but it is love given to an echo, the spending of +grief on a wave, a lonely fight with a shadow, that is what my love and +my desire have been to me." + +And it is then Etain knew what was the sickness that was on him, and it +was a heavy trouble to her. + +But she came to him every day to tend him, and to make ready his food, +and to pour water over his hands, and all she could do she did for him, +for it was a grief to her, he to wither away and to be lost for her +sake. And at last one day she said to him: "Rise up, Ailell, son of a +king, man of high deeds, and I will do your healing." + +Then he put his arms about her, and she kissed him, and she said: "Come +at the morning of to-morrow at the break of day to the house outside the +dun, and I will give you all your desire." + +That night Ailell lay without sleep until the morning was at hand. And +at the very time he should have risen to go to her, it was at that time +his sleep settled down upon him, and he slept on till the full light of +day. + +But Etain went to the house outside the dun, and she was not long there +when she saw a man coming towards her having the appearance of Ailell, +sick and tired and worn. But when he came near and she looked closely at +him, she saw it was not Ailell that was in it. Then he went away, and +after she had waited a while, she herself went back into the dun. + +And it was then Ailell awoke, and when he knew the morning had passed +by, he would sooner have had death than life, and he fretted greatly. +And Etain came in then, and he told her what had happened him. And she +said: "Come to-morrow to the same place." + +But the same thing happened the next day. And when it happened on the +third day, and the same man came to meet Etain, she said to him: "It is +not you at all I come to meet here, and why is it that you come to meet +me? And as to him I came to meet," she said, "indeed it is not for gain +or through lightness I bade him come to me, but to heal him of the +sickness he is lying under for my sake." Then the man said: "It would be +more fitting for you to come to meet me than any other one. For in the +time long ago," he said, "I was your first husband, and your first man." +"What is it you are saying," she said, "and who are you yourself?" "It +is easy to tell that," he said; "I am Midhir of Bri Leith." "And what +parted us if I was your wife?" said Etain. "It was through Fuamach's +sharp jealousy and through the spells of Bresal Etarlaim, the Druid, we +were parted. And will you come away with me now?" he said. But Etain +said: "It is not for a man whose kindred is unknown I will give up the +High King of Ireland." And Midhir said: "Surely it was I myself put that +great desire for you on Ailell, and it was I hindered him from going to +meet you, the way you might keep your good name." + +And when she went back to Ailell's house, she found his sickness was +gone from him, and his desire. And she told him all that had happened, +and he said: "It has turned out well for us both: I am well of my +sickness and your good name is not lessened." "We give thanks to our +gods for that," said Etain, "for we are well pleased to have it so." + +And just at that time Eochaid came back from his journey, and they told +him the whole story, and he was thankful to his wife for the kindness +she had showed to Ailell. + +It was a good while after that, there was a great fair held at Teamhair, +and Etain was out on the green looking at the games and the races. And +she saw a rider coming towards her, but no one could see him but +herself; and when he came near she saw he had the same appearance as +the man that came and spoke with her and her young girls the time they +were out in the sea at Inver Cechmaine. And when he came up to her he +began to sing words to her that no one could hear but herself. And it is +what he said: + +"O beautiful woman, will you come with me to the wonderful country that +is mine? It is pleasant to be looking at the people there, beautiful +people without any blemish; their hair is of the colour of the +flag-flower, their fair body is as white as snow, the colour of the +foxglove is on every cheek. The young never grow old there; the fields +and the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's +eggs; warm, sweet streams of mead and of wine flow through that country; +there is no care and no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we +ourselves are not seen. + +"Though the plains of Ireland are beautiful, it is little you would +think of them after our great plain; though the ale of Ireland is heady, +the ale of the great country is still more heady. O beautiful woman, if +you come to my proud people it is the flesh of pigs newly killed I will +give you for food; it is ale and new milk I will give you for drink; it +is feasting you will have with me there; it is a crown of gold you will +have upon your hair, O beautiful woman! + +"And will you come there with me, Etain?" he said. But Etain said she +would not leave Eochaid the High King. "Will you come if Eochaid gives +you leave?" Midhir said then. "I will do that," said Etain. + +One day, after that time, Eochaid the High King was looking out from his +palace at Teamhair, and he saw a strange man coming across the plain. +Yellow hair he had, and eyes blue and shining like the flame of a +candle, and a purple dress on him, and in his hand a five-pronged spear +and a shield having gold knobs on it. + +He came up to the king, and the king bade him welcome. "Who are you +yourself?" he said; "and what are you come for, for you are a stranger +to me?" "If I am a stranger to you, you are no stranger to me, for I +have known you this long time," said the strange man. "What is your +name?" said the king. "It is nothing very great," said he; "I am called +Midhir of Bri Leith." "What is it brings you here?" said Eochaid. "I am +come to play a game of chess with you," said the stranger. "Are you a +good player?" said the king. "A trial will tell you that," said Midhir. +"The chessboard is in the queen's house, and she is in her sleep at this +time," said Eochaid. "That is no matter," said Midhir, "for I have with +me a chess-board as good as your own." And with that he brought out his +chessboard, and it made of silver, and precious stones shining in every +corner of it. And then he brought out the chessmen, and they made of +gold, from a bag that was of shining gold threads. + +"Let us play now," said Midhir. "I will not play without a stake," said +the king. "What stake shall We play for?" said Midhir. "We can settle +that after the game is over," said the king. + +They played together then, and Midhir was beaten, and it is what the +king asked of him, fifty brown horses to be given to him. And then they +played the second time, and Midhir was beaten again, and this time the +king gave him four hard things to do: to make a road over Moin Lamraide, +and to clear Midhe of stones, and to cover the district of Tethra with +rushes, and the district of Darbrech with trees. + +So Midhir brought his people from Bri Leith to do those things, and it +is bard work they had doing them. And Eochaid used to be out watching +them, and he took notice that when the men of the Sidhe yoked their +oxen, it was by the neck and the shoulder they used to yoke them, and +not by the forehead and the head. And it was after Eochaid taught his +people to yoke them that way, he was given the name of Eochaid Airem, +that is, of the Plough. + +And when all was done, Midhir came to Eochaid again, looking thin and +wasted enough with the dint of the hard work he had been doing, and he +asked Eochaid to play the third game with him. Eochaid agreed, and it +was settled as before, the stake to be settled by the winner. It was +Midhir won the game that time, and when the king asked him what he +wanted, "It is Etain, your wife, I want," said he. "I will not give her +to you," said the king. "All I will ask then," said Midhir, "is to put +my arms about her and to kiss her once." "You may do that," said the +king, "if you will wait to the end of a month." So Midhir agreed to +that, and went away for that time. + +At the end of the month he came back again, and stood in the great hall +at Teamhair, and no one had ever seen him look so comely as he did that +night. And Eochaid had all his best fighting men gathered in the hall, +and he shut all the doors of the palace when he saw Midhir come in, for +fear he would try to bring away Etain by force. + +"I am come to be paid what is due to me," said Midhir. "I have not been +thinking of it up to this time," said Eochaid, and there was anger on +him. "You promised me Etain, your wife," said Midhir. The redness of +shame came on Etain when she heard that, but Midhir said: "Let there be +no shame on you, Etain, for it is through the length of a year I have +been asking your love, and I have offered you every sort of treasure and +riches, and you refused to come to me till such a time as your husband +would give you leave." "It is true I said that," said Etain, "I will go +if Eochaid gives me up to you." "I will not give you up," said Eochaid; +"I will let him do no more than put his arms about you in this place, as +was promised him." "I will do that," said Midhir. + +With that he took his sword in his left hand, and he took Etain in his +right arm and kissed her. All the armed men in the house made a rush at +him then, but he rose up through the roof bringing Etain with him, and +when they rushed out of the house to follow him, all they could see was +two swans high up in the air, linked together by a chain of gold. + +There was great anger on Eochaid then, and he went and searched all +through Ireland, but there were no tidings of them to be had, for they +were in the houses of the Sidhe. + +It was to the Brugh of Angus on the Boinn they went first, and after +they had stopped there a while they went to a hill of the Sidhe in +Connacht. And there was a serving-maid with Etain at that time, Cruachan +Croderg her name was, and she said to Midhir: "Is this your own place we +are in?" "It is not," said Midhir; "my own place is nearer to the rising +of the sun." She was not well pleased to stop there when she heard that, +and Midhir said to quiet her: "It is your own name will be put on this +place from this out." And the hill was called the Hill of Cruachan from +that time. + +Then they went to Bri Leith; and Etain's daughter Esa came to them +there, and she brought a hundred of every sort of cattle with her, and +Midhir fostered her for seven years. And all through that time Eochaid +the High King was making a search for them. + +But at last Codal of the Withered Breast took four rods of yew and wrote +Oghams on them, and through them and through his enchantments he found +out that Etain was with Midhir in Bri Leith. + +So Eochaid went there, and made an attack on the place, and he was for +nine years besieging it, and Midhir was driving him away. And then his +people began digging through the hill; and when they were getting near +to where Etain was, Midhir sent three times twenty beautiful women, +having all of them the appearance of Etain, and he bade the king choose +her out from among them. And the first he chose was his own daughter +Esa. But then Etain called to him, and he knew her, and he brought her +home to Teamhair. + +And Eochaid gave his daughter Esa her choice of a place for herself. And +she chose it, and made a rath there, that got the name of Rath Esa. And +from it she could see three notable places, the Hill of the Sidhe in +Broga, and the Hill of the Hostages in Teamhair, and Dun Crimthain on +Beinn Edair. + +But there was great anger on Midhir and his people because of their hill +being attacked and dug into. And it was in revenge for that insult they +brought Conaire, High King of Ireland, that was grandson of Eochaid and +of Etain, to his death afterwards at Da Derga's Inn. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. MANANNAN + + +Now as to Manannan the Proud, son of Lir, after he had made places for +the rest of the Tuatha de Danaan to live in, he went away out of Ireland +himself. And some said he was dead, and that he got his death by Uillenn +Faebarderg, of the Red Edge, in battle. And it is what they said, that +the battle was fought at Magh Cuilenn, and that Manannan was buried +standing on his feet, and no sooner was he buried than a great lake +burst up under his feet in the place that was a red bog till that time. +And the lake got the name of Loch Orbson, from one of the names of +Manannan. And it was said that red Badb was glad and many women were +sorry at that battle. + +But he had many places of living, and he was often heard of in Ireland +after. It was he sent a messenger to Etain, mother of Conaire the High +King, the time she was hidden in the cowherd's house. And it was he +brought up Deirdre's children in Emhain of the Apple Trees, and it was +said of that place, "a house of peace is the hill of the Sidhe of +Emhain." And it was he taught Diarmuid of the Fianna the use of weapons, +and it was he taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg, and some say it +was he was Deirdre's father, and that he brought Conchubar, king of +Ulster, to the place she was hidden, and he running with the appearance +of a hare before the hounds of the men of Ulster to bring them there. + +And it is what they say, that the time Conchubar had brought the sons of +Usnach to Emain Macha, and could not come at them to kill them because +of their bravery, it was to Manannan he went for help. And Manannan said +he would give him no help, for he had told him at the time he brought +Deirdre away that she would be the cause of the breaking up of his +kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him. But Conchubar asked him +to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army +would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to +that. And when the sons of Usnach came out again against the army of +Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they +struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another's hands +they fell. But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was +Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death +by his enchantments. + +And some say Culain, the Smith, that gave his name to Cuchulain +afterwards, was Manannan himself, for he had many shapes. + +Anyway, before Culain came to Ulster, he was living in the Island of +Falga, that was one of Manannan's places. And one time before Conchubar +came into the kingdom, he went to ask advice of a Druid, and the Druid +bade him to go to the Island of Falga and to ask Culain, the smith he +would find there, to make arms for him. So Conchubar did so, and the +smith promised to make a sword and spear and shield for him. + +And while he was working at them Conchubar went out one morning early to +walk on the strand, and there he saw a sea-woman asleep on the shore. +And he put bonds on her in her sleep, the way she would not make her +escape. But when she awoke and saw what had happened, she asked him to +set her free. "And I am Tiabhal," she said, "one of the queens of the +sea. And bid Culain," she said, "that is making your shield for you, to +put my likeness on it and my name about it. And whenever you will go +into a battle with that shield the strength of your enemies will lessen, +and your own strength and the strength of your people will increase." + +So Conchubar let her go, and bade the smith do as she had told him. And +when he went back to Ireland he got the victory wherever he brought that +shield. + +And he sent for Culain then, and offered him a place on the plains of +Muirthemne. And whether he was or was not Manannan, it is likely he gave +Cuchulain good teaching the time he stopped with him there after killing +his great dog. + +Manannan had good hounds one time, but they went hunting after a pig +that was destroying the whole country, and making a desert of it. And +they followed it till they came to a lake, and there it turned on them, +and no hound of them escaped alive, but they were all drowned or maimed. +And the pig made for an island then, that got the name of Muc-inis, the +Pigs Island afterwards; and the lake got the name of Loch Conn, the +Lake of the Hounds. + +And it was through Manannan the wave of Tuaig, one of the three great +waves of Ireland, got its name, and this is the way that happened. + +There was a young girl of the name of Tuag, a fosterling of Conaire the +High King, was reared in Teamhair, and a great company of the daughters +of the kings of Ireland were put about her to protect her, the way she +would be kept for a king's asking. But Manannan sent Fer Ferdiad, of the +Tuatha de Danaan, that was a pupil of his own and a Druid, in the shape +of a woman of his own household, and he went where Tuag was, and sang a +sleep-spell over her, and brought her away to Inver Glas. And there he +laid her down while he went looking for a boat, that he might bring her +away in her sleep to the Land of the Ever-Living Women. But a wave of +the flood-tide came over the girl, and she was drowned, and Manannan +killed Fer Ferdiad in his anger. + +And one time Manannan's cows came up out of the sea at Baile Cronin, +three of them, a red, and a white, and a black, and the people that were +there saw them standing on the strand for a while, as if thinking, and +then they all walked up together, side by side, from the strand. And at +that time there were no roads in Ireland, and there was great wonder on +the people when they saw a good wide road ready before the three cows to +walk on. And when they got about a mile from the sea they parted; the +white cow went to the north-west, towards Luimnech, and the red cow went +to the south-west, and on round the coast of Ireland, and the black cow +went to the north-east, towards Lis Mor, in the district of Portlairge, +and a road opened before each of them, that is to be seen to this day. + +And some say it was Manannan went to Finn and the Fianna in the form of +the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant, and brought them away to +Land-under-Wave. Anyway, he used often to go hunting with them on Cnoc +Aine, and sometimes he came to their help. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. MANANNAN AT PLAY + + +And it was he went playing tricks through Ireland a long time after that +again, the time he got the name of O'Donnell's Kern. And it is the way +it happened, Aodh Dubh O'Donnell was holding a feast one time in +Bel-atha Senaig, and his people were boasting of the goodness of his +house and of his musicians. + +And while they were talking, they saw a clown coming towards them, old +striped clothes he had, and puddle water splashing in his shoes, and his +sword sticking out naked behind him, and his ears through the old cloak +that was over his head, and in his hand he had three spears of hollywood +scorched and blackened. + +He wished O'Donnell good health, and O'Donnell did the same to him, and +asked where did he come from. "It is where I am," he said, "I slept last +night at Dun Monaidhe, of the King of Alban; I am a day in Ile, a day in +Cionn-tire, a day in Rachlainn, a day in the Watchman's Seat in Slieve +Fuad; a pleasant, rambling, wandering man I am, and it is with yourself +I am now, O'Donnell," he said. "Let the gate-keeper be brought to me," +said O'Donnell. And when the gate-keeper came, he asked was it he let in +this man, and the gate-keeper said he did not, and that he never saw him +before. "Let him off, O'Donnell," said the stranger, "for it was as easy +for me to come in, as it will be to me to go out again." There was +wonder on them all then, any man to have come into the house without +passing the gate. + +The musicians began playing their music then, and all the best musicians +of the country were there at the time, and they played very sweet tunes +on their harps. But the strange man called out: "By my word, O'Donnell, +there was never a noise of hammers beating on iron in any bad place was +so bad to listen to as this noise your people are making." + +With that he took a harp, and he made music that would put women in +their pains and wounded men after a battle into a sweet sleep, and it is +what O'Donnell said: "Since I first heard talk of the music of the Sidhe +that is played in the hills and under the earth below us, I never heard +better music than your own. And it is a very sweet player you are," he +said. "One day I am sweet, another day I am sour," said the clown. + +Then O'Donnell bade his people to bring him up to sit near himself. "I +have no mind to do that," he said; "I would sooner be as I am, an ugly +clown, making sport for high-up people." Then O'Donnell sent him down +clothes, a hat and a striped shirt and a coat, but he would not have +them. "I have no mind," he said, "to let high-up people be making a +boast of giving them to me." + +They were afraid then he might go from them, and they put twenty armed +horsemen and twenty men on foot to hold him back from leaving the house, +and as many more outside at the gate, for they knew him not to be a man +of this world. "What are these men for?" said he. "They are to keep you +here," said O'Donnell. "By my word, it is not with you I will be eating +my supper to-morrow," he said, "but at Cnoc Aine, where Seaghan, Son of +the Earl is, in Desmumain." "If I find you giving one stir out of +yourself, between this and morning, I will knock you into a round lump +there on the ground," said O'Donnell. + +But at that the stranger took up the harp again, and he made the same +sweet music as before. And when they were all listening to him, he +called out to the men outside: "Here I am coming, and watch me well now +or you will lose me." When the men that were watching the gate heard +that, they lifted up their axes to strike at him, but in their haste it +was at one another they struck, till they were all lying stretched in +blood. Then the clown said to the gate-keeper: "Let you ask twenty cows +and a hundred of free land of O'Donnell as a fee for bringing his people +back to life. And take this herb," he said, "and rub it in the mouth of +each man of them, and he will rise up whole and well again." So the +gate-keeper did that, and he got the cows and the land from O'Donnell, +and he brought all the people to life again. + +Now at that time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, was holding a gathering on +the green in front of his dun, and he saw the same man coming towards +him, and dressed in the same way, and the water splashing in his shoes. +But when he asked who was he, he gave himself the name of a very learned +man, Duartane O'Duartane, and he said it was by Ess Ruadh he was come, +and by Ceiscorainn and from that to Corrslieve, and to Magh Lorg of the +Dagda, and into the district of Hy'Conaill Gabhra, "till I came to +yourself," he said, "by Cruachan of Magh Ai." So they brought him into +the house, and gave him wine for drinking and water for washing his +feet, and he slept till the rising of the sun on the morrow. And at that +time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, came to visit him, and he said: "It is a +long sleep you had, and there is no wonder in that, and your journey so +long yesterday. But I often heard of your learning in books and of your +skill on the harp, and I would like to hear you this morning," he said. +"I am good in those arts indeed," said the stranger. So they brought him +a book, but he could not read a word of it, and then they brought him a +harp, and he could not play any tune. "It is likely your reading and +your music are gone from you," said Seaghan; and he made a little rann +on him, saying it was a strange thing Duartane O'Duartane that had such +a great name not to be able to read a line of a book, or even to +remember one. But when the stranger heard how he was being mocked at, he +took up the book, and read from the top to the bottom of the page very +well and in a sweet-sounding voice. And after that he took the harp and +played and sang the same way he did at O'Donnell's house the day before. +"It is a very sweet man of learning you are," said Seaghan. "One day I +am sweet, another day I am sour," said the stranger. + +They walked out together then on Cnoc Aine, but while they were talking +there, the stranger was gone all of a minute, and Seaghan, Son of the +Earl, could not see where he went. + +And after that he went on, and he reached Sligach just at the time +O'Conchubar was setting out with the men of Connacht to avenge the +Connacht hag's basket on the hag of Munster. And this time he gave +himself the name of the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant. And he joined +with the men of Connacht, and they went over the Sionnan westward into +Munster, and there they hunted and drove every creature that could be +made travel, cattle and horses and flocks, into one place, till they got +the hornless bull of the Munster hag and her two speckled cows, and +O'Conchubar brought them away to give to the Connacht hag in +satisfaction for her basket. + +But the men of Munster made an attack on them as they were going back; +and the Gilla Decair asked O'Conchubar would he sooner have the cows +driven, or have the Munster men checked, and he said he would sooner +have the Munster men checked. So the Gilla Decair turned on them, and +with his bow and twenty-four arrows he kept them back till O'Conchubar +and his people were safe out of their reach in Connacht. + +But he took some offence then, on account of O'Conchubar taking the +first drink himself when they came to his house, and not giving it to +him, that had done so much, and he took his leave and went from them on +the moment. + +After that he went to where Tadg O'Cealaigh was, and having his old +striped clothes and his old shoes as before. And when they asked him +what art he had, he said: "I am good at tricks. And if you will give me +five marks I will show you a trick," he said. "I will give that," said +Tadg. + +With that the stranger put three rushes on the palm of his hand. "I will +blow away the middle rush now," he said, "and the other two will stop as +they are." So they told him to do that, and he put the tops of two of +his fingers on the two outside rushes, and blew the middle one away. +"There is a trick now for you, Tadg O'Cealaigh," he said then. "By my +word, that is not a bad trick," said O'Cealaigh. But one of his men +said: "That there may be no good luck with him that did it. And give me +the half of that money now, Tadg," he said, "and I will do the same +trick for you myself." "I will give you the half of what I got if you +will do it," said the stranger. So the other put the rushes on his hand, +but if he did, when he tried to do the trick, his two finger-tips went +through the palm of his hand. "Ob-Ob-Ob!" said the stranger, "that is +not the way I did the trick. But as you have lost the money," he said, +"I will heal you again." + +"I could do another trick for you," he said; "I could wag the ear on +one side of my head and the ear on the other side would stay still." "Do +it then," said O'Cealaigh. So the man of tricks took hold of one of his +ears and wagged it up and down. "That is a good trick indeed," said +O'Cealaigh. "I will show you another one now," he said. + +With that he took from his bag a thread of silk, and gave a cast of it +up into the air, that it was made fast to a cloud. And then he took a +hare out of the same bag, and it ran up the thread; and then took out a +little dog and laid it on after the hare, and it followed yelping on its +track; and after that again he brought out a little serving-boy and bade +him to follow dog and hare up the thread. Then out of another bag he had +with him he brought out a beautiful, well-dressed young woman, and bade +her to follow after the hound and the boy, and to take care and not let +the hare be torn by the dog. She went up then quickly after them, and it +was a delight to Tadg O'Cealaigh to be looking at them and to be +listening to the sound of the hunt going on in the air. + +All was quiet then for a long time, and then the man of tricks said: "I +am afraid there is some bad work going on up there." "What is that?" +said O'Cealaigh. "I am thinking," said he, "the hound might be eating +the hare, and the serving-boy courting the girl." "It is likely enough +they are," said O'Cealaigh. With that the stranger drew in the thread, +and it is what he found, the boy making love to the girl and the hound +chewing the bones of the hare. There was great anger on the man of +tricks when he saw that, and he took his sword and struck the head off +the boy. "I do not like a thing of that sort to be done in my presence," +said Tadg O'Cealaigh. "If it did not please you, I can set all right +again," said the stranger. And with that he took up the head and made a +cast of it at the body, and it joined to it, and the young man stood +up, but if he did his face was turned backwards. "It would be better for +him to be dead than to be living like that," said O'Cealaigh. When the +man of tricks heard that, he took hold of the boy and twisted his head +straight, and he was as well as before. + +And with that the man of tricks vanished, and no one saw where was he +gone. + +That is the way Manannan used to be going round Ireland, doing tricks +and wonders. And no one could keep him in any place, and if he was put +on a gallows itself, he would be found safe in the house after, and some +other man on the gallows in his place. But he did no harm, and those +that would be put to death by him, he would bring them to life again +with a herb out of his bag. + +And all the food he would use would be a vessel of sour milk and a few +crab-apples. And there never was any music sweeter than the music he +used to be playing. + + + + +CHAPTER X. HIS CALL TO BRAN + + +And there were some that went to Manannan's country beyond the sea, and +that gave an account of it afterwards. + +One time Bran, son of Febal, was out by himself near his dun, and he +heard music behind him. And it kept always after him, and at last he +fell asleep with the sweetness of the sound. And when he awoke from his +sleep he saw beside him a branch of silver, and it having white +blossoms, and the whiteness of the silver was the same as the whiteness +of the blossoms. + +And he brought the branch in his hand into the royal house, and when all +his people were with him they saw a woman with strange clothing standing +in the house. + +And she began to make a song for Bran, and all the people were looking +at her and listening to her, and it is what she said: + +"I bring a branch of the apple-tree from Emhain, from the far island +around which are the shining horses of the Son of Lir. A delight of the +eyes is the plain where the hosts hold their games; curragh racing +against chariot in the White Silver Plain to the south. + +"There are feet of white bronze under it, shining through life and time; +a comely level land through the length of the world's age, and many +blossoms falling on it. + +"There is an old tree there with blossoms, and birds calling from among +them; every colour is shining there, delight is common, and music, in +the Gentle-Voiced Plain, in the Silver Cloud Plain to the south. + +"Keening is not used, or treachery, in the tilled familiar land; there +is nothing hard or rough, but sweet music striking on the ear. + +"To be without grief, without sorrow, without death, without any +sickness, without weakness; that is the sign of Emhain; it is not common +wonder that is. + +"There is nothing to liken its mists to, the sea washes the wave against +the land; brightness falls from its hair. + +"There are riches, there are treasures of every colour in the Gentle +Land, the Bountiful Land. Sweet music to be listening to; the best of +wine to drink. + +"Golden chariots in the Plain of the Sea, rising up to the sun with the +tide; silver chariots and bronze chariots on the Plain of Sports. + +"Gold-yellow horses on the strand, and crimson horses, and others with +wool on their backs, blue like the colour of the sky. + +"It is a day of lasting weather, silver is dropping on the land; a pure +white cliff on the edge of the sea, getting its warmth from the sun. + +"The host race over the Plain of Sports; it is beautiful and not weak +their game is; death or the ebbing of the tide will not come to them in +the Many-Coloured Land. + +"There will come at sunrise a fair man, lighting up the level lands; he +rides upon the plain that is beaten by the waves, he stirs the sea till +it is like blood. + +"An army will come over the clear sea, rowing to the stone that is in +sight, that a hundred sounds of music come from. + +"It sings a song to the army; it is not sad through the length of time; +it increases music with hundreds singing together; they do not look for +death or the ebb-tide. + +"There are three times fifty far islands in the ocean to the west of us, +and every one of them twice or three times more than Ireland. + +"It is not to all of you I am speaking, though I have made all these +wonders known. Let Bran listen from the crowd of the world to all the +wisdom that has been told him. + +"Do not fall upon a bed of sloth; do not be overcome by drunkenness; set +out on your voyage over the clear sea, and you may chance to come to the +Land of Women." + +With that the woman went from them, and they did not know where she +went. And she brought away her branch with her, for it leaped into her +hand from Bran's hand, and he had not the strength to hold it. + +Then on the morrow Bran set out upon the sea, and three companies of +nine along with him; and one of his foster-brothers and comrades was set +over each company of nine. + +And when they had been rowing for two days and two nights, they saw a +man coming towards them in a chariot, over the sea. And the man made +himself known to them, and he said that he was Manannan, son of Lir. + +And then Manannan spoke to him in a song, and it is what he said: + +"It is what Bran thinks, he is going in his curragh over the wonderful, +beautiful clear sea; but to me, from far off in my chariot, it is a +flowery plain he is riding on. + +"What is a clear sea to the good boat Bran is in, is a happy plain with +many flowers to me in my two-wheeled chariot. + +"It is what Bran sees, many waves beating across the clear sea; it is +what I myself see, red flowers without any fault. + +"The sea-horses are bright in summer-time, as far as Bran's eyes can +reach; there is a wood of beautiful acorns under the head of your little +boat. + +"A wood with blossom and with fruit, that has the smell of wine; a wood +without fault, without withering, with leaves of the colour of gold. + +"Let Bran row on steadily, it is not far to the Land of Women; before +the setting of the sun you will reach Emhain, of many-coloured +hospitality." + +With that Bran went from him; and after a while he saw an island, and he +rowed around it, and there was a crowd on it, wondering at them, and +laughing; and they were all looking at Bran and at his people, but they +would not stop to talk with them, but went on giving out gusts of +laughter. Bran put one of his men on the island then, but he joined with +the others, and began to stare the same way as the men of the island. +And Bran went on rowing round about the island; and whenever they went +past his own man, his comrades would speak to him, but he would not +answer them, but would only stare and wonder at them. So they went away +and left him on that island that is called the Island of Joy. + +It was not long after that they reached to the Land of Women. And they +saw the chief one of the women at the landing-place, and it is what she +said: "Come hither to land, Bran, son of Febal, it is welcome your +coming is." But Bran did not dare to go on shore. Then the woman threw a +ball of thread straight to him, and he caught it in his hand, and it +held fast to his palm, and the woman kept the thread in her own hand, +and she pulled the curragh to the landing-place. + +On that they went into a grand house, where there was a bed for every +couple, three times nine beds. And the food that was put on every dish +never came to an end, and they had every sort of food and of drink they +wished for. + +And it seemed to them they were only a year there when the desire of +home took hold on one of them, Nechtan, son of Collbrain, and his +kinsmen were begging and praying Bran to go back with him to Ireland. +The woman said there would be repentance on them if they went; but in +spite of that they set out in the end. And the woman said to them not to +touch the land when they would come to Ireland, and she bade them to +visit and to bring with them the man they left in the Island of Joy. + +So they went on towards Ireland till they came to a place called Srub +Bruin. And there were people on the strand that asked them who they were +that were coming over the sea. And Bran said: "I am Bran, son of Febal." +But the people said: "We know of no such man, though the voyage of Bran +is in our very old stories." + +Then Nechtan, son of Collbrain, made a leap out of the curragh, and no +sooner did he touch the shore of Ireland than he was a heap of ashes, +the same as if he had been in the earth through hundreds of years. + +And then Bran told the whole story of his wanderings to the people, +from the beginning. And after that he bade them farewell, and his +wanderings from that time are not known. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC + + +And another that went to Manannan's country was Cormac, grandson of +Conn, King of Teamhair, and this is the way it happened. He was by +himself in Teamhair one time, and he saw an armed man coming towards +him, quiet, with high looks, and having grey hair; a shirt ribbed with +gold thread next his skin, broad shoes of white bronze between his feet +and the ground, a shining branch, having nine apples of red gold, on his +shoulder. And it is delightful the sound of that branch was, and no one +on earth would keep in mind any want, or trouble, or tiredness, when +that branch was shaken for him; and whatever trouble there might be on +him, he would forget it at the sound. + +Then Cormac and the armed man saluted one another, and Cormac asked +where did he come from. "I come," he said, "from a country where there +is nothing but truth, and where there is neither age nor withering away, +nor heaviness, nor sadness, nor jealousy nor envy, nor pride." "That is +not so with us," said Cormac, "and I would be well pleased to have your +friendship," he said. "I am well pleased to give it," said the stranger. +"Give me your branch along with it," said Cormac. "I will give it," said +the stranger, "if you will give me the three gifts I ask in return." "I +will give them to you indeed," said Cormac. + +Then the strange man left the branch and went away, and Cormac did not +know where was he gone to. + +He went back then into the royal house, and there was wonder on all the +people when they saw the branch. And he shook it at them, and it put +them all asleep from that day to the same time on the morrow. + +At the end of a year the strange man came back again, and he asked for +the first of his three requests. "You will get it," said Cormac. "I will +take your daughter, Aille, to-day," said the stranger. + +So he brought away the girl with him, and the women of Ireland gave +three loud cries after the king's daughter. But Cormac shook the branch +at them, until it put away sorrow from them, and put them all into their +sleep. + +That day month the stranger came again, and he brought Cormac's son, +Carpre Lifecar, away with him. There was crying and lamenting without +end in Teamhair after the boy, and on that night no one ate or slept, +and they were all under grief and very downhearted. But when Cormac +shook the branch their sorrow went from them. + +Then the stranger came the third time, and Cormac asked him what did he +want. "It is your wife, Ethne, I am asking this time," he said. And he +went away then, bringing Ethne, the queen, along with him. + +But Cormac would not bear that, and he went after them, and all his +people were following him. But in the middle of the Plain of the Wall, a +thick mist came on them, and when it was gone, Cormac found himself +alone on a great plain. And he saw a great dun in the middle of the +plain, with a wall of bronze around it, and in the dun a house of white +silver, and it half thatched with the white wings of birds. And there +was a great troop of the Riders of the Sidhe all about the house, and +their arms full of white birds' wings for thatching. But as soon as they +would put on the thatch, a blast of wind would come and carry it away +again. + +Then he saw a man kindling a fire, and he used to throw a thick +oak-tree upon it. And when he would come back with a second tree, the +first one would be burned out. "I will be looking at you no longer," +Cormac said then, "for there is no one here to tell me your story, and I +think I could find good sense in your meanings if I understood them," he +said. + +Then he went on to where there was another dun, very large and royal, +and another wall of bronze around it, and four houses within it. And he +went in and saw a great king's house, having beams of bronze and walls +of silver, and its thatch of the wings of white birds. And then he saw +on the green a shining well, and five streams flowing from it, and the +armies drinking water in turn, and the nine lasting purple hazels of +Buan growing over it. And they were dropping their nuts into the water, +and the five salmon would catch them and send their husks floating down +the streams. And the sound of the flowing of those streams is sweeter +than any music that men sing. + +Then he went into the palace, and he found there waiting for him a man +and a woman, very tall, and having clothes of many colours. The man was +beautiful as to shape, and his face wonderful to look at; and as to the +young woman that was with him, she was the loveliest of all the women of +the world, and she having yellow hair and a golden helmet. And there was +a bath there, and heated stones going in and out of the water of +themselves, and Cormac bathed himself in it. + +"Rise up, man of the house," the woman said after that, "for this is a +comely traveller is come to us; and if you have one kind of food or meat +better than another, let it be brought in." The man rose up then and he +said: "I have but seven pigs, but I could feed the whole world with +them, for the pig that is killed and eaten to-day, you will find it +alive again to-morrow." + +Another man came into the house then, having an axe in his right hand, +and a log in his left hand, and a pig behind him. + +"It is time to make ready," said the man of the house, "for we have a +high guest with us to-day." + +Then the man struck the pig and killed it, and he cut the logs and made +a fire and put the pig on it in a cauldron. "It is time for you to turn +it," said the master of the house after a while. "There would be no use +doing that," said the man, "for never and never will the pig be boiled +until a truth is told for every quarter of it." "Then let you tell yours +first," said the master of the house. "One day," said the man, "I found +another man's cows in my land, and I brought them with me into a cattle +pound. The owner of the cows followed me, and he said he would give me a +reward to let the cows go free. So I gave them back to him, and he gave +me an axe, and when a pig is to be killed, it is with the axe it is +killed, and the log is cut with it, and there is enough wood to boil the +pig, and enough for the palace besides. And that is not all, for the log +is found whole again in the morning. And from that time till now, that +is the way they are." + +"It is true indeed that story is," said the man of the house. + +They turned the pig in the cauldron then, and but one quarter of it was +found to be cooked. "Let us tell another true story," they said. "I will +tell one," said the master of the house. "Ploughing time had come, and +when we had a mind to plough that field outside, it is the way we found +it, ploughed, and harrowed, and sowed with wheat. When we had a mind to +reap it, the wheat was found in the haggard, all in one thatched rick. +We have been using it from that day to this, and it is no bigger and no +less." + +Then they turned the pig, and another quarter was found to be ready. "It +is my turn now," said the woman. "I have seven cows," she said, "and +seven sheep. And the milk of the seven cows would satisfy the whole of +the men of the world, if they were in the plain drinking it, and it is +enough for all the people of the Land of Promise, and it is from the +wool of the seven sheep all the clothes they wear are made." And at that +story the third quarter of the pig was boiled. + +"If these stories are true," said Cormac to the man of the house, "you +are Manannan, and this is Manannan's wife; for no one on the whole ridge +of the world owns these treasures but himself. It was to the Land of +Promise he went to look for that woman, and he got those seven cows with +her." + +They said to Cormac that it was his turn now. So Cormac told them how +his wife, and his son, and his daughter, had been brought away from him, +and how he himself had followed them till he came to that place. + +And with that the whole pig was boiled, and they cut it up, and Cormac's +share was put before him. "I never used a meal yet," said he, "having +two persons only in my company." The man of the house began singing to +him then, and put him asleep. And when he awoke, he saw fifty armed men, +and his son, and his wife, and his daughter, along with them. There was +great gladness and courage on him then, and ale and food were given out +to them all. And there was a gold cup put in the hand of the master of +the house, and Cormac was wondering at it, for the number of the shapes +on it, and for the strangeness of the work. "There is a stranger thing +yet about it," the man said; "let three lying words be spoken under it, +and it will break into three, and then let three true words be spoken +under it, and it will be as good as before." So he said three lying +words under it, and it broke in three pieces. "It is best to speak truth +now under it," he said, "and to mend it. And I give my word, Cormac," he +said, "that until to-day neither your wife or your daughter has seen the +face of a man since they were brought away from you out of Teamhair, and +that your son has never seen the face of a woman." And with that the cup +was whole again on the moment. "Bring away your wife and your children +with you now," he said, "and this cup along with them, the way you will +have it for judging between truth and untruth. And I will leave the +branch with you for music and delight, but on the day of your death they +will be taken from you again." "And I myself," he said, "am Manannan, son +of Lir, King of the Land of Promise, and I brought you here by +enchantments that you might be with me to-night in friendship. + +"And the Riders you saw thatching the house," he said, "are the men of +art and poets, and all that look for a fortune in Ireland, putting +together cattle and riches. For when they go out, all that they leave in +their houses goes to nothing, and so they go on for ever. + +"And the man you saw kindling the fire," he said, "is a young lord that +is more liberal than he can afford, and every one else is served while +he is getting the feast ready, and every one else profiting by it. + +"And the well you saw is the Well of Knowledge, and the streams are the +five streams through which all knowledge goes. And no one will have +knowledge who does not drink a draught out of the well itself or out of +the streams. And the people of many arts are those who drink from them +all." + +And on the morning of the morrow, when Cormac rose up, he found himself +on the green of Teamhair, and his wife, and his son, and his daughter, +along with him, and he having his branch and his cup. And it was given +the name of Cormac's Cup, and it used to judge between truth and +falsehood among the Gael. But it was not left in Ireland after the night +of Cormac's death, as Manannan had foretold him. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. CLIODNA'S WAVE + +And it was in the time of the Fianna of Ireland that Ciabhan of the +Curling Hair, the king of Ulster's son, went to Manannan's country. + +Ciabhan now was the most beautiful of the young men of the world at that +time, and he was as far beyond all other kings' sons as the moon is +beyond the stars. And Finn liked him well, but the rest of the Fianna +got to be tired of him because there was not a woman of their women, wed +or unwed, but gave him her love. And Finn had to send him away at the +last, for he was in dread of the men of the Fianna because of the +greatness of their jealousy. + +So Ciabhan went on till he came to the Strand of the Cairn, that is +called now the Strand of the Strong Man, between Dun Sobairce and the +sea. And there he saw a curragh, and it having a narrow stern of copper. +And Ciabhan got into the curragh, and his people said: "Is it to leave +Ireland you have a mind, Ciabhan?" "It is indeed," he said, "for in +Ireland I get neither shelter or protection." He bade farewell to his +people then, and he left them very sorrowful after him, for to part with +him was like the parting of life from the body. + +And Ciabhan went on in the curragh, and great white shouting waves rose +up about him, every one of them the size of a mountain; and the +beautiful speckled salmon that are used to stop in the sand and the +shingle rose up to the sides of the curragh, till great dread came on +Ciabhan, and he said: "By my word, if it was on land I was I could make +a better fight for myself" + +And he was in this danger till he saw a rider coming towards him on a +dark grey horse having a golden bridle, and he would be under the sea +for the length of nine waves, and he would rise with the tenth wave, and +no wet on him at all. And he said: "What reward would you give to +whoever would bring you out of this great danger?" "Is there anything in +my hand worth offering you?" said Ciabhan. "There is," said the rider, +"that you would give your service to whoever would give you his help." +Ciabhan agreed to that, and he put his hand into the rider's hand. + +With that the rider drew him on to the horse, and the curragh came on +beside them till they reached to the shore of Tir Tairngaire, the Land +of Promise. They got off the horse there, and came to Loch Luchra, the +Lake of the Dwarfs, and to Manannan's city, and a feast was after being +made ready there, and comely serving-boys were going round with smooth +horns, and playing on sweet-sounding harps till the whole house was +filled with the music. + +Then there came in clowns, long-snouted, long-heeled, lean and bald and +red, that used to be doing tricks in Manannan's house. And one of these +tricks was, a man of them to take nine straight willow rods, and to +throw them up to the rafters of the house, and to catch them again as +they came down, and he standing on one leg, and having but one hand +free. And they thought no one could do that trick but themselves, and +they were used to ask strangers to do it, the way they could see them +fail. + +So this night when one of them had done the trick, he came up to +Ciabhan, that was beyond all the Men of Dea or the Sons of the Gael that +were in the house, in shape and in walk and in name, and he put the nine +rods in his hand. And Ciabhan stood up and he did the feat before them +all, the same as if he had never learned to do any other thing. + +Now Gebann, that was a chief Druid in Manannan's country, had a +daughter, Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that had never given her love to any +man. But when she saw Ciabhan she gave him her love, and she agreed to +go away with him on the morrow. + +And they went down to the landing-place and got into a curragh, and they +went on till they came to Teite's Strand in the southern part of +Ireland. It was from Teite Brec the Freckled the strand got its name, +that went there one time for a wave game, and three times fifty young +girls with her, and they were all drowned in that place. + +And as to Ciabhan, he came on shore, and went looking for deer, as was +right, under the thick branches of the wood; and he left the young girl +in the boat on the strand. + +But the people of Manannan's house came after them, having forty ships. +And Iuchnu, that was in the curragh with Cliodna, did treachery, and he +played music to her till she lay down in the boat and fell asleep. And +then a great wave came up on the strand and swept her away. + +And the wave got its name from Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that will be +long remembered. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. HIS CALL TO CONNLA + + +And it is likely it was Manannan sent his messenger for Connla of the +Red Hair the time he went away out of Ireland, for it is to his country +Connla was brought; and this is the way he got the call. + +It chanced one day he was with his father Conn, King of Teamhair, on the +Hill of Uisnach, and he saw a woman having wonderful clothing coming +towards him. "Where is it you come from?" he asked her. "I come," she +said, "from Tir-nam-Beo, the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, where no +death comes. We use feasts that are lasting," she said, "and we do every +kind thing without quarrelling, and we are called the people of the +Sidhe." "Who are you speaking to, boy?" said Conn to him then, for no +one saw the strange woman but only Connla. "He is speaking to a high +woman that death or old age will never come to," she said. "I am asking +him to come to Magh Mell, the Pleasant Plain where the triumphant king +is living, and there he will be a king for ever without sorrow or fret. +Come with me, Connla of the Red Hair," she said, "of the fair freckled +neck and of the ruddy cheek; come with me, and your body will not wither +from its youth and its comeliness for ever." + +They could all hear the woman's words then, though they could not see +her, and it is what Conn said to Coran his Druid: "Help me, Coran, you +that sing spells of the great arts. There is an attack made on me that +is beyond my wisdom and beyond my power, I never knew so strong an +attack since the first day I was a king. There is an unseen figure +fighting with me; she is using her strength against me to bring away my +beautiful son; the call of a woman is bringing him away from the hands +of the king." + +Then Coran, the Druid, began singing spells against the woman of the +Sidhe, the way no one would hear her voice, and Connla could not see her +any more. But when she was being driven away by the spells of the Druid, +she threw an apple to Connla. + +And through the length of a month from that time, Connla used no other +food nor drink but that apple, for he thought no other food or drink +worth the using. And for all he ate of it, the apple grew no smaller, +but was whole all the while. And there was great trouble on Connla on +account of the woman he had seen. + +And at the end of a month Connla was at his father's side in Magh +Archomnim, and he saw the same woman coming towards him, and it is what +she said: "It is a high place indeed Connla has among dying people, and +death before him. But the Ever-Living Living Ones," she said, "are +asking you to take the sway over the people of Tethra, for they are +looking at you every day in the gatherings of your country among your +dear friends." + +When Conn, the king, heard her voice, he said to his people: "Call +Coran, the Druid to me, for I hear the sound of the woman's voice +again." But on that she said: "O Conn, fighter of a hundred, it is +little love and little respect the wonderful tribes of Traig Mor, the +Great Strand, have for Druids; and where its law comes, it scatters the +spells on their lips." + +Then Conn looked to his son Connla to see what he would say, and Connla +said: "My own people are dearer to me than any other thing, yet sorrow +has taken hold of me because of this woman." Then the woman spoke to him +again, and it is what she said: "Come now into my shining ship, if you +will come to the Plain of Victory. There is another country it would not +be worse for you to look for; though the bright sun is going down, we +shall reach to that country before night. That is the country that +delights the mind of every one that turns to me. There is no living race +in it but women and girls only." + +And when the woman had ended her song, Connla made a leap from his +people into the shining boat, and they saw him sailing away from them +far off and as if in a mist, as far as their eyes could see. It is away +across the sea they went, and they have never come back again, and only +the gods know where was it they went. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. TADG IN MANANNAN'S ISLANDS + + +And another that went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, but that came +back again, was Tadg, son of Cian, son of Olioll; and this is the way +that happened. + +It was one time Tadg was going his next heir's round, into the west of +Munster, and his two brothers, Airnelach and Eoghan, along with him. And +Cathmann, son of Tabarn, that was king of the beautiful country of +Fresen that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain, was searching the +sea for what he could find just at that time, and nine of his ships with +him. And they landed at Beire do Bhunadas, to the west of Munster, and +the country had no stir in it, and so they slipped ashore, and no one +took notice of them till all were surrounded, both men and cattle. And +Tadg's wife Liban, daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh of the Red Brows, and +his two brothers, and a great many of the people of Munster, were taken +by the foreigners and brought away to the coasts of Fresen. And Cathmann +took Liban to be his own wife, and he put hardship on Tadg's two +brothers: Eoghan he put to work a common ferry across a channel of the +coast, and Airnelach to cut firing and to keep up fires for all the +people; and all the food they got was barley seed and muddy water. + +And as to Tadg himself, it was only by his courage and the use of his +sword he made his escape, but there was great grief and discouragement +on him, his wife and his brothers to have been brought away. But he had +forty of his fighting men left that had each killed a man of the +foreigners, and they had brought one in alive. And this man told them +news of the country he came from. And when Tadg heard that, he made a +plan in his own head, and he gave orders for a curragh to be built that +would be fit for a long voyage. Very strong it was, and forty ox-hides +on it of hard red leather, that was after being soaked in bark. And it +was well fitted with masts, and oars, and pitch, and everything that was +wanting. And they put every sort of meat, and drink, and of clothes in +it, that would last them through the length of a year. + +When all was ready, and the curragh out in the tide, Tadg said to his +people: "Let us set out now on the high sea, looking for our own people +that are away from us this long time." + +They set out then over the stormy, heavy flood, till at last they saw no +land before them or behind them, but only the hillsides of the great +sea. And farther on again they heard the singing of a great flock of +unknown birds; and pleasant white-bellied salmon were leaping about the +curragh on every side, and seals, very big and dark, were coming after +them, breaking through the shining wash of the oars; and great whales +after them again, so that the young men liked to be looking at them, for +they were not used to see the like before. + +They went on rowing through twenty days and twenty nights, and at the +end of that time they got sight of a high land, having a smooth coast. +And when they reached it they all landed, and they pulled up the curragh +and lit their fires, and food was given out to them, and they were not +long making an end of it. They made beds for themselves then on the +beautiful green grass, and enjoyed their sleep till the rising of the +sun on the morrow. + +Tadg rose up then and put on his arms, and went out, and thirty of his +men along with him, to search the whole island. + +They went all through it, but they found no living thing on it, man or +beast, but only flocks of sheep. And the size of the sheep was past all +telling, as big as horses they were, and the whole island was filled +with their wool. And there was one great flock beyond all the others, +all of very big rams, and one of them was biggest of all, nine horns he +had, and he charged on Tadg's chief men, attacking them and butting at +them. + +There was vexation on them then, and they attacked him again, and there +was a struggle between them. And at the first the ram broke through five +of their shields. But Tadg took his spear that there was no escape from, +and made a lucky cast at the ram and killed him. And they brought the +ram to the curragh and made it ready for the young men to eat, and they +stopped three nights on the island, and every night it was a sheep they +had for their food. And they gathered a good share of the wool and put +it in the curragh because of the wonder and the beauty of it. And they +found the bones of very big men on the island, but whether they died of +sickness or were killed by the rams they did not know. + +They left that island then and went forward till they found two strange +islands where there were great flocks of wonderful birds, like +blackbirds, and some of them the size of eagles or of cranes, and they +red with green heads on them, and the eggs they had were blue and pure +crimson. And some of the men began eating the eggs, and on the moment +feathers began to grow out on them. But they went bathing after that, +and the feathers dropped off them again as quick as they came. + +It was the foreigner they had with them gave them the course up to this +time, for he had been on the same track before. But now they went on +through the length of six weeks and never saw land, and he said then, +"We are astray on the great ocean that has no boundaries." Then the wind +with its sharp voice began to rise, and there was a noise like the +tramping of feet in the sea, and it rose up into great mountains hard to +climb, and there was great fear on Tadg's people, for they had never +seen the like. But he began to stir them up and to rouse them, and he +bade them to meet the sea like men. "Do bravery," he said, "young men of +Munster, and fight for your lives against the waves that are rising up +and coming at the sides of the curragh." Tadg took one side of the +curragh then and his men took the other side, and he was able to pull it +round against the whole twenty-nine of them, and to bale it out and keep +it dry along with that. And after a while they got a fair wind and put +up their sail, the way less water came into the curragh, and then the +sea went down and lay flat and calm, and there were strange birds of +many shapes singing around them in every part. They saw land before them +then, with a good coast, and with that courage and gladness came on +them. + +And when they came nearer to the land they found a beautiful inver, a +river's mouth, with green hills about it, and the bottom of it sandy and +as bright as silver, and red-speckled salmon in it, and pleasant woods +with purple tree-tops edging the stream. "It is a beautiful country +this is," said Tadg, "and it would be happy for him that would be always +in it; and let you pull up the ship now," he said, "and dry it out." + +A score of them went forward then into the country, and a score stopped +to mind the curragh. And for all the cold and discouragement and bad +weather they had gone through, they felt no wish at all for food or for +fire, but the sweet smell of the crimson branches in the place they were +come to satisfied them. They went on through the wood, and after a while +they came to an apple garden having red apples in it, and leafy +oak-trees, and hazels yellow with nuts. "It is a wonder to me," said +Tadg, "to find summer here, and it winter time in our own country." + +It was a delightful place they were in, but they went on into another +wood, very sweet smelling, and round purple berries in it, every one of +them bigger than a man's head, and beautiful shining birds eating the +berries, strange birds they were, having white bodies and purple heads +and golden beaks. And while they were eating the berries they were +singing sweet music, that would have put sick men and wounded men into +their sleep. + +Tadg and his men went farther on again till they came to a great smooth +flowery plain with a dew of honey over it, and three steep hills on the +plain, having a very strong dun on every one of them. And when they got +to the nearest hill they found a white-bodied woman, the best of the +women of the whole world, and it is what she said: "Your coming is +welcome, Tadg, son of Cian, and there will be food and provision for you +as you want it." + +"I am glad of that welcome," said Tadg; "and tell me now, woman of sweet +words," he said, "what is that royal dun on the hill, having walls of +white marble around it?" "That is the dun of the royal line of the kings +of Ireland, from Heremon, son of Miled, to Conn of the Hundred Battles, +that was the last to go into it." "What is the name of this country?" +Tadg said then. "It is Inislocha, the Lake Island," she said, "and there +are two kings over it, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb." And then +she told Tadg the whole story of Ireland, to the time of the coming of +the Sons of the Gael. "That is well," said Tadg then, "and you have good +knowledge and learning. And tell me now," he said, "who is living in +that middle dun that has the colour of gold?" "It is not myself will +tell you that," she said, "but go on to it yourself and you will get +knowledge of it." And with that she went from them into the dun of white +marble. + +Tadg and his men went on then till they came to the middle dun, and +there they found a queen of beautiful shape, and she wearing a golden +dress. "Health to you, Tadg," she said. "I thank you for that," said +Tadg. "It is a long time your coming on this journey was foretold," she +said. "What is your name?" he asked then. "I am Cesair," she said, "the +first that ever reached Ireland. But since I and the men that were with +me came out of that dark, unquiet land, we are living for ever in this +country." + +"Tell me, woman," said Tadg, "who is it lives in that dun having a wall +of gold about it?" "It is not hard to tell that," she said, "every king, +and every chief man, and every noble person that was in a high place of +all those that had power in Ireland, it is in that dun beyond they are; +Parthalon and Nemed, Firbolgs and Tuatha de Danaan." "It is good +knowledge and learning you have," said Tadg. "Indeed I have good +knowledge of the history of the world," she said, "and this island," she +said, "is the fourth paradise of the world; and as to the others, they +are Inis Daleb to the south, and Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's +Paradise in the east of the world." "Who is there living in that dun +with the silver walls?" said Tadg then. "I will not tell you that, +although I have knowledge of it," said the woman; "but go to the +beautiful hill where it is, and you will get knowledge of it." + +They went on then to the third hill, and on the top of the hill was a +very beautiful resting-place, and two sweethearts there, a boy and a +girl, comely and gentle. Smooth hair they had, shining like gold, and +beautiful green clothes of the one sort, and any one would think them to +have had the same father and mother. Gold chains they had around their +necks, and bands of gold above those again. And Tadg spoke to them: "O +bright, comely children," he said, "it is a pleasant place you have +here." And they answered him back, and they were praising his courage +and his strength and his wisdom, and they gave him their blessing. + +And it is how the young man was, he had a sweet-smelling apple, having +the colour of gold, in his hand, and he would eat a third part of it, +and with all he would eat, it would never be less. And that was the food +that nourished the two of them, and neither age or sorrow could touch +them when once they had tasted it. + +"Who are you yourself?" Tadg asked him then. "I am son to Conn of the +Hundred Battles," he said. "Is it Connla you are?" said Tadg. "I am +indeed," said the young man, "and it is this girl of many shapes that +brought me here." And the girl said: "I have given him my love and my +affection, and it is because of that I brought him to this place, the +way we might be looking at one another for ever, and beyond that we have +never gone." + +"That is a beautiful thing and a strange thing," said Tadg, "and a thing +to wonder at. And who is there in that grand dun with the silver +walls?" he said. "There is no one at all in it," said the girl. "What is +the reason of that?" said Tadg. "It is for the kings that are to rule +Ireland yet," she said; "and there will be a place in it for yourself, +Tadg. And come now," she said, "till you see it." + +The lovers went on to the dun, and it is hardly the green grass was bent +under their white feet. And Tadg and his people went along with them. + +They came then to the great wonderful house that was ready for the +company of the kings; it is a pleasant house that was, and any one would +like to be in it. Walls of white bronze it had, set with crystal and +with carbuncles, that were shining through the night as well as through +the day. + +Tadg looked out from the house then, and he saw to one side of him a +great sheltering apple-tree, and blossoms and ripe fruit on it. "What is +that apple tree beyond?" said Tadg. "It is the fruit of that tree is +food for the host in this house," said the woman. "And it was an apple +of that apple-tree brought Connla here to me; a good tree it is, with +its white-blossomed branches, and its golden apples that would satisfy +the whole house." + +And then Connla and the young girl left them, and they saw coming +towards them a troop of beautiful women. And there was one among them +was most beautiful of all, and when she was come to them she said: "A +welcome to you, Tadg." "I thank you for that welcome," said Tadg; "and +tell me," he said, "who are you yourself?" "I am Cliodna of the Fair +Hair," she said, "daughter of Gebann, son of Treon, of the Tuatha de +Danaan, a sweetheart of Ciabhan of the Curling Hair; and it is from me +Cliodna's wave on the coast of Munster got its name; and I am a long +time now in this island, and it is the apples of that tree you saw that +we use for food." And Tadg was well pleased to be listening to her talk, +but after a while he said: "It is best for us to go on now to look for +our people." "We will be well pleased if you stop longer with us," said +the woman. + +And while she was saying those words they saw three beautiful birds +coming to them, one of them blue and his head crimson, and one was +crimson and his head green, and the third was speckled and his head the +colour of gold, and they lit on the great apple-tree, and every bird of +them ate an apple, and they sang sweet music then, that would put sick +men into their sleep. + +"Those birds will go with you," Cliodna said then; "they will give you +guidance on your way, and they will make music for you, and there will +be neither sorrow or sadness on you, by land or by sea, till you come to +Ireland. And bring away this beautiful green cup with you," she said, +"for there is power in it, and if you do but pour water into it, it will +be turned to wine on the moment. And do not let it out of your hand," +she said, "but keep it with you; for at whatever time it will escape +from you, your death will not be far away. And it is where you will meet +your death, in the green valley at the side of the Boinn; and it is a +wandering wild deer will give you a wound, and after that, it is +strangers will put an end to you. And I myself will bury your body, and +there will be a hill over it, and the name it will get is Croidhe Essu." + +They went out of the shining house then, and Cliodna of the Fair Hair +went with them to the place they had left their ship, and she bade their +comrades a kindly welcome; and she asked them how long had they been in +that country. "It seems to us," they said, "we are not in it but one day +only." "You are in it through the whole length of a year," said she, +"and through all that time you used neither food nor drink. But however +long you would stop here," she said, "cold or hunger would never come on +you." "It would be a good thing to live this way always," said Tadg's +people when they heard that. But he himself said: "It is best for us to +go on and to look for our people. And we must leave this country, +although it is displeasing to us to leave it." + +Then Cliodna and Tadg bade farewell to one another, and she gave her +blessing to him and to his people. And they set out then over the ridges +of the sea; and they were downhearted after leaving that country until +the birds began to sing for them, and then their courage rose up, and +they were glad and light-hearted. + +And when they looked back they could not see the island they had come +from, because of a Druid mist that came on it and hid it from them. + +Then by the leading of the birds they came to the country of Fresen, and +they were in a deep sleep through the whole voyage. And then they +attacked the foreigners and got the better of them, and Tadg killed +Cathmann, the king, after a hard fight; and Liban his wife made no +delay, and came to meet her husband and her sweetheart, and it is glad +she was to see him. + +And after they had rested a while they faced the sea again, and Tadg and +his wife Liban, and his two brothers, and a great many other treasures +along with them, and they came home to Ireland safely at the last. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN + + +And another that went to visit Magh Mell, the Happy Plain, was Laegaire, +son of the King of Connacht, Crimthan Cass. + +He was out one day with the king, his father, near Loch na-n Ean, the +Lake of Birds, and the men of Connacht with them, and they saw a man +coming to them through the mist. Long golden-yellow hair he had, and it +streaming after him, and at his belt a gold-hilted sword, and in his +hand two five-barbed darts, a gold-rimmed shield on his back, a +five-folded crimson cloak about his shoulders. + +"Give a welcome to the man that is coming towards you," said Laegaire, +that had the best name of all the men of Connacht, to his people. And to +the stranger he said: "A welcome to the champion we do not know." + +"I am thankful to you all," said he. + +"What is it you are come for, and where are you going?" said Laegaire +then. + +"I am come to look for the help of fighting men," said the stranger. +"And my name," he said, "is Fiachna, son of Betach, of the men of the +Sidhe; and it is what ails me, my wife was taken from my pillow and +brought away by Eochaid, son of Sal. And we fought together, and I +killed him, and now she is gone to a brother's son of his, Goll, son of +Dalbh, king of a people of Magh Mell. Seven battles I gave him, but they +all went against me; and on this very day there is another to be fought, +and I am come to ask help. And to every one that deserves it, I will +give a good reward of gold and of silver for that help." + +And it is what he said: + +"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; it is not +far from this; it is a host of the men of the Sidhe full of courage are +stirring up pools of blood upon it. + +"We have drawn red blood from the bodies of high nobles; many women are +keening them with cries and with tears. + +"The men of the host in good order go out ahead of their beautiful king; +they march among blue spears, white troops of fighters with curled hair. + +"They scatter the troops of their enemies, they destroy every country +they make an attack on; they are beautiful in battle, a host with high +looks, rushing, avenging. + +"It is no wonder they to have such strength: every one of them is the +son of a king and a queen; manes of hair they have of the colour of +gold. + +"Their bodies smooth and comely; their eyes blue and far-seeing; their +teeth bright like crystal, within their thin red lips. + +"White shields they have in their hands, with patterns on them of white +silver; blue shining swords, red horns set with gold. + +"They are good at killing men in battle; good at song-making, good at +chess-playing. + +"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; the men of +the Sidhe are stirring up pools of blood on it; it is not far from this +place." + +"It would be a shameful thing not to give our help to this man," said +Laegaire. + +Fiachna, son of Betach, went down into the lake then, for it was out of +it he had come, and Laegaire went down into it after him, and fifty +fighting men along with him. + +They saw a strong place before them then, and a company of armed men, +and Goll, son of Dalbh, at the head of them. + +"That is well," said Laegaire, "I and my fifty men will go out against +this troop." "I will answer you," said Goll, son of Dalbh. + +The two fifties attacked one another then, and Goll fell, but Laegaire +and his fifty escaped with their lives and made a great slaughter of +their enemies, that not one of them made his escape. + +"Where is the woman now?" said Laegaire. "She is within the dun of Magh +Mell, and a troop of armed men keeping guard about it," said Fiachna. +"Let you stop here, and I and my fifty will go there," said Laegaire. + +So he and his men went on to the dun, and Laegaire called out to the men +that were about it: "Your king has got his death, your chief men have +fallen, let the woman come out, and I will give you your own lives." The +men agreed to that, and they brought the woman out. And when she came +out she made this complaint: + +"It is a sorrowful day that swords are reddened for the sake of the dear +dead body of Goll, son of Dalbh. It was he that loved me, it was himself +I loved, it is little Laegaire Liban cares for that. + +"Weapons were hacked and were split by Goll; it is to Fiachna, son of +Betach, I must go; it is Goll son of Dalbh, I loved." + +And that complaint got the name of "The Lament of the Daughter of +Eochaid the Dumb." + +Laegaire went back with her then till he put her hand in Fiachna's hand. +And that night Fiachna's daughter, Deorgreine, a Tear of the Sun, was +given to Laegaire as his wife, and fifty other women were given to his +fifty fighting men, and they stopped with them there to the end of a +year. + +And at the end of that time, Laegaire said: "Let us go and ask news of +our own country." "If you have a mind to go," said Fiachna, "bring +horses with you; but whatever happens," he said, "do not get off from +them." + +So they set out then; and when they got back to Ireland, they found a +great gathering of the whole of the men of Connacht that were keening +them. + +And when the men of Connacht saw them coming they rose up to meet them, +and to bid them welcome. But Laegaire called out: "Do not come to us, +for it is to bid you farewell we are here." "Do not go from us again," +said Crimthan, his father, "and I will give you the sway over the three +Connachts, their silver and their gold, their horses and their bridles, +and their beautiful women, if you will not go from us." + +And it is what Laegaire said: "In the place we are gone to, the armies +move from kingdom to kingdom, they listen to the sweet-sounding music of +the Sidhe, they drink from shining cups, we talk with those we love, it +is beer that falls instead of rain. + +"We have brought from the dun of the Pleasant Plain thirty cauldrons, +thirty drinking horns; we have brought the complaint that was sung by +the Sea, by the daughter of Eochaid the Dumb. + +"There is a wife for every man of the fifty; my own wife to me is the +Tear of the Sun; I am made master of a blue sword; I would not give for +all your whole kingdom one night of the nights of the Sidhe." + +With that Laegaire turned from them, and went back to the kingdom. And +he was made king there along with Fiachna, son of Betach, and his +daughter, and he did not come out of it yet. + + + + +BOOK FIVE: THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR + + +Now at the time when the Tuatha de Danaan chose a king for themselves +after the battle of Tailltin, and Lir heard the kingship was given to +Bodb Dearg, it did not please him, and he left the gathering without +leave and with no word to any one; for he thought it was he himself had +a right to be made king. But if he went away himself, Bodb was given the +kingship none the less, for not one of the five begrudged it to him but +only Lir, And it is what they determined, to follow after Lir, and to +burn down his house, and to attack himself with spear and sword, on +account of his not giving obedience to the king they had chosen. "We +will not do that," said Bodb Dearg, "for that man would defend any place +he is in; and besides that," he said, "I am none the less king over the +Tuatha de Danaan, although he does not submit to me." + +All went on like that for a good while, but at last a great misfortune +came on Lir, for his wife died from him after a sickness of three +nights. And that came very hard on Lir, and there was heaviness on his +mind after her. And there was great talk of the death of that woman in +her own time. + +And the news of it was told all through Ireland, and it came to the +house of Bodb, and the best of the Men of Dea were with him at that +time. And Bodb said: "If Lir had a mind for it," he said, "my help and +my friendship would be good for him now, since his wife is not living to +him. For I have here with me the three young girls of the best shape, +and the best appearance, and the best name in all Ireland, Aobh, Aoife, +and Ailbhe, the three daughters of Oilell of Aran, my own three +nurselings." The Men of Dea said then it was a good thought he had, and +that what he said was true. + +Messages and messengers were sent then from Bodb Dearg to the place Lir +was, to say that if he had a mind to join with the Son of the Dagda and +to acknowledge his lordship, he would give him a foster-child of his +foster-children. And Lir thought well of the offer, and he set out on +the morrow with fifty chariots from Sidhe Fionnachaidh; and he went by +every short way till he came to Bodb's dwelling-place at Loch Dearg, and +there was a welcome before him there, and all the people were merry and +pleasant before him, and he and his people got good attendance that +night. + +And the three daughters of Oilell of Aran were sitting on the one seat +with Bodb Dearg's wife, the queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was +their foster-mother. And Bodb said: "You may have your choice of the +three young girls, Lir." "I cannot say," said Lir, "which one of them is +my choice, but whichever of them is the eldest, she is the noblest, and +it is best for me to take her." "If that is so," said Bodb, "it is Aobh +is the eldest, and she will be given to you, if it is your wish." "It is +my wish," he said. And he took Aobh for his wife that night, and he +stopped there for a fortnight, and then he brought her away to his own +house, till he would make a great wedding-feast. + +And in the course of time Aobh brought forth two children, a daughter +and a son, Fionnuala and Aodh their names were. And after a while she +was brought to bed again, and this time she gave birth to two sons, and +they called them Fiachra and Conn. And she herself died at their birth. +And that weighed very heavy on Lir, and only for the way his mind was +set on his four children he would have gone near to die of grief. + +The news came to Bodb Dearg's place, and all the people gave out three +loud, high cries, keening their nursling. And after they had keened her +it is what Bodb Dearg said: "It is a fret to us our daughter to have +died, for her own sake and for the sake of the good man we gave her to, +for we are thankful for his friendship and his faithfulness. However," +he said, "our friendship with one another will not be broken, for I will +give him for a wife her sister Aoife." + +When Lir heard that, he came for the girl and married her, and brought +her home to his house. And there was honour and affection with Aoife for +her sister's children; and indeed no person at all could see those four +children without giving them the heart's love. + +And Bodb Dearg used often to be going to Lir's house for the sake of +those children; and he used to bring them to his own place for a good +length of time, and then he would let them go back to their own place +again. And the Men of Dea were at that time using the Feast of Age in +every hill of the Sidhe in turn; and when they came to Lir's hill those +four children were their joy and delight, for the beauty of their +appearance; and it is where they used to sleep, in beds in sight of +their father Lir. And he used to rise up at the break of every morning, +and to lie down among his children. + +But it is what came of all this, that a fire of jealousy was kindled in +Aoife, and she got to have a dislike and a hatred of her sister's +children. + +Then she let on to have a sickness, that lasted through nearly the +length of a year. And the end of that time she did a deed of jealousy +and cruel treachery against the children of Lir. + +And one day she got her chariot yoked, and she took the four children +in it, and they went forward towards the house of Bodb Dearg; but +Fionnuala had no mind to go with her, for she knew by her she had some +plan for their death or their destruction, and she had seen in a dream +that there was treachery against them in Aoife's mind. But all the same +she was not able to escape from what was before her. + +And when they were on their way Aoife said to her people: "Let you kill +now," she said, "the four children of Lir, for whose sake their father +has given up my love, and I will give you your own choice of a reward +out of all the good things of the world." "We will not do that indeed," +said they; "and it is a bad deed you have thought of, and harm will come +to you out of it." + +And when they would not do as she bade them, she took out a sword +herself to put an end to the children with; but she being a woman and +with no good courage, and with no great strength in her mind, she was +not able to do it. + +They went on then west to Loch Dairbhreach, the Lake of the Oaks, and +the horses were stopped there. And Aoife bade the children of Lir to go +out and bathe in the lake, and they did as she bade them. And as soon as +Aoife saw them out in the lake she struck them with a Druid rod, and put +on them the shape of four swans, white and beautiful. And it is what she +said: "Out with you, children of the king, your luck is taken away from +you for ever; it is sorrowful the story will be to your friends; it is +with flocks of birds your cries will be heard for ever." + +And Fionnuala said: "Witch, we know now what your name is, you have +struck us down with no hope of relief; but although you put us from wave +to wave, there are times when we will touch the land. We shall get help +when we are seen; help, and all that is best for us; even though we +have to sleep upon the lake, it is our minds will be going abroad +early." + +And then the four children of Lir turned towards Aoife, and it is what +Fionnuala said: "It is a bad deed you have done, Aoife, and it is a bad +fulfilling of friendship, you to destroy us without cause; and vengeance +for it will come upon you, and you will fall in satisfaction for it, for +your power for our destruction is not greater than the power of our +friends to avenge it on you; and put some bounds now," she said, "to the +time this enchantment is to stop on us." "I will do that," said Aoife, +"and it is worse for you, you to have asked it of me. And the bounds I +set to your time are this, till the Woman from the South and the Man +from the North will come together. And since you ask to hear it of me," +she said, "no friends and no power that you have will be able to bring +you out of these shapes you are in through the length of your lives, +until you have been three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach, and three +hundred years on Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban, and three +hundred years at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire; and these are to be +your journeys from this out," she said. + +But then repentance came on Aoife, and she said: "Since there is no +other help for me to give you now, you may keep your own speech; and you +will be singing sweet music of the Sidhe, that would put the men of the +earth to sleep, and there will be no music in the world equal to it; and +your own sense and your own nobility will stay with you, the way it will +not weigh so heavy on you to be in the shape of birds. And go away out +of my sight now, children of Lir," she said, "with your white faces, +with your stammering Irish. It is a great curse on tender lads, they to +be driven out on the rough wind. Nine hundred years to be on the water, +it is a long time for any one to be in pain; it is I put this on you +through treachery, it is best for you to do as I tell you now. + +"Lir, that got victory with so many a good cast, his heart is a kernel +of death in him now; the groaning of the great hero is a sickness to me, +though it is I that have well earned his anger." + +And then the horses were caught for Aoife, and the chariot yoked for +her, and she went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a +welcome before her from the chief people of the place. And the son of +the Dagda asked her why she did not bring the children of Lir with her. +"I will tell you that," she said. "It is because Lir has no liking for +you, and he will not trust you with his children, for fear you might +keep them from him altogether." + +"I wonder at that," said Bodb Dearg, "for those children are dearer to +me than my own children." And he thought in his own mind it was deceit +the woman was doing on him, and it is what he did, he sent messengers to +the north to Sidhe Fionnachaidh. And Lir asked them what did they come +for. "On the head of your children," said they. "Are they not gone to +you along with Aoife?" he said. "They are not," said they; "and Aoife +said it was yourself would not let them come." + +It is downhearted and sorrowful Lir was at that news, for he understood +well it was Aoife had destroyed or made an end of his children. And +early in the morning of the morrow his horses were caught, and he set +out on the road to the south-west. And when he was as far as the shore +of Loch Dairbhreach, the four children saw the horses coming towards +them, and it is what Fionnuala said: "A welcome to the troop of horses I +see coming near to the lake; the people they are bringing are strong, +there is sadness on them; it is us they are following, it is for us they +are looking; let us move over to the shore, Aodh, Fiachra, and comely +Conn. Those that are coming can be no others in the world but only Lir +and his household." + +Then Lir came to the edge of the lake, and he took notice of the swans +having the voice of living people, and he asked them why was it they had +that voice. + +"I will tell you that, Lir," said Fionnuala. "We are your own four +children, that are after being destroyed by your wife, and by the sister +of our own mother, through the dint of her jealousy." "Is there any way +to put you into your own shapes again?" said Lir. "There is no way," +said Fionnuala, "for all the men of the world could not help us till we +have gone through our time, and that will not be," she said, "till the +end of nine hundred years." + +When Lir and his people heard that, they gave out three great heavy +shouts of grief and sorrow and crying. + +"Is there a mind with you," said Lir, "to come to us on the land, since +you have your own sense and your memory yet?" "We have not the power," +said Fionnuala, "to live with any person at all from this time; but we +have our own language, the Irish, and we have the power to sing sweet +music, and it is enough to satisfy the whole race of men to be listening +to that music. And let you stop here to-night," she said, "and we will +be making music for you." + +So Lir and his people stopped there listening to the music of the swans, +and they slept there quietly that night. And Lir rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and he made this complaint:-- + +"It is time to go out from this place. I do not sleep though I am in my +lying down. To be parted from my dear children, it is that is tormenting +my heart. + +"It is a bad net I put over you, bringing Aoife, daughter of Oilell of +Aran, to the house. I would never have followed that advice if I had +known what it would bring upon me. + +"O Fionnuala, and comely Conn, O Aodh, O Fiachra of the beautiful arms; +it is not ready I am to go away from you, from the border of the harbour +where you are." + +Then Lir went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a welcome +before him there; and he got a reproach from Bodb Dearg for not bringing +his children along with him. "My grief!" said Lir. "It is not I that +would not bring my children along with me; it was Aoife there beyond, +your own foster-child and the sister of their mother, that put them in +the shape of four white swans on Loch Dairbhreach, in the sight of the +whole of the men of Ireland; but they have their sense with them yet, +and their reason, and their voice, and their Irish." + +Bodb Dearg gave a great start when he heard that, and he knew what Lir +said was true, and he gave a very sharp reproach to Aoife, and he said: +"This treachery will be worse for yourself in the end, Aoife, than to +the children of Lir. And what shape would you yourself think worst of +being in?" he said. + +"I would think worst of being a witch of the air," she said. "It is into +that shape I will put you now," said Bodb. And with that he struck her +with a Druid wand, and she was turned into a witch of the air there and +then, and she went away on the wind in that shape, and she is in it yet, +and will be in it to the end of life and time. + +As to Bodb Dearg and the Tuatha de Danaan they came to the shore of Loch +Dairbhreach, and they made their camp there to be listening to the music +of the swans. + +And the Sons of the Gael used to be coming no less than the Men of Dea +to hear them from every part of Ireland, for there never was any music +or any delight heard in Ireland to compare with that music of the swans. +And they used to be telling stories, and to be talking with the men of +Ireland every day, and with their teachers and their fellow-pupils and +their friends. And every night they used to sing very sweet music of the +Sidhe; and every one that heard that music would sleep sound and quiet +whatever trouble or long sickness might be on him; for every one that +heard the music of the birds, it is happy and contented he would be +after it. + +These two gatherings now of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Sons of the +Gael stopped there around Loch Dairbhreach through the length of three +hundred years. And it is then Fionnuala said to her brothers: "Do you +know," she said, "we have spent all we have to spend of our time here, +but this one night only." + +And there was great sorrow on the sons of Lir when they heard that, for +they thought it the same as to be living people again, to be talking +with their friends and their companions on Loch Dairbhreach, in +comparison with going on the cold, fretful sea of the Maoil in the +north. + +And they came early on the morrow to speak with their father and with +their foster-father, and they bade them farewell, and Fionnuala made +this complaint:-- + +"Farewell to you, Bodb Dearg, the man with whom all knowledge is in +pledge. And farewell to our father along with you, Lir of the Hill of +the White Field. + +"The time is come, as I think, for us to part from you, O pleasant +company; my grief it is not on a visit we are going to you. + +"From this day out, O friends of our heart, our comrades, it is on the +tormented course of the Maoil we will be, without the voice of any +person near us. + +"Three hundred years there, and three hundred years in the bay of the +men of Domnann, it is a pity for the four comely children of Lir, the +salt waves of the sea to be their covering by night. + +"O three brothers, with the ruddy faces gone from you, let them all +leave the lake now, the great troop that loved us, it is sorrowful our +parting is." + +After that complaint they took to flight, lightly, airily, till they +came to Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban. And that was a grief +to the men of Ireland, and they gave out an order no swan was to be +killed from that out, whatever chance there might be of killing one, all +through Ireland. + +It was a bad dwelling-place for the children of Lir they to be on Sruth +na Maoile. When they saw the wide coast about them, they were filled +with cold and with sorrow, and they thought nothing of all they had gone +through before, in comparison to what they were going through on that +sea. + +Now one night while they were there a great storm came on them, and it +is what Fionnuala said: "My dear brothers," she said, "it is a pity for +us not to be making ready for this night, for it is certain the storm +will separate us from one another. And let us," she said, "settle on +some place where we can meet afterwards, if we are driven from one +another in the night." + +"Let us settle," said the others, "to meet one another at Carraig na +Ron, the Rock of the Seals, for we all have knowledge of it." + +And when midnight came, the wind came on them with it, and the noise of +the waves increased, and the lightning was flashing, and a rough storm +came sweeping down, the way the children of Lir were scattered over the +great sea, and the wideness of it set them astray, so that no one of +them could know what way the others went. But after that storm a great +quiet came on the sea, and Fionnuala was alone on Sruth na Maoile; and +when she took notice that her brothers were wanting she was lamenting +after them greatly, and she made this complaint:-- + +"It is a pity for me to be alive in the state I am; it is frozen to my +sides my wings are; it is little that the wind has not broken my heart +in my body, with the loss of Aodh. + +"To be three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach without going into my own +shape, it is worse to me the time I am on Sruth na Maoile. + +"The three I loved, Och! the three I loved, that slept under the shelter +of my feathers; till the dead come back to the living I will see them no +more for ever. + +"It is a pity I to stay after Fiachra, and after Aodh, and after comely +Conn, and with no account of them; my grief I to be here to face every +hardship this night." + +She stopped all night there upon the Rock of the Seals until the rising +of the sun, looking out over the sea on every side till at last she saw +Conn coming to her, his feathers wet through and his head hanging, and +her heart gave him a great welcome; and then Fiachra came wet and +perished and worn out, and he could not say a word they could understand +with the dint of the cold and the hardship he had gone through. And +Fionnuala put him under her wings, and she said: "We would be well off +now if Aodh would but come to us." + +It was not long after that, they saw Aodh coming, his head dry and his +feathers beautiful, and Fionnuala gave him a great welcome, and she put +him in under the feathers of her breast, and Fiachra under her right +wing and Conn under her left wing, the way she could put her feathers +over them all. "And Och! my brothers," she said, "this was a bad night +to us, and it is many of its like are before us from this out." + +They stayed there a long time after that, suffering cold and misery on +the Maoil, till at last a night came on them they had never known the +like of before, for frost and snow and wind and cold. And they were +crying and lamenting the hardship of their life, and the cold of the +night and the greatness of the snow and the hardness of the wind. And +after they had suffered cold to the end of a year, a worse night again +came on them, in the middle of winter. And they were on Carraig na Ron, +and the water froze about them, and as they rested on the rock, their +feet and their wings and their feathers froze to the rock, the way they +were not able to move from it. And they made such a hard struggle to get +away, that they left the skin of their feet and their feathers and the +tops of their wings on the rock after them. + +"My grief, children of Lir," said Fionnuala, "it is bad our state is +now, for we cannot bear the salt water to touch us, and there are bonds +on us not to leave it; and if the salt water goes into our sores," she +said, "we will get our death." And she made this complaint:-- + +"It is keening we are to-night; without feathers to cover our bodies; it +is cold the rough, uneven rocks are under our bare feet. + +"It is bad our stepmother was to us the time she played enchantments on +us, sending us out like swans upon the sea. + +"Our washing place is on the ridge of the bay, in the foam of flying +manes of the sea; our share of the ale feast is the salt water of the +blue tide. + +"One daughter and three sons; it is in the clefts of the rocks we are; +it is on the hard rocks we are, it is a pity the way we are." + +However, they came on to the course of the Maoil again, and the salt +water was sharp and rough and bitter to them, but if it was itself, they +were not able to avoid it or to get shelter from it. And they were there +by the shore under that hardship till such time as their feathers grew +again, and their wings, and till their sores were entirely healed. And +then they used to go every day to the shore of Ireland or of Alban, but +they had to come back to Sruth na Maoile every night. + +Now they came one day to the mouth of the Banna, to the north of +Ireland, and they saw a troop of riders, beautiful, of the one colour, +with well-trained pure white horses under them, and they travelling the +road straight from the south-west. + +"Do you know who those riders are, sons of Lir?" said Fionnuala. + +"We do not," they said; "but it is likely they might be some troop of +the Sons of the Gael, or of the Tuatha de Danaan." + +They moved over closer to the shore then, that they might know who they +were, and when the riders saw them they came to meet them until they +were able to hold talk together. + +And the chief men among them were two sons of Bodb Dearg, Aodh +Aithfhiosach, of the quick wits, and Fergus Fithchiollach, of the chess, +and a third part of the Riders of the Sidhe along with them, and it was +for the swans they had been looking for a long while before that, and +when they came together they wished one another a kind and loving +welcome. + +And the children of Lir asked for news of all the Men of Dea, and above +all of Lir, and Bodb Dearg and their people. + +"They are well, and they are in the one place together," said they, "in +your father's house at Sidhe Fionnachaidh, using the Feast of Age +pleasantly and happily, and with no uneasiness on them, only for being +without yourselves, and without knowledge of what happened you from the +day you left Loch Dairbhreach." + +"That has not been the way with us," said Fionnuala, "for we have gone +through great hardship and uneasiness and misery on the tides of the sea +until this day." + +And she made this complaint:-- + +"There is delight to-night with the household of Lir! Plenty of ale with +them and of wine, although it is in a cold dwelling-place this night are +the four children of the king. + +"It is without a spot our bedclothes are, our bodies covered over with +curved feathers; but it is often we were dressed in purple, and we +drinking pleasant mead. + +"It is what our food is and our drink, the white sand and the bitter +water of the sea; it is often we drank mead of hazel-nuts from round +four-lipped drinking cups. + +"It is what our beds are, bare rocks out of the power of the waves; it +is often there used to be spread out for us beds of the breast-feathers +of birds. + +"Though it is our work now to be swimming through the frost and through +the noise of the waves, it is often a company of the sons of kings were +riding after us to the Hill of Bodb. + +"It is what wasted my strength, to be going and coming over the current +of the Maoil the way I never was used to, and never to be in the +sunshine on the soft grass. + +"Fiachra's bed and Conn's bed is to come under the cover of my wings on +the sea. Aodh has his place under the feathers of my breast, the four of +us side by side. + +"The teaching of Manannan without deceit, the talk of Bodb Dearg on the +pleasant ridge; the voice of Angus, his sweet kisses; it is by their +side I used to be without grief." + +After that the riders went on to Lir's house, and they told the chief +men of the Tuatha de Danaan all the birds had gone through, and the +state they were in. "We have no power over them," the chief men said, +"but we are glad they are living yet, for they will get help in the end +of time." + +As to the children of Lir, they went back towards their old place in the +Maoil, and they stopped there till the time they had to spend in it was +spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to leave this +place. And it is to Irrus Domnann we must go now," she said, "after our +three hundred years here. And indeed there will be no rest for us there, +or any standing ground, or any shelter from the storms. But since it is +time for us to go, let us set out on the cold wind, the way we will not +go astray." + +So they set out in that way, and left Sruth na Maoile behind them, and +went to the point of Irrus Domnann, and there they stopped, and it is a +life of misery and a cold life they led there. And one time the sea +froze about them that they could not move at all, and the brothers were +lamenting, and Fionnuala was comforting them, for she knew there would +help come to them in the end. + +And they stayed at Irrus Domnann till the time they had to spend there +was spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to go back +to Sidhe Fionnachaidh, where our father is with his household and with +all our own people." + +"It pleases us well to hear that," they said. + +So they set out flying through the air lightly till they came to Sidhe +Fionnachaidh; and it is how they found the place, empty before them, and +nothing in it but green hillocks and thickets of nettles, without a +house, without a fire, without a hearthstone. And the four pressed close +to one another then, and they gave out three sorrowful cries, and +Fionnuala made this complaint:-- + +"It is a wonder to me this place is, and it without a house, without a +dwelling-place. To see it the way it is now, Ochone! it is bitterness to +my heart. + +"Without dogs, without hounds for hunting, without women, without great +kings; we never knew it to be like this when our father was in it. + +"Without horns, without cups, without drinking in the lighted house; +without young men, without riders; the way it is to-night is a +foretelling of sorrow. + +"The people of the place to be as they are now, Ochone! it is grief to +my heart! It is plain to my mind to-night the lord of the house is not +living. + +"Och, house where we used to see music and playing and the gathering of +people! I think it a great change to see it lonely the way it is +to-night. + +"The greatness of the hardships we have gone through going from one wave +to another of the sea, we never heard of the like of them coming on any +other person. + +"It is seldom this place had its part with grass and bushes; the man is +not living that would know us, it would be a wonder to him to see us +here." + +However, the children of Lir stopped that night in their father's place +and their grandfather's, where they had been reared, and they were +singing very sweet music of the Sidhe. And they rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and went to Inis Gluaire, and all the birds of the +country gathered near them on Loch na-n Ean, the Lake of the Birds. And +they used to go out to feed every day to the far parts of the country, +to Inis Geadh and to Accuill, the place Donn, son of Miled, and his +people that were drowned were buried, and to all the western islands of +Connacht, and they used to go back to Inis Gluaire every night. + +It was about that time it happened them to meet with a young man of good +race, and his name was Aibric; and he often took notice of the birds, +and their singing was sweet to him and he loved them greatly, and they +loved him. And it is this young man that told the whole story of all +that had happened them, and put it in order. + +And the story he told of what happened them in the end is this. + +It was after the faith of Christ and blessed Patrick came into Ireland, +that Saint Mochaomhog came to Inis Gluaire. And the first night he came +to the island, the children of Lir heard the voice of his bell, ringing +near them. And the brothers started up with fright when they heard it +"We do not know," they said, "what is that weak, unpleasing voice we +hear." + +"That is the voice of the bell of Mochaomhog," said Fionnuala; "and it +is through that bell," she said, "you will be set free from pain and +from misery." + +They listened to that music of the bell till the matins were done, and +then they began to sing the low, sweet music of the Sidhe. + +And Mochaomhog was listening to them, and he prayed to God to show him +who was singing that music, and it was showed to him that the children +of Lir were singing it. And on the morning of the morrow he went forward +to the Lake of the Birds, and he saw the swans before him on the lake, +and he went down to them at the brink of the shore. "Are you the +children of Lir?" he said. + +"We are indeed," said they. + +"I give thanks to God for that," said he, "for it is for your sakes I am +come to this island beyond any other island, and let you come to land +now," he said, "and give your trust to me, that you may do good deeds +and part from your sins." + +They came to the land after that, and they put trust in Mochaomhog, and +he brought them to his own dwelling-place, and they used to be hearing +Mass with him. And he got a good smith and bade him make chains of +bright silver for them, and he put a chain between Aodh and Fionnuala, +and a chain between Conn and Fiachra. And the four of them were raising +his heart and gladdening his mind, and no danger and no distress that +was on the swans before put any trouble on them now. + +Now the king of Connacht at that time was Lairgnen, son of Colman, son +of Cobthach, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin, was his wife. And that was +the coming together of the Man from the North and the Woman from the +South, that Aoife had spoken of. + +And the woman heard talk of the birds, and a great desire came on her to +get them, and she bade Lairgnen to bring them to her, and he said he +would ask them of Mochaomhog. + +And she gave her word she would not stop another night with him unless +he would bring them to her. And she set out from the house there and +then. And Lairgnen sent messengers after her to bring her back, and they +did not overtake her till she was at Cill Dun. She went back home with +them then, and Lairgnen sent messengers to ask the birds of Mochaomhog, +and he did not get them. + +There was great anger on Lairgnen then, and he went himself to the place +Mochaomhog was, and he asked was it true he had refused him the birds. +"It is true indeed," said he. At that Lairgnen rose up, and he took hold +of the swans, and pulled them off the altar, two birds in each hand, to +bring them away to Deoch. But no sooner had he laid his hand on them +than their bird skins fell off, and what was in their place was three +lean, withered old men and a thin withered old woman, without blood or +flesh. + +And Lairgnen gave a great start at that, and he went out from the +place. It is then Fionnuala said to Mochaomhog: "Come and baptize us +now, for it is short till our death comes; and it is certain you do not +think worse of parting with us than we do of parting with you. And make +our grave afterwards," she said, "and lay Conn at my right side and +Fiachra on my left side, and Aodh before my face, between my two arms. +And pray to the God of Heaven," she said, "that you may be able to +baptize us." + +The children of Lir were baptized then, and they died and were buried as +Fionnuala had desired; Fiachra and Conn one at each side of her, and +Aodh before her face. And a stone was put over them, and their names +were written in Ogham, and they were keened there, and heaven was gained +for their souls. + +And that is the fate of the children of Lir so far. + + + + +PART TWO: THE FIANNA. + +BOOK ONE: FINN, SON OF CUMHAL. + +CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF FINN + + +At the time Finn was born his father Cumhal, of the sons of Baiscne, +Head of the Fianna of Ireland, had been killed in battle by the sons of +Morna that were fighting with him for the leadership. And his mother, +that was beautiful long-haired Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of +the Tuatha de Danaan and of Ethlinn, mother of Lugh of the Long Hand, +did not dare to keep him with her; and two women, Bodhmall, the woman +Druid, and Liath Luachra, came and brought him away to care him. + +It was to the woods of Slieve Bladhma they brought him, and they nursed +him secretly, because of his father's enemies, the sons of Morna, and +they kept him there a long time. + +And Muirne, his mother, took another husband that was king of Carraighe; +but at the end of six years she came to see Finn, going through every +lonely place till she came to the wood, and there she found the little +hunting cabin, and the boy asleep in it, and she lifted him up in her +arms and kissed him, and she sang a little sleepy song to him; and then +she said farewell to the women, and she went away again. + +And the two women went on caring him till he came to sensible years; and +one day when he went out he saw a wild duck on the lake with her clutch, +and he made a cast at her that cut the wings off her that she could not +fly, and he brought her back to the cabin, and that was his first hunt. + +And they gave him good training in running and leaping and swimming. One +of them would run round a tree, and she having a thorn switch, and Finn +after her with another switch, and each one trying to hit at the other; +and they would leave him in a field, and hares along with him, and would +bid him not to let the hares quit the field, but to keep before them +whichever way they would go; and to teach him swimming they would throw +him into the water and let him make his way out. + +But after a while he went away with a troop of poets, to hide from the +sons of Morna, and they hid him in the mountain of Crotta Cliach; but +there was a robber in Leinster at that time, Fiacuil, son of Codhna, and +he came where the poets were in Fidh Gaible and killed them all. But he +spared the child and brought him to his own house, that was in a cold +marsh. But the two women, Bodhmall and Liath, came looking for him after +a while, and Fiacuil gave him up to them, and they brought him back to +the same place he was before. + +He grew up there, straight and strong and fair-haired and beautiful. And +one day he was out in Slieve Bladhma, and the two women along with him, +and they saw before them a herd of the wild deer of the mountain. "It is +a pity," said the old women, "we not to be able to get a deer of those +deer." "I will get one for you," said Finn; and with that he followed +after them, and caught two stags of them and brought them home to the +hunting cabin. And after that he used to be hunting for them every day. +But at last they said to him: "It is best for you to leave us now, for +the sons of Morna are watching again to kill you." + +So he went away then by himself, and never stopped till he came to Magh +Lifé, and there he saw young lads swimming in a lake, and they called to +him to swim against them. So he went into the lake, and he beat them at +swimming. "Fair he is and well shaped," they said when they saw him +swimming, and it was from that time he got the name of Finn, that is, +Fair. But they got to be jealous of his strength, and he went away and +left them. + +He went on then till he came to Loch Lein, and he took service there +with the King of Finntraigh; and there was no hunter like him, and the +king said: "If Cumhal had left a son, you would be that son." + +He went from that king after, and he went into Carraighe, and there he +took service with the king, that had taken his mother Muirne for his +wife. And one day they were playing chess together, and he won seven +games one after another. "Who are you at all?" said the king then. "I am +a son of a countryman of the Luigne of Teamhair," said Finn. "That is +not so," said the king, "but you are the son that Muirne my wife bore to +Cumhal. And do not stop here any longer," he said, "that you may not be +killed under my protection." + +From that he went into Connacht looking for his father's brother, +Crimall, son of Trenmor; and as he was going on his way he heard the +crying of a lone woman. He went to her, and looked at her, and tears of +blood were on her face. "Your face is red with blood, woman," he said. +"I have reason for it," said she, "for my only son is after being killed +by a great fighting man that came on us." And Finn followed after the +big champion and fought with him and killed him. And the man he killed +was the same man that had given Cumhal his first wound in the battle +where he got his death, and had brought away his treasure-bag with him. + +Now as to that treasure-bag, it is of a crane skin it was made, that was +one time the skin of Aoife, the beautiful sweetheart of Ilbrec, son of +Manannan, that was put into the shape of a crane through jealousy. And +it was in Manannan's house it used to be, and there were treasures kept +in it, Manannan's shirt and his knife, and the belt and the smith's hook +of Goibniu, and the shears of the King of Alban, and the helmet of the +King of Lochlann, and a belt of the skin of a great fish, and the bones +of Asal's pig that had been brought to Ireland by the sons of Tuireann. +All those treasures would be in the bag at full tide, but at the ebbing +of the tide it would be empty. And it went from Manannan to Lugh, son of +Ethlinn, and after that to Cumhal, that was husband to Muirne, Ethlinn's +daughter. + +And Finn took the bag and brought it with him till he found Crimall, +that was now an old man, living in a lonely place, and some of the old +men of the Fianna were with him, and used to go hunting for him. And +Finn gave him the bag, and told him his whole story. + +And then he said farewell to Crimall, and went on to learn poetry from +Finegas, a poet that was living at the Boinn, for the poets thought it +was always on the brink of water poetry was revealed to them. And he did +not give him his own name, but he took the name of Deimne. Seven years, +now, Finegas had stopped at the Boinn, watching the salmon, for it was +in the prophecy that he would eat the salmon of knowledge that would +come there, and that he would have all knowledge after. And when at the +last the salmon of knowledge came, he brought it to where Finn was, and +bade him to roast it, but he bade him not to eat any of it. And when +Finn brought him the salmon after a while he said: "Did you eat any of +it at all, boy?" "I did not," said Finn; "but I burned my thumb putting +down a blister that rose on the skin, and after doing that, I put my +thumb in my mouth." "What is your name, boy?" said Finegas. "Deimne," +said he. "It is not, but it is Finn your name is, and it is to you and +not to myself the salmon was given in the prophecy." With that he gave +Finn the whole of the salmon, and from that time Finn had the knowledge +that came from the nuts of the nine hazels of wisdom that grow beside +the well that is below the sea. + +And besides the wisdom he got then, there was a second wisdom came to +him another time, and this is the way it happened. There was a well of +the moon belonging to Beag, son of Buan, of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +whoever would drink out of it would get wisdom, and after a second drink +he would get the gift of foretelling. And the three daughters of Beag, +son of Buan, had charge of the well, and they would not part with a +vessel of it for anything less than red gold. And one day Finn chanced +to be hunting in the rushes near the well, and the three women ran out +to hinder him from coming to it, and one of them that had a vessel of +the water in her hand, threw it at him to stop him, and a share of the +water went into his mouth. And from that out he had all the knowledge +that the water of that well could give. + +And he learned the three ways of poetry; and this is the poem he made to +show he had got his learning well:-- + +"It is the month of May is the pleasant time; its face is beautiful; the +blackbird sings his full song, the living wood is his holding, the +cuckoos are singing and ever singing; there is a welcome before the +brightness of the summer. + +"Summer is lessening the rivers, the swift horses are looking for the +pool; the heath spreads out its long hair, the weak white bog-down +grows. A wildness comes on the heart of the deer; the sad restless sea +is asleep. + +"Bees with their little strength carry a load reaped from the flowers; +the cattle go up muddy to the mountains; the ant has a good full feast. + +"The harp of the woods is playing music; there is colour on the hills, +and a haze on the full lakes, and entire peace upon every sail. + +"The corncrake is speaking, a loud-voiced poet; the high lonely +waterfall is singing a welcome to the warm pool, the talking of the +rushes has begun. + +"The light swallows are darting; the loudness of music is around the +hill; the fat soft mast is budding; there is grass on the trembling +bogs. + +"The bog is as dark as the feathers of the raven; the cuckoo makes a +loud welcome; the speckled salmon is leaping; as strong is the leaping +of the swift fighting man. + +"The man is gaining; the girl is in her comely growing power; every wood +is without fault from the top to the ground, and every wide good plain. + +"It is pleasant is the colour of the time; rough winter is gone; every +plentiful wood is white; summer is a joyful peace. + +"A flock of birds pitches in the meadow; there are sounds in the green +fields, there is in them a clear rushing stream. + +"There is a hot desire on you for the racing of horses; twisted holly +makes a leash for the hound; a bright spear has been shot into the +earth, and the flag-flower is golden under it. + +"A weak lasting little bird is singing at the top of his voice; the lark +is singing clear tidings; May without fault, of beautiful colours. + +"I have another story for you; the ox is lowing, the winter is creeping +in, the summer is gone. High and cold the wind, low the sun, cries are +about us; the sea is quarrelling. + +"The ferns are reddened and their shape is hidden; the cry of the wild +goose is heard; the cold has caught the wings of the birds; it is the +time of ice-frost, hard, unhappy." + +And after that, Finn being but a young lad yet, made himself ready and +went up at Samhain time to the gathering of the High King at Teamhair. +And it was the law at that gathering, no one to raise a quarrel or +bring out any grudge against another through the whole of the time it +lasted. And the king and his chief men, and Goll, son of Morna, that was +now Head of the Fianna, and Caoilte, son of Ronan, and Conan, son of +Morna, of the sharp words, were sitting at a feast in the great house of +the Middle Court; and the young lad came in and took his place among +them, and none of them knew who he was. + +The High King looked at him then, and the horn of meetings was brought +to him, and he put it into the boy's hand, and asked him who was he. + +"I am Finn, son of Cumhal," he said, "son of the man that used to be +head over the Fianna, and king of Ireland; and I am come now to get your +friendship, and to give you my service." + +"You are son of a friend, boy," said the king, "and son of a man I +trusted." + +Then Finn rose up and made his agreement of service and of faithfulness +to the king; and the king took him by the hand and put him sitting +beside his own son, and they gave themselves to drinking and to pleasure +for a while. + +Every year, now, at Samhain time, for nine years, there had come a man +of the Tuatha de Danaan out of Sidhe Finnachaidh in the north, and had +burned up Teamhair. Aillen, son of Midhna, his name was, and it is the +way he used to come, playing music of the Sidhe, and all the people that +heard it would fall asleep. And when they were all in their sleep, he +would let a flame of fire out of his mouth, and would blow the flame +till all Teamhair was burned. + +The king rose up at the feast after a while, and his smooth horn in his +hand, and it is what he said: "If I could find among you, men of +Ireland, any man that would keep Teamhair till the break of day +to-morrow without being burned by Aillen, son of Midhna, I would give +him whatever inheritance is right for him to have, whether it be much or +little." + +But the men of Ireland made no answer, for they knew well that at the +sound of the sweet pitiful music made by that comely man of the Sidhe, +even women in their pains and men that were wounded would fall asleep. + +It is then Finn rose up and spoke to the King of Ireland. "Who will be +your sureties that you will fulfil this?" he said. "The kings of the +provinces of Ireland," said the king, "and Cithruadh with his Druids." +So they gave their pledges, and Finn took in hand to keep Teamhair safe +till the breaking of day on the morrow. + +Now there was a fighting man among the followers of the King of Ireland, +Fiacha, son of Conga, that Cumhal, Finn's father, used to have a great +liking for, and he said to Finn: "Well, boy," he said, "what reward +would you give me if I would bring you a deadly spear, that no false +cast was ever made with?" "What reward are you asking of me?" said Finn. +"Whatever your right hand wins at any time, the third of it to be mine," +said Fiacha, "and a third of your trust and your friendship to be mine." +"I will give you that," said Finn. Then Fiacha brought him +the spear, unknown to the sons of Morna or to any other person, and he +said: "When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the +covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the +power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you." + +Then Finn rose up before all the men of Ireland, and he made a round of +the whole of Teamhair. And it was not long till he heard the sorrowful +music, and he stripped the covering from the head of the spear, and he +held the power of it to his forehead. And Aillen went on playing his +little harp, till he had put every one in their sleep as he was used; +and then he let a flame of fire out from his mouth to burn Teamhair. +And Finn held up his fringed crimson cloak against the flame, and it +fell down through the air and went into the ground, bringing the +four-folded cloak with it deep into the earth. + +And when Aillen saw his spells were destroyed, he went back to Sidhe +Finnachaidh on the top of Slieve Fuad; but Finn followed after him +there, and as Aillen was going in at the door he made a cast of the +spear that went through his heart. And he struck his head off then, and +brought it back to Teamhair, and fixed it on a crooked pole and left it +there till the rising of the sun over the heights and invers of the +country. + +And Aillen's mother came to where his body was lying, and there was +great grief on her, and she made this complaint:-- + +"Ochone! Aillen is fallen, chief of the Sidhe of Beinn Boirche; the slow +clouds of death are come on him. Och! he was pleasant, Och! he was kind. +Aillen, son of Midhna of Slieve Fuad. + +"Nine times he burned Teamhair. It is a great name he was always looking +for, Ochone, Ochone, Aillen!" + +And at the breaking of day, the king and all the men of Ireland came out +upon the lawn at Teamhair where Finn was. "King," said Finn, "there is +the head of the man that burned Teamhair, and the pipe and the harp that +made his music. And it is what I think," he said, "that Teamhair and all +that is in it is saved." + +Then they all came together into the place of counsel, and it is what +they agreed, the headship of the Fianna of Ireland to be given to Finn. +And the king said to Goll, son of Morna: "Well, Goll," he said, "is it +your choice to quit Ireland or to put your hand in Finn's hand?" "By my +word, I will give Finn my hand," said Goll. + +And when the charms that used to bring good luck had done their work, +the chief men of the Fianna rose up and struck their hands in Finn's +hand, and Goll, son of Morna, was the first to give him his hand the way +there would be less shame on the rest for doing it. + +And Finn kept the headship of the Fianna until the end; and the place he +lived in was Almhuin of Leinster, where the white dun was made by Nuada +of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was as white as if all the lime in Ireland +was put on it, and that got its name from the great herd of cattle that +died fighting one time around the well, and that left their horns there, +speckled horns and white. + +And as to Finn himself, he was a king and a seer and a poet; a Druid and +a knowledgeable man; and everything he said was sweet-sounding to his +people. And a better fighting man than Finn never struck his hand into a +king's hand, and whatever any one ever said of him, he was three times +better. And of his justice it used to be said, that if his enemy and his +own son had come before him to be judged, it is a fair judgment he would +have given between them. And as to his generosity it used to be said, he +never denied any man as long as he had a mouth to eat with, and legs to +bring away what he gave him; and he left no woman without her +bride-price, and no man without his pay; and he never promised at night +what he would not fulfil on the morrow, and he never promised in the day +what he would not fulfil at night, and he never forsook his right-hand +friend. And if he was quiet in peace he was angry in battle, and Oisin +his son and Osgar his son's son followed him in that. There was a young +man of Ulster came and claimed kinship with them one time, saying they +were of the one blood. "If that is so," said Oisin, "it is from the men +of Ulster we took the madness and the angry heart we have in battle." +"That is so indeed," said Finn. + + + + +CHAPTER II. FINN'S HOUSEHOLD + + +And the number of the Fianna of Ireland at that time was seven score and +ten chief men, every one of them having three times nine righting men +under him. And every man of them was bound to three things, to take no +cattle by oppression, not to refuse any man, as to cattle or riches; no +one of them to fall back before nine fighting men. And there was no man +taken into the Fianna until his tribe and his kindred would give +securities for him, that even if they themselves were all killed he +would not look for satisfaction for their death. But if he himself would +harm others, that harm was not to be avenged on his people. And there +was no man taken into the Fianna till he knew the twelve books of +poetry. And before any man was taken, he would be put into a deep hole +in the ground up to his middle, and he having his shield and a hazel rod +in his hand. And nine men would go the length of ten furrows from him +and would cast their spears at him at the one time. And if he got a +wound from one of them, he was not thought fit to join with the Fianna. +And after that again, his hair would be fastened up, and he put to run +through the woods of Ireland, and the Fianna following after him to try +could they wound him, and only the length of a branch between themselves +and himself when they started. And if they came up with him and wounded +him, he was not let join them; or if his spears had trembled in his +hand, or if a branch of a tree had undone the plaiting of his hair, or +if he had cracked a dry stick under his foot, and he running. And they +would not take him among them till he had made a leap over a stick the +height of himself, and till he had stooped under one the height of his +knee, and till he had taken a thorn out from his foot with his nail, +and he running his fastest. But if he had done all these things, he was +of Finn's people. + +It was good wages Finn and the Fianna got at that time; in every +district a townland, in every house the fostering of a pup or a whelp +from Samhain to Beltaine, and a great many things along with that. But +good as the pay was, the hardships and the dangers they went through for +it were greater. For they had to hinder the strangers and robbers from +beyond the seas, and every bad thing, from coming into Ireland. And they +had hard work enough in doing that. + +And besides the fighting men, Finn had with him his five Druids, the +best that ever came into the west, Cainnelsciath, of the Shining Shield, +one of them was, that used to bring down knowledge from the clouds in +the sky before Finn, and that could foretell battles. And he had his +five wonderful physicians, four of them belonging to Ireland, and one +that came over the sea from the east. And he had his five high poets and +his twelve musicians, that had among them Daighre, son of Morna, and +Suanach, son of Senshenn, that was Finn's teller of old stories, the +sweetest that ever took a harp in his hand in Ireland or in Alban. And +he had his three cup-bearers and his six door-keepers and his +horn-players and the stewards of his house and his huntsman, Comhrag of +the five hundred hounds, and his serving-men that were under +Garbhcronan, of the Rough Buzzing; and a great troop of others along +with them. + +And there were fifty of the best sewing-women in Ireland brought +together in a rath on Magh Feman, under the charge of a daughter of the +King of Britain, and they used to be making clothing for the Fianna +through the whole of the year. And three of them, that were a king's +daughters, used to be making music for the rest on a little silver +harp; and there was a very great candlestick of stone in the middle of +the rath, for they were not willing to kindle a fire more than three +times in the year for fear the smoke and the ashes might harm the +needlework. + +And of all his musicians the one Finn thought most of was Cnu Deireoil, +the Little Nut, that came to him from the Sidhe. + +It was at Slieve-nam-ban, for hunting, Finn was the time he came to him. +Sitting down he was on the turf-built grave that is there; and when he +looked around him he saw a small little man about four feet in height +standing on the grass. Light yellow hair he had, hanging down to his +waist, and he playing music on his harp. And the music he was making had +no fault in it at all, and it is much that the whole of the Fianna did +not fall asleep with the sweetness of its sound. He came up then, and +put his hand in Finn's hand. "Where do you come from, little one, +yourself and your sweet music?" said Finn. "I am come," he said, "out of +the place of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban, where ale is drunk and made; +and it is to be in your company for a while I am come here." "You will +get good rewards from me, and riches and red gold," said Finn, "and my +full friendship, for I like you well." "That is the best luck ever came +to you, Finn," said all the rest of the Fianna, for they were well +pleased to have him in their company. And they gave him the name of the +Little Nut; and he was good in speaking, and he had so good a memory he +never forgot anything he heard east or west; and there was no one but +must listen to his music, and all the Fianna liked him well. And there +were some said he was a son of Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long Hand. + +And the five musicians of the Fianna were brought to him, to learn the +music of the Sidhe he had brought from that other place; for there was +never any music heard on earth but his was better. These were the three +best things Finn ever got, Bran and Sceolan that were without fault, and +the Little Nut from the House of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban. + + + + +CHAPTER III. BIRTH OF BRAN. + + +This, now, is the story of the birth of Bran. + +Finn's mother, Muirne, came one time to Almhuin, and she brought with +her Tuiren, her sister. And Iollan Eachtach, a chief man of the Fianna +of Ulster, was at Almhuin at the time, and he gave his love to Tuiren, +and asked her in marriage, and brought her to his own house. But before +they went, Finn made him gave his word he would bring her back safe and +sound if ever he asked for her, and he bade him find sureties for +himself among the chief men of the Fianna. And Iollan did that, and the +sureties he got were Caoilte and Goll and Lugaidh Lamha, and it was +Lugaidh gave her into the hand of Iollan Eachtach. + +But before Iollan made that marriage, he had a sweetheart of the Sidhe, +Uchtdealb of the Fair Breast; and there came great jealousy on her when +she knew he had taken a wife. And she took the appearance of Finn's +woman-messenger, and she came to the house where Tuiren was, and she +said: "Finn sends health and long life to you, queen, and he bids you to +make a great feast; and come with me now," she said, "till I speak a few +words with you, for there is hurry on me." + +So Tuiren went out with her, and when they were away from the house the +woman of the Sidhe took out her dark Druid rod from under her cloak and +gave her a blow of it that changed her into a hound, the most beautiful +that was ever seen. And then she went on, bringing the hound with her, +to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, king of the harbour of Gallimh. And +it is the way Fergus was, he was the most unfriendly man to dogs in the +whole world, and he would not let one stop in the same house with him. +But it is what Uchtdealb said to him: "Finn wishes you life and health, +Fergus, and he says to you to take good care of his hound till he comes +himself; and mind her well," she said, "for she is with young, and do +not let her go hunting when her time is near, or Finn will be no way +thankful to you." "I wonder at that message," said Fergus, "for Finn +knows well there is not in the world a man has less liking for dogs than +myself. But for all that," he said, "I will not refuse Finn the first +time he sent a hound to me." + +And when he brought the hound out to try her, she was the best he ever +knew, and she never saw the wild creature she would not run down; and +Fergus took a great liking for hounds from that out. + +And when her time came near, they did not let her go hunting any more, +and she gave birth to two whelps. + +And as to Finn, when he heard his mother's sister was not living with +Iollan Eachtach, he called to him for the fulfilment of the pledge that +was given to the Fianna. And Iollan asked time to go looking for Tuiren, +and he gave his word that if he did not find her, he would give himself +up in satisfaction for her. So they agreed to that, and Iollan went to +the hill where Uchtdealb was, his sweetheart of the Sidhe, and told her +the way things were with him, and the promise he had made to give +himself up to the Fianna. "If that is so," said she, "and if you will +give me your pledge to keep me as your sweetheart to the end of your +life, I will free you from that danger." So Iollan gave her his promise, +and she went to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, and she brought Tuiren +away and put her own shape on her again, and gave her up to Finn. And +Finn gave her to Lugaidh Lamha that asked her in marriage. + +And as to the two whelps, they stopped always with Finn, and the names +he gave them were Bran and Sceolan. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S MOTHER. + + +It happened one time Finn and his men were coming back from the hunting, +a beautiful fawn started up before them, and they followed after it, men +and dogs, till at last they were all tired and fell back, all but Finn +himself and Bran and Sceolan. And suddenly as they were going through a +valley, the fawn stopped and lay down on the smooth grass, and Bran and +Sceolan came up with it, and they did not harm it at all, but went +playing about it, licking its neck and its face. + +There was wonder on Finn when he saw that, and he went on home to +Almhuin, and the fawn followed after him playing with the hounds, and it +came with them into the house at Almhuin. And when Finn was alone late +that evening, a beautiful young woman having a rich dress came before +him, and she told him it was she herself was the fawn he was after +hunting that day. "And it is for refusing the love of Fear Doirche, the +Dark Druid of the Men of Dea," she said, "I was put in this shape. And +through the length of three years," she said, "I have lived the life of +a wild deer in a far part of Ireland, and I am hunted like a wild deer. +And a serving-man of the Dark Druid took pity on me," she said, "and he +said that if I was once within the dun of the Fianna of Ireland, the +Druid would have no more power over me. So I made away, and I never +stopped through the whole length of a day till I came into the district +of Almhuin. And I never stopped then till there was no one after me but +only Bran and Sceolan, that have human wits; and I was safe with them, +for they knew my nature to be like their own." + +Then Finn gave her his love, and took her as his wife, and she stopped +in Almhuin. And so great was his love for her, he gave up his hunting +and all the things he used to take pleasure in, and gave his mind to no +other thing but herself. + +But at last the men of Lochlann came against Ireland, and their ships +were in the bay below Beinn Edair, and they landed there. + +And Finn and the battalions of the Fianna went out against them, and +drove them back. And at the end of seven days Finn came back home, and +he went quickly over the plain of Almhuin, thinking to see Sadbh his +wife looking out from the dun, but there was no sign of her. And when he +came to the dun, all his people came out to meet him, but they had a +very downcast look. "Where is the flower of Almhuin, beautiful gentle +Sadbh?" he asked them. And it is what they said: "While you were away +fighting, your likeness, and the likeness of Bran and of Sceolan +appeared before the dun, and we thought we heard the sweet call of the +Dord Fiann. And Sadbh, that was so good and so beautiful, came out of +the house," they said, "and she went out of the gates, and she would not +listen to us, and we could not stop her." "Let me go meet my love," she +said, "my husband, the father of the child that is not born." And with +that she went running out towards the shadow of yourself that was before +her, and that had its arms stretched out to her. But no sooner did she +touch it than she gave a great cry, and the shadow lifted up a hazel +rod, and on the moment it was a fawn was standing on the grass. Three +times she turned and made for the gate of the dun, but the two hounds +the shadow had with him went after her and took her by the throat and +dragged her back to him. "And by your hand of valour, Finn," they said, +"we ourselves made no delay till we went out on the plain after her. But +it is our grief, they had all vanished, and there was not to be seen +woman, or fawn or Druid, but we could hear the quick tread of feet on +the hard plain, and the howling of dogs. And if you would ask every one +of us in what quarter he heard those sounds, he would tell you a +different one." + +When Finn heard that, he said no word at all, but he struck his breast +over and over again with his shut hands. And he went then to his own +inside room, and his people saw him no more for that day, or till the +sun rose over Magh Lifé on the morrow. + +And through the length of seven years from that time, whenever he was +not out fighting against the enemies of Ireland, he went searching and +ever searching in every far corner for beautiful Sadbh. And there was +great trouble on him all the time, unless he might throw it off for a +while in hunting or in battle. And through all that time he never +brought out to any hunting but the five hounds he had most trust in, +Bran and Sceolan and Lomaire and Brod and Lomluath, the way there would +be no danger for Sadbh if ever he came on her track. + +But after the end of seven years, Finn and some of his chief men were +hunting on the sides of Beinn Gulbain, and they heard a great outcry +among the hounds, that were gone into some narrow place. And when they +followed them there, they saw the five hounds of Finn in a ring, and +they keeping back the other hounds, and in the middle of the ring was a +young boy, with high looks, and he naked and having long hair. And he +was no way daunted by the noise of the hounds, and did not look at them +at all, but at the men that were coming up. And as soon as the fight was +stopped Bran and Sceolan went up to the little lad, and whined and +licked him, that any one would think they had forgotten their master. +Finn and the others came up to him then, and put their hands on his +head, and made much of him. And they brought him to their own hunting +cabin, and he ate and drank with them, and before long he lost his +wildness and was the same as themselves. And as to Bran and Sceolan, +they were never tired playing about him. + +And it is what Finn thought, there was some look of Sadbh in his face, +and that it might be he was her son, and he kept him always beside him. +And little by little when the boy had learned their talk, he told them +all he could remember. He used to be with a deer he loved very much, he +said, and that cared and sheltered him, and it was in a wide place they +used to be, having hills and valleys and streams and woods in it, but +that was shut in with high cliffs on every side, that there was no way +of escape from it. And he used to be eating fruits and roots in the +summer, and in the winter there was food left for him in the shelter of +a cave. And a dark-looking man used to be coming to the place, and +sometimes he would speak to the deer softly and gently, and sometimes +with a loud angry voice. But whatever way he spoke, she would always +draw away from him with the appearance of great dread on her, and the +man would go away in great anger. And the last time he saw the deer, his +mother, the dark man was speaking to her for a long time, from softness +to anger. And at the end he struck her with a hazel rod, and with that +she was forced to follow him, and she looking back all the while at the +child, and crying after him that any one would pity her. And he tried +hard to follow after her, and made every attempt, and cried out with +grief and rage, but he had no power to move, and when he could hear his +mother no more he fell on the grass and his wits went from him. And when +he awoke it is on the side of the hill he was, where the hounds found +him. And he searched a long time for the place where he was brought up, +but he could not find it. + +And the name the Fianna gave him was Oisin, and it is he was their maker +of poems, and their good fighter afterwards. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA + + +And while Oisin was in his young youth, Finn had other good men along +with him, and the best of them were Goll, son of Morna, and Caoilte, son +of Ronan, and Lugaidh's Son. + +As to Goll, that was of Connacht, he was very tall and light-haired, and +some say he was the strongest of all the Fianna. Finn made a poem in +praise of him one time when some stranger was asking what sort he was, +saying how hardy he was and brave in battle, and as strong as a hound or +as the waves, and with all that so kind and so gentle, and open-handed +and sweet-voiced, and faithful to his friends. + +And the chessboard he had was called the Solustairtech, the Shining +Thing, and some of the chessmen were made of gold, and some of them of +silver, and each one of them was as big as the fist of the biggest man +of the Fianna; and after the death of Goll it was buried in Slieve +Baune. + +And as to Caoilte, that was a grey thin man, he was the best runner of +them all. And he did a good many great deeds; a big man of the Fomor he +killed one time, and he killed a five-headed giant in a wheeling door, +and another time he made an end of an enchanted boar that no one else +could get near, and he killed a grey stag that had got away from the +Fianna through twenty-seven years. And another time he brought Finn out +of Teamhair, where he was kept by force by the High King, because of +some rebellion the Fianna had stirred up. And when Caoilte heard Finn +had been brought away to Teamhair, he went out to avenge him. And the +first he killed was Cuireach, a king of Leinster that had a great name, +and he brought his head up to the hill that is above Buadhmaic. And +after that he made a great rout through Ireland, bringing sorrow into +every house for the sake of Finn, killing a man in every place, and +killing the calves with the cows. + +And every door the red wind from the east blew on, he would throw it +open, and go in and destroy all before him, setting fire to the fields, +and giving the wife of one man to another. + +And when he came to Teamhair, he came to the palace, and took the +clothes off the door-keeper, and he left his own sword that was worn +thin in the king's sheath, and took the king's sword that had great +power in it. And he went into the palace then in the disguise of a +servant, to see how he could best free Finn. + +And when evening came Caoilte held the candle at the king's feast in the +great hall, and after a while the king said: "You will wonder at what I +tell you, Finn, that the two eyes of Caoilte are in my candlestick." "Do +not say that," said Finn, "and do not put reproach on my people although +I myself am your prisoner; for as to Caoilte," he said, "that is not the +way with him, for it is a high mind he has, and he only does high +deeds, and he would not stand serving with a candle for all the gold of +the whole world." + +After that Caoilte was serving the King of Ireland with drink, and when +he was standing beside him he gave out a high sorrowful lament. "There +is the smell of Caoilte's skin on that lament," said the king. And when +Caoilte saw he knew him he spoke out and he said: "Tell me what way I +can get freedom for my master." "There is no way to get freedom for him +but by doing one thing," said the king, "and that is a thing you can +never do. If you can bring me together a couple of all the wild +creatures of Ireland," he said, "I will give up your master to you +then." + +When Caoilte heard him say that he made no delay, but he set out from +Teamhair, and went through the whole of Ireland to do that work for the +sake of Finn. It is with the flocks of birds he began, though they were +scattered in every part, and from them he went on to the beasts. And he +gathered together two of every sort, two ravens from Fiodh da Bheann; +two wild ducks from Loch na Seillein; two foxes from Slieve Cuilinn; two +wild oxen from Burren; two swans from blue Dobhran; two owls from the +wood of Faradhruim; two polecats from the branchy wood on the side of +Druim da Raoin, the Ridge of the Victories; two gulls from the strand of +Loch Leith; four woodpeckers from white Brosna; two plovers from +Carraigh Dhain; two thrushes from Leith Lomard; two wrens from Dun +Aoibh; two herons from Corrain Cleibh; two eagles from Carraig of the +stones; two hawks from Fiodh Chonnach; two sows from Loch Meilghe; two +water-hens from Loch Erne; two moor-hens from Monadh Maith; two +sparrow-hawks from Dubhloch; two stonechats from Magh Cuillean; two +tomtits from Magh Tuallainn; two swallows from Sean Abhla; two +cormorants from Ath Cliath; two wolves from Broit Cliathach; two +blackbirds from the Strand of the Two Women; two roebucks from Luachair +Ire; two pigeons from Ceas Chuir; two nightingales from Leiter Ruadh; +two starlings from green-sided Teamhair; two rabbits from Sith Dubh +Donn; two wild pigs from Cluaidh Chuir; two cuckoos from Drom Daibh; two +lapwings from Leanain na Furraich; two woodcocks from Craobh Ruadh; two +hawks from the Bright Mountain; two grey mice from Luimneach; two otters +from the Boinn; two larks from the Great Bog; two bats from the Cave of +the Nuts; two badgers from the province of Ulster; two landrail from the +banks of the Sionnan; two wagtails from Port Lairrge; two curlews from +the harbour of Gallimh; two hares from Muirthemne; two deer from Sith +Buidhe; two peacocks from Magh Mell; two cormorants from Ath Cliath; two +eels from Duth Dur; two goldfinches from Slieve na-n Eun; two birds of +slaughter from Magh Bhuilg; two bright swallows from Granard; two +redbreasts from the Great Wood; two rock-cod from Cala Chairge; two +sea-pigs from the great sea; two wrens from Mios an Chuil; two salmon +from Eas Mhic Muirne; two clean deer from Gleann na Smoil; two cows from +Magh Mor; two cats from the Cave of Cruachan; two sheep from bright +Sidhe Diobhlain; two pigs of the pigs of the son of Lir; a ram and a +crimson sheep from Innis. + +And along with all these he brought ten hounds of the hounds of the +Fianna, and a horse and a mare of the beautiful horses of Manannan. + +And when Caoilte had gathered all these, he brought them to the one +place. But when he tried to keep them together, they scattered here and +there from him; the raven went away southward, and that vexed him +greatly, but he overtook it again in Gleann da Bheann, beside Loch +Lurcan. And then his wild duck went away from him, and it was not easy +to get it again, but he followed it through every stream to grey Accuill +till he took it by the neck and brought it back, and it no way willing. + +And indeed through the length of his life Caoilte remembered well all he +went through that time with the birds, big and little, travelling over +hills and ditches and striving to bring them with him, that he might set +Finn his master free. + +And when he came to Teamhair he had more to go through yet, for the king +would not let him bring them in before morning, but gave him a house +having nine doors in it to put them up in for the night. And no sooner +were they put in than they raised a loud screech all together, for a +little ray of light was coming to them through fifty openings, and they +were trying to make their escape. And if they were not easy in the +house, Caoilte was not easy outside it, watching every door till the +rising of the sun on the morrow. + +And when he brought out his troop, the name the people gave them was +"Caoilte's Rabble," and there was no wonder at all in that. + +But all the profit the King of Ireland got from them was to see them +together for that one time. For no sooner did Finn get his freedom than +the whole of them scattered here and there, and no two of them went by +the same road out of Teamhair. + +And that was one of the best things Caoilte, son of Ronan, ever did. And +another time he ran from the wave of Cliodna in the south to the wave of +Rudraige in the north. And Colla his son was a very good runner too, and +one time he ran a race backwards against the three battalions of the +Fianna for a chessboard. And he won the race, but if he did, he went +backward over Beinn Edair into the sea. + +And very good hearing Caoilte had. One time he heard the King of the +Luigne of Connacht at his hunting, and Blathmec that was with him said, +"What is that hunt, Caoilte?" "A hunt of three packs of hounds," he +said, "and three sorts of wild creatures before them. The first hunt," +he said, "is after stags and large deer and the second hunt is after +swift small hares, and the third is a furious hunt after heavy boars." +"And what is the fourth hunt, Caoilte?" said Blathmec. "It is the +hunting of heavy-sided, low-bellied badgers." And then they heard coming +after the hunt the shouts of the lads and of the readiest of the men and +the serving-men that were best at carrying burdens. And Blathmec went +out to see the hunting, and just as Caoilte had told him, that was the +way it was. + +And he understood the use of herbs, and one time he met with two women +that were very downhearted because their husbands had gone from them to +take other wives. And Caoilte gave them Druid herbs, and they put them +in the water of a bath and washed in it, and the love of their husbands +came back to them, and they sent away the new wives they had taken. + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was of Finn's blood, and another of the +best men of the Fianna, he was put into Finn's arms as a child, and he +was reared up by Duban's daughter, that had reared eight hundred +fighting men of the Fianna, till his twelfth year, and then she gave him +all he wanted of arms and of armour, and he went to Chorraig Conluain +and the mountains of Slieve Bladhma, where Finn and the Fianna were at +that time. + +And Finn gave him a very gentle welcome, and he struck his hand in +Finn's hand, and made his agreement of service with him. And he stopped +through the length of a year with the Fianna; but he was someway +sluggish through all that time, so that under his leading not more than +nine of the Fianna got to kill so much as a boar or a deer. And along +with that, he used to beat both his servants and his hounds. + +And at last the three battalions of the Fianna went to where Finn was, +at the Point of the Fianna on the edge of Loch Lein, and they made their +complaint against Lugaidh's Son, and it is what they said: "Make your +choice now, will you have us with you, or will you have Lugaidh's Son by +himself." + +Then Lugaidh's Son came to Finn, and Finn asked him, "What is it has put +the whole of the Fianna against you?" "By my word," said the lad, "I do +not know the reason, unless it might be they do not like me to be doing +my feats and casting my spears among them." + +Then Finn gave him an advice, and it is what he said: "If you have a +mind to be a good champion, be quiet in a great man's house; be surly in +the narrow pass. Do not beat your hound without a cause; do not bring a +charge against your wife without having knowledge of her guilt; do not +hurt a fool in fighting, for he is without his wits. Do not find fault +with high-up persons; do not stand up to take part in a quarrel; have no +dealings with a bad man or a foolish man. Let two-thirds of your +gentleness be showed to women and to little children that are creeping +on the floor, and to men of learning that make the poems, and do not be +rough with the common people. Do not give your reverence to all; do not +be ready to have one bed with your companions. Do not threaten or speak +big words, for it is a shameful thing to speak stiffly unless you can +carry it out afterwards. Do not forsake your lord so long as you live; +do not give up any man that puts himself under your protection for all +the treasures of the world. Do not speak against others to their lord, +that is not work for a good man. Do not be a bearer of lying stories, or +a tale-bearer that is always chattering. Do not be talking too much; do +not find fault hastily; however brave you may be, do not raise factions +against you. Do not be going to drinking-houses, or finding fault with +old men; do not meddle with low people; this is right conduct I am +telling you. Do not refuse to share your meat; do not have a niggard for +your friend; do not force yourself on a great man or give him occasion +to speak against you. Hold fast to your arms till the hard fight is well +ended. Do not give up your opportunity, but with that follow after +gentleness." + +That was good advice Finn gave, and he was well able to do that; for it +was said of him that he had all the wisdom of a little child that is +busy about the house, and the mother herself not understanding what he +is doing; and that is the time she has most pride in him. + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, that advice stayed always with him, and he +changed his ways, and after a while he got a great name among the poets +of Ireland and of Alban, and whenever they would praise Finn in their +poems, they would praise him as well. + +And Aoife, daughter of the King of Lochlann, that was married to Mal, +son of Aiel, King of Alban, heard the great praise the poets were giving +to Lugaidh's Son, and she set her love on him for the sake of those +stories. + +And one time Mal her husband and his young men went hunting to +Slieve-mor-Monaidh in the north of Alban. And when he was gone Aoife +made a plan in her sunny house where she was, to go over to Ireland, +herself and her nine foster-sisters. And they set out and went over the +manes of the sea till they came to Beinn Edair, and there they landed. + +And it chanced on that day there was a hunting going on, from Slieve +Bladhma to Beinn Edair. And Finn was in his hunting seat, and his +fosterling, brown-haired Duibhruinn, beside him. And the little lad was +looking about him on every side, and he saw a ship coming to the +strand, and a queen with modest looks in the ship, and nine women along +with her. They landed then, and they came up to where Finn was, bringing +every sort of present with them, and Aoife sat down beside him. And Finn +asked news of her, and she told him the whole story, and how she had +given her love to Lugaidh's Son, and was come over the sea looking for +him; and Finn made her welcome. + +And when the hunting was over, the chief men of the Fianna came back to +where Finn was, and every one asked who was the queen that was with him. +And Finn told them her name, and what it was brought her to Ireland. "We +welcome her that made that journey," said they all; "for there is not in +Ireland or in Alban a better man than the man she is come looking for, +unless Finn himself." + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, it was on the far side of Slieve Bladhma he was +hunting that day, and he was the last to come in. And he went into +Finn's tent, and when he saw the woman beside him he questioned Finn the +same as the others had done, and Finn told him the whole story. "And it +is to you she is come," he said; "and here she is to you out of my hand, +and all the war and the battles she brings with her; but it will not +fall heavier on you," he said, "than on the rest of the Fianna." + +And she was with Lugaidh's Son a month and a year without being asked +for. But one day the three battalions of the Fianna were on the Hill of +the Poet in Leinster, and they saw three armed battalions equal to +themselves coming, against them, and they asked who was bringing them. +"It is Mal, son of Aiel, is bringing them," said Finn, "to avenge his +wife on the Fianna. And it is a good time they are come," he said, "when +we are gathered together at the one spot." + +Then the two armies went towards one another, and Mal, son of Aiel, +took hold of his arms, and three times he broke through the Fianna, and +every time a hundred fell by him. And in the middle of the battle he and +Lugaidh's Son met, and they fought against one another with spear and +sword. And whether the fight was short or long, it was Mal fell by +Lugaidh's Son at the last. + +And Aoife stood on a hill near by, as long as the battle lasted. And +from that out she belonged to Lugaidh's Son, and was a mother of +children to him. + + + + +BOOK TWO: FINN'S HELPERS + +CHAPTER I. THE LAD OF THE SKINS + + +Besides all the men Finn had in his household, there were some that +would come and join him from one place or another. One time a young man +wearing a dress of skins came to Finn's house at Almhuin, and his wife +along with him, and he asked to take service with Finn. + +And in the morning, as they were going to their hunting, the Lad of the +Skins said to Finn: "Let me have no one with me but myself, and let me +go into one part of the country by myself, and you yourself with all +your men go to another part." "Is it on the dry ridges you will go," +said Finn, "or is it in the deep bogs and marshes, where there is danger +of drowning?" "I will go in the deep boggy places," said he. + +So they all went out from Almhuin, Finn and the Fianna to one part, and +the Lad of the Skins to another part, and they hunted through the day. +And when they came back at evening, the Lad of the Skins had killed more +than Finn and all his men together. + +When Finn saw that, he was glad to have so good a servant. But Conan +said to him: "The Lad of the Skins will destroy ourselves and the whole +of the Fianna of Ireland unless you will find some way to rid yourself +of him." "I never had a good man with me yet, Conan," said Finn, "but +you wanted me to put him away; and how could I put away a man like +that?" he said. "The way to put him away," said Conan, "is to send him +to the King of the Floods to take from him the great cauldron that is +never without meat, but that has always enough in it to feed the whole +world. And let him bring that cauldron back here with him to Almhuin," +he said. + +So Finn called to the Lad of the Skins, and he said: "Go from me now to +the King of the Floods and get the great cauldron that is never empty +from him, and bring it here to me." "So long as I am in your service I +must do your work," said the Lad of the Skins. With that he set out, +leaping over the hills and valleys till he came to the shore of the sea. +And then he took up two sticks and put one of them across the other, and +a great ship rose out of the two sticks. The Lad of the Skins went into +the ship then, and put up the sails and set out over the sea, and he +heard nothing but the whistling of eels in the sea and the calling of +gulls in the air till he came to the house of the King of the Floods. +And at that time there were hundreds of ships waiting near the shore; +and he left his ship outside them all, and then he stepped from ship to +ship till he stood on land. + +There was a great feast going on at that time in the king's house, and +the Lad of the Skins went up to the door, but he could get no farther +because of the crowd. So he stood outside the door for a while, and no +one looked at him, and he called out at last: "This is a hospitable +house indeed, and these are mannerly ways, not to ask a stranger if +there is hunger on him or thirst." "That is true," said the king; "and +give the cauldron of plenty now to this stranger," he said, "till he +eats his fill." + +So his people did that, and no sooner did the Lad of the Skins get a +hold of the cauldron than he made away to the ship and put it safe into +it. But when he had done that he said: "There is no use in taking the +pot by my swiftness, if I do not take it by my strength." And with that +he turned and went to land again. And the whole of the men of the army +of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was +the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till +the whole place was quiet. + +He went back to his ship then and raised the sails and set out again +for Ireland, and the ship went rushing back to the place where he made +it. And when he came there, he gave a touch of his hand to the ship, and +there was nothing left of it but the two sticks he made it from, and +they lying on the strand before him, and the cauldron of plenty with +them. And he took up the cauldron on his back, and brought it to Finn, +son of Cumhal, at Almhuin. And Finn gave him his thanks for the work he +had done. + +One day, now, Finn was washing himself at the well, and a voice spoke +out of the water, and it said: "You must give back the cauldron, Finn, +to the King of the Floods, or you must give him battle in place of it." + +Finn told that to the Lad of the Skins, but the answer he got from him +was that his time was up, and that he could not serve on time that was +past. "But if you want me to go with you," he said, "let you watch my +wife, that is Manannan's daughter, through the night; and in the middle +of the night, when she will be combing her hair, any request you make of +her, she cannot refuse it. And the request you will make is that she +will let me go with you to the King of the Floods, to bring the cauldron +to his house and to bring it back again." + +So Finn watched Manannan's daughter through the night, and when he saw +her combing her hair, he made his request of her. "I have no power to +refuse you," she said; "but you must promise me one thing, to bring my +husband back to me, alive or dead. And if he is alive," she said, "put +up a grey-green flag on the ship coming back; but if he is dead, put up +a red flag." + +So Finn promised to do that, and he himself and the Lad of the Skins set +out together for the dun of the King of the Floods, bringing the +cauldron with them. + +No sooner did the king see them than he gave word to all his armies to +make ready. But the Lad of the Skins made for them and overthrew them, +and he went into the king's dun, and Finn with him, and they overcame +him and brought away again the cauldron that was never empty. + +But as they were going back to Ireland, they saw a great ship coming +towards them. And when the Lad of the Skins looked at the ship, he said: +"I think it is an old enemy of my own is in that ship, that is trying to +bring me to my death, because of my wife that refused him her love." And +when the ship came alongside, the man that was in it called out: "I know +you well, and it is not by your dress I know you, son of the King of the +Hills." And with that he made a leap on to the ship, and the two fought +a great battle together, and they took every shape; they began young +like two little boys, and fought till they were two old men; they fought +from being two young pups until they were two old dogs; from being two +young horses till they were two old horses. And then they began to fight +in the shape of birds, and it is in that shape they killed one another +at the last. And Finn threw the one bird into the water, but the other, +that was the Lad of the Skins, he brought with him in the ship. And when +he came in sight of Ireland, he raised a red flag as he had promised the +woman. + +And when he came to the strand, she was there before him, and when she +saw Finn, she said: "It is dead you have brought him back to me." And +Finn gave her the bird, and she asked was that what she was to get in +the place of her husband. And she was crying over the bird, and she +brought it into a little boat with her, and she bade Finn to push out +the boat to sea. + +And he pushed it out, and it was driven by wind and waves till at last +she saw two birds flying, having a dead one between them. And the two +living birds let down the dead one on an island; and it was not long +till it rose up living, and the three went away together. + +And when Manannan's daughter saw that, she said: "There might be some +cure for my man on the island, the way there was for that dead bird." + +And the sea brought the boat to the island, and she went searching +around, but all she could find was a tree having green leaves. "It might +be in these leaves the cure is," she said; and she took some of the +leaves and brought them to where the Lad of the Skins was, and put them +about him. And on that moment he stood up as well and as sound as ever +he was. + +They went back then to Ireland, and they came to Almhuin at midnight, +and the Lad of the Skins knocked at the door, and he said: "Put me out +my wages." "There is no man, living or dead, has wages on me but the Lad +of the Skins," said Finn; "and I would sooner see him here to-night," he +said, "than the wages of three men." "If that is so, rise up and you +will see him," said he. + +So Finn rose up and saw him, and gave him a great welcome, and paid him +his wages. + +And after that he went away and his wife with him to wherever his own +country was; but there were some said he was gone to the country of his +wife's father, Manannan, Son of the Sea. + + + + +CHAPTER II. BLACK, BROWN, AND GREY + + +Finn was hunting one time near Teamhair of the Kings, and he saw three +strange men coming towards him, and he asked what were their names. +"Dubh and Dun and Glasan, Black, Brown, and Grey, are our names," they +said, "and we are come to find Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the Fianna, +and to take service with him." + +So Finn took them into his service, and when evening came he said: "Let +each one of you watch through a third part of the night." And there was +a trunk of a tree there, and he bade them make three equal parts of it, +and he gave a part to each of the three men, and he said: "When each one +of you begins his watch, let him set fire to his own log, and as long as +the wood burns let him watch." + +Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Dubh to go on the first watch. +So he set fire to his log, and he went out around the place, and Bran +with him. He went farther and farther till at last he saw a bright +light, and when he came to the place where it was, he saw a large house. +He went inside, and there was a great company of very strange-looking +men in it, and they drinking out of a single cup. One of the men, that +seemed to be the highest, gave the cup to the man nearest him; and after +he had drunk his fill he passed it on to the next, and so on to the +last. And while it was going round, he said: "This is the great cup that +was taken from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred years ago, and however +many men may be together, every man of them can drink his fill from it, +of whatever sort of drink he has a mind for." + +Dubh was sitting near the door, on the edge of the crowd, and when the +cup came to him he took a drink from it, and then he slipped away in the +dark, bringing it with him. And when he came to the place where Finn +was, his log was burned out. + +Then it was the turn of Dun to go out, for the second lot had fallen on +him, and he put a light to his log, and went out, and Bran with him. + +He walked on through the night till he saw a fire that was shining from +a large house, and when he went in he saw a crowd of men, and they +fighting. And a very old man that was in a high place above the rest +called out: "Stop fighting now, for I have a better gift for you than +the one you lost to-night." And with that he drew a knife out of his +belt and held it up, and said: "This is the wonderful knife, the small +knife of division, that was stolen from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred +years ago; and you have but to cut on a bone with that knife and you +will get your fill of the best meat in the world." Then he gave the +knife to the man nearest him, and a bare bone with it, and the man began +to cut, and there came off the bone slices of the best meat in the +world. + +The knife and the bone were sent round then from man to man till they +came to Dun, and as soon as he had the knife in his hand he slipped out +unknown and hurried back, and he had just got to the well where Finn +was, when his part of the log burned out. + +Then Glasan lighted his log and went out on his watch till he came to +the house, the same way the others did. And he looked in and he saw the +floor full of dead bodies, and he thought to himself: "There must be +some great wonder here. And if I lie down on the floor and put some of +the bodies over me," he said, "I will be able to see all that happens." + +So he lay down and pulled some of the bodies over him, and he was not +long there till he saw an old hag coming into the house, having one leg +and one arm and one upper tooth, that was long enough to serve her in +place of a crutch. And when she came inside the door she took up the +first dead body she met with, and threw it aside, for it was lean. And +as she went on, she took two bites out of every fat body she met with, +and threw away every lean one. + +She had her fill of flesh and blood before she came to Glasan, and she +dropped down on the floor and fell asleep, and Glasan thought that every +breath she drew would bring down the roof on his head. He rose up then +and looked at her, and wondered at the bulk of her body. And at last he +drew his sword and hit her a slash that killed her; but if he did, three +young men leaped out of her body. And Glasan made a stroke that killed +the first of them, and Bran killed the second, but the third made his +escape. + +Glasan made his way back then, and just when he got to where Finn was, +his log of wood was burned out, and the day was beginning to break. + +And when Finn rose up in the morning he asked news of the three +watchers, and they gave him the cup and the knife and told him all they +had seen, and he gave great praise to Dubh and to Dun; but to Glasan he +said: "It might have been as well for you to have left that old hag +alone, for I am in dread the third young man may bring trouble on us +all." + +It happened at the end of twenty-one years, Finn and the Fianna were at +their hunting in the hills, and they saw a Red-Haired Man coming +towards them, and he spoke to no one, but came and stood before Finn. +"What is it you are looking for?" said Finn. "I am looking for a master +for the next twenty-one years," he said. "What wages are you asking?" +said Finn. "No wages at all, but only if I die before the twenty-one +years are up, to bury me on Inis Caol, the Narrow Island." "I will do +that for you," said Finn. + +So the Red-Haired Man served Finn well through the length of twenty +years. But in the twenty-first year he began to waste and to wither +away, and he died. + +And when he was dead, the Fianna were no way inclined to go to Inis Caol +to bury him. But Finn said he would break his word for no man, and that +he himself would bring his body there. And he took an old white horse +that had been turned loose on the hills, and that had got younger and +not older since it was put out, and he put the body of the Red-Haired +Man on its back, and let it take its own way, and he himself followed +it, and twelve men of the Fianna. + +And when they came to Inis Caol they saw no trace of the horse or of the +body. And there was an open house on the island, and they went in. And +there were seats for every man of them inside, and they sat down to rest +for a while. + +But when they tried to rise up it failed them to do it, for there was +enchantment on them. And they saw the Red-Haired Man standing before +them in that moment. + +"The time is come now," he said, "for me to get satisfaction from you +for the death of my mother and my two brothers that were killed by +Glasan in the house of the dead bodies." He began to make an attack on +them then, and he would have made an end of them all, but Finn took +hold of the Dord Fiann, and blew a great blast on it. + +And before the Red-Haired Man was able to kill more than three of them, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that had heard the sound of the Dord +Fiann, came into the house and made an end of him, and put an end to the +enchantment. And Finn, with the nine that were left of the Fianna, came +back again to Almhuin. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE HOUND + + +One day the three battalions of the Fianna came to Magh Femen, and there +they saw three young men waiting for them, having a hound with them; and +there was not a colour in the world but was on that hound, and it was +bigger than any other hound. + +"Where do you come from, young men?" said Finn. "Out of the greater +Iruath in the east," said they; "and our names are Dubh, the Dark, and +Agh, the Battle, and Ilar, the Eagle." "What is it you came for?" "To +enter into service, and your friendship," said they. "What good will it +do us, you to be with us?" said Finn. "We are three," said they, "and +you can make a different use of each one of us." "What uses are those?" +said Finn. "I will do the watching for all the Fianna of Ireland and of +Alban," said one of them. "I will take the weight of every fight and +every battle that will come to them, the way they can keep themselves in +quiet," said the second. "I will meet every troublesome thing that might +come to my master," said the third; "and let all the wants of the world +be told to me and I will satisfy them. And I have a pipe with me," he +said; "and all the men of the world would sleep at the sound of it, and +they in their sickness. And as to the hound," he said, "as long as there +are deer in Ireland he will get provision for the Fianna every second +night. And I myself," he said, "will get it on the other nights." "What +will you ask of us to be with us like that?" said Finn. "We will ask +three things," they said: "no one to come near to the place where we +have our lodging after the fall of night; nothing to be given out to us, +but we to provide for ourselves; and the worst places to be given to us +in the hunting." "Tell me by your oath now," said Finn, "why is it you +will let no one see you after nightfall?" "We have a reason," said they; +"but do not ask it of us, whether we are short or long on the one path +with you. But we will tell you this much," they said, "every third +night, one of us three is dead and the other two are watching him, and +we have no mind for any one to be looking at us." + +So Finn promised that; but if he did there were some of the Fianna were +not well pleased because of the ways of those three men, living as they +did by themselves, and having a wall of fire about them, and they would +have made an end of them but for Finn protecting them. + +About that time there came seven men of poetry belonging to the people +of Cithruadh, asking the fee for a poem, three times fifty ounces of +gold and the same of silver to bring back to Cithruadh at Teamhair. +"Whatever way we get it, we must find some way to get that," said a man +of the Fianna. Then the three young men from Iruath said: "Well, men of +learning," they said, "would you sooner get the fee for your poem +to-night or to-morrow?" "To-morrow will be time enough," said they. + +And the three young men went to the place where the hound had his bed a +little way off from the rath, and the hound threw out of his mouth +before them the three times fifty ounces of gold and three times fifty +of silver, and they gave them to the men of poetry, and they went away. + +Another time Finn said: "What can the three battalions of the Fianna do +to-night, having no water?" And one of the men of Iruath said: "How many +drinking-horns are with you?" "Three hundred and twelve," said Caoilte. +"Give me the horns into my hand," said the young man, "and whatever you +will find in them after that, you may drink it." He filled the horns +then with beer and they drank it, and he did that a second and a third +time; and with the third time of filling they were talkative and their +wits confused. "This is a wonderful mending of the feast," said Finn. +And they gave the place where all that happened the name of the Little +Rath of Wonders. + +And one time after that again there came to Finn three bald red clowns, +holding three red hounds in their hands, and three deadly spears. And +there was poison on their clothes and on their hands and their feet, and +on everything they touched. And Finn asked them who were they. And they +said they were three sons of Uar, son of Indast of the Tuatha de Danaan; +and it was by a man of the Fianna, Caoilte son of Ronan, their father +was killed in the battle of the Tuatha de Danaan on Slieve nan Ean, the +Mountain of Birds, in the east. "And let Caoilte son of Ronan give us +the blood-fine for him now," they said. "What are your names?" said +Finn. "Aincel and Digbail and Espaid; Ill-wishing and Harm and Want are +our names. And what answer do you give us now, Finn?" they said. "No one +before me ever gave a blood-fine for a man killed in battle, and I will +not give it," said Finn. "We will do revenge and robbery on you so," +said they. "What revenge is that?" said Finn. "It is what I will do," +said Aincel, "if I meet with two or three or four of the Fianna, I will +take their feet and their hands from them." "It is what I will do," +said Digbail, "I will not leave a day without loss of a hound or a +serving-boy or a fighting man to the Fianna of Ireland." "And I myself +will be always leaving them in want of people, or of a hand, or of an +eye," said Espaid. "Without we get some help against them," said +Caoilte, "there will not be one of us living at the end of a year." +"Well," said Finn, "we will make a dun and stop here for a while, for I +will not be going through Ireland and these men following after me, till +I find who are the strongest, themselves or ourselves." + +So the Fianna made little raths for themselves all about Slieve Mis, and +they stopped there through a month and a quarter and a year. And through +all that time the three red bald-headed men were doing every sort of +hurt and harm upon them. + +But the three sons of the King of Iruath came to speak with Finn, and it +is what they said: "It is our wish, Finn, to send the hound that is with +us to go around you three times in every day, and however many may be +trying to hurt or to rob you, they will not have power to do it after +that. But let there be neither fire nor arms nor any other dog in the +house he goes into," they said. "I will let none of these things go into +the one house with him," said Finn, "and he will go safe back to you." +So every day the hound would be sent to Finn, having his chain of ridges +of red gold around his neck, and he would go three times around Finn, +and three times he would put his tongue upon him. And to the people that +were nearest to the hound when he came into the house it would seem like +as if a vat of mead was being strained, and to others there would come +the sweet smell of an apple garden. + +And every harm and sickness the three sons of Uar would bring on the +Fianna, the three sons of the King of Iruath would take it off them +with their herbs and their help and their healing. + +And after a while the High King of Ireland came to Slieve Mis with a +great, troop of his men, to join with Finn and the Fianna. And they told +the High King the whole story, and how the sons of Uar were destroying +them, and the three sons of the King of Iruath were helping them against +them. "Why would not the men that can do all that find some good spell +that would drive the sons of Uar out of Ireland?" said the High King. + +With that Caoilte went looking for the three young men from Iruath and +brought them to the High King. "These are comely men," said the High +King, "good in their shape and having a good name. And could you find +any charm, my sons," he said, "that will drive out these three enemies +that are destroying the Fianna of Ireland?" "We would do that if we +could find those men near us," said they; "and it is where they are +now," they said, "at Daire's Cairn at the end of the raths." "Where are +Garb-Cronan, the Rough Buzzing One, and Saltran of the Long Heel?" said +Finn. "Here we are, King of the Fianna," said they. "Go out to those men +beyond, and tell them I will give according to the judgment of the King +of Ireland in satisfaction for their father." The messengers went out +then and brought them in, and they sat down on the bank of the rath. + +Then the High King said: "Rise up, Dubh, son of the King of Iruath, and +command these sons of Uar with a spell to quit Ireland." And Dubh rose +up, and he said: "Go out through the strength of this spell and this +charm, you three enemies of the Fianna, one-eyed, lame-thighed, +left-handed, of the bad race. And go out on the deep bitter sea," he +said, "and let each one of you strike a blow of his sword on the head +of his brothers. For it is long enough you are doing harm and +destruction on the King of the Fianna, Finn, son of Cumhal." + +With that the hound sent a blast of wind under them that brought them +out into the fierce green sea, and each of them struck a blow on the +head of the others. And that was the last that was seen of the three +destroying sons of Uar, Aincel and Digbail and Espaid. + +But after the time of the Fianna, there came three times in the one +year, into West Munster, three flocks of birds from the western sea +having beaks of bone and fiery breath, and the wind from their wings was +as cold as a wind of spring. And the first time they came was at reaping +time, and every one of them brought away an ear of corn from the field. +And the next time they came they did not leave apple on tree, or nut on +bush, or berry on the rowan; and the third time they spared no live +thing they could lift from the ground, young bird or fawn or silly +little child. And the first day they came was the same day of the year +the three sons of Uar were put out in the sea. + +And when Caoilte, that was one of the last of the Fianna, and that was +living yet, heard of them, he remembered the sons of Uar, and he made a +spell that drove them out into the sea again, and they perished there by +one another. + +It was about the length of a year the three sons of the King of Iruath +stopped with Finn. And at the end of that time Donn and Dubhan, two sons +of the King of Ulster, came out of the north to Munster. And one night +they kept watch for the Fianna, and three times they made a round of the +camp. And it is the way the young men from Iruath used to be, in a place +by themselves apart from the Fianna, and their hound in the middle +between them; and at the fall of night there used a wall of fire to be +around them, the way no one could look at them. + +And the third time the sons of the King of Ulster made the round of the +camp, they saw the fiery wall, and Donn said: "It is a wonder the way +those three young men are through the length of a year now, and their +hound along with them, and no one getting leave to look at them." + +With that he himself and his brother took their arms in their hands, and +went inside the wall of fire, and they began looking at the three men +and at the hound. And the great hound they used to see every day at the +hunting was at this time no bigger than a lap-dog that would be with a +queen or a high person. And one of the young men was watching over the +dog, and his sword in his hand, and another of them was holding a vessel +of white silver to the mouth of the dog; and any drink any one of the +three would ask for, the dog would put it out of his mouth into the +vessel. + +Then one of the young men said to the hound: "Well, noble one and brave +one and just one, take notice of the treachery that is done to you by +Finn." When the dog heard that he turned to the King of Ulster's sons, +and there rose a dark Druid wind that blew away the shields from their +shoulders and the swords from their sides into the wall of fire. And +then the three men came out and made an end of them; and when that was +done the dog came and breathed on them, and they turned to ashes on the +moment, and there was never blood or flesh or bone of them found after. + +And the three battalions of the Fianna divided themselves into companies +of nine, and went searching through every part of Ireland for the King +of Ulster's two sons. + +And as to Finn, he went to Teamhair Luachra, and no one with him but the +serving-lads and the followers of the army. And the companies of nine +that were looking for the King of Ulster's sons came back to him there +in the one night; but they brought no word of them, if they were dead or +living. + +But as to the three sons of the King of Iruath and the hound that was +with them, they were seen no more by Finn and the Fianna. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. RED RIDGE + + +There was another young man came and served Finn for a while; out of +Connacht he came, and he was very daring, and the Red Ridge was the name +they gave him. And he all but went from Finn one time, because of his +wages that were too long in coming to him. And the three battalions of +the Fianna came trying to quiet him, but he would not stay for them. And +at the last Finn himself came, for it is a power he had, if he would +make but three verses he would quiet any one. And it is what he said: +"Daring Red Ridge," he said, "good in battle, if you go from me to-day +with your great name it is a good parting for us. But once at Rath Cro," +he said, "I gave you three times fifty ounces in the one day; and at Cam +Ruidhe I gave you the full of my cup of silver and of yellow gold. And +do you remember," he said, "the time we were at Rath Ai, when we found +the two women, and when we ate the nuts, myself and yourself were there +together." + +And after that the young man said no more about going from him. + +And another helper came to Finn one time he was fighting at a ford, and +all his weapons were used or worn with the dint of the fight. And there +came to him a daughter of Mongan of the Sidhe, bringing him a flat stone +having a chain of gold to it. And he took the stone and did great deeds +with it. And after the fight the stone fell into the ford, that got the +name of Ath Liag Finn. + +And that stone will never be found till the Woman of the Waves will find +it, and will bring it to land on a Sunday morning; and on that day seven +years the world will come to an end. + + + + +BOOK THREE: THE BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND. + +CHAPTER I. THE ENEMIES OF IRELAND + + +Of all the great battles the Fianna fought to keep the foreigners out of +Ireland, the greatest was the one that was fought at Finntraigh the +White Strand, in Munster; and this is the whole story of it, and of the +way the Fianna came to have so great a name. + +One time the enemies of Ireland gathered together under Daire Donn, High +King of the Great World, thinking to take Ireland and to put it under +tribute. + +The King of Greece was of them, and the King of France, and the King of +the Eastern World, and Lughman of the Broad Arms, King of the Saxons, +and Fiacha of the Long Hair, King of the Gairean, and Tor the son of +Breogan, King of the Great Plain, and Sligech, son of the King of the +Men of Cepda, and Comur of the Crooked Sword, King of the Men of the +Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads, and Caisel +of the Feathers, King of Lochlann, and Madan of the Bent Neck, son of +the King of the Marshes, and three kings from the rising of the sun in +the east, and Ogarmach, daughter of the King of Greece, the best +woman-warrior that ever came into the world, and a great many other +kings and great lords. + +The King of the World asked then: "Who is there can give me knowledge of +the harbours of Ireland?" "I will do that for you, and I will bring you +to a good harbour," said Glas, son of Bremen, that had been put out of +Ireland by Finn for doing some treachery. + +Then the armies set out in their ships, and they were not gone far when +the wind rose and the waves, and they could hear nothing but the wild +playing of the sea-women, and the screams of frightened birds, and the +breaking of ropes and of sails. But after a while, when the wind found +no weakness in the heroes, it rose from them and went up into its own +high place. And then the sea grew quiet and the waves grew tame and the +harbours friendly, and they stopped for a while at an island that was +called the Green Rock. But the King of the World said then: "It is not a +harbour like this you promised me, Glas, son of Dremen, but a shore of +white sand where my armies could have their fairs and their gatherings +the time they would not be fighting." "I know a harbour of that sort in +the west of Ireland," said Glas, "the Harbour of the White Strand in +Corca Duibhne." So they went into their ships again, and went on over +the sea towards Ireland. + + + + +CHAPTER II. CAEL AND CREDHE + + +Now as to Finn, when it was shown to him that the enemies of Ireland +were coming, he called together the seven battalions of the Fianna. And +the place where they gathered was on the hill that was called +Fionntulach, the White Hill, in Munster. They often stopped on that hill +for a while, and spear-shafts with spells on them were brought to them +there, and they had every sort of thing for food, beautiful +blackberries, haws of the hawthorn, nuts of the hazels of Cenntire, +tender twigs of the bramble bush, sprigs of wholesome gentian, +watercress at the beginning of summer. And there would be brought to +their cooking-pots birds out of the oak-woods, and squirrels from +Berramain, and speckled eggs from the cliffs, and salmon out of +Luimnech, and eels of the Sionnan, and woodcocks of Fidhrinne, and +otters from the hidden places of the Doile, and fish from the coasts of +Buie and Beare, and dulse from the bays of Cleire. + +And as they were going to set out southwards, they saw one of their +young men, Gael, grandson of Nemhnain, coming towards them. "Where are +you come from, Cael?" Finn asked him. "From Brugh na Boinne," said he. +"What were you asking there?" said Finn. "I was asking to speak with +Muirenn, daughter of Derg, that was my own nurse," said he. "For what +cause?" said Finn. "It was about a high marriage and a woman of the +Sidhe that was showed to me in a dream; Credhe it was I saw, daughter of +the King of Ciarraighe Luachra." "Do you know this, Cael," said Finn, +"that she is the greatest deceiver of all the women of Ireland; and +there is hardly a precious thing in Ireland but she has coaxed it away +to her own great dun." "Do you know what she asks of every man that +comes asking for her?" said Cael. "I know it," said Finn; "she will let +no one come unless he is able to make a poem setting out the report of +her bowls and her horns and her cups, her grand vessels and all her +palaces." "I have all that ready," said Cael; "it was given to me by my +nurse, Muirenn, daughter of Derg." + +They gave up the battle then for that time, and they went on over every +hilly place and every stony place till they came to Loch Cuire in the +west; and they came to the door of the hill of the Sidhe and knocked at +it with the shafts of their long gold-socketted spears. And there came +young girls having yellow hair to the windows of the sunny houses; and +Credhe herself, having three times fifty women with her, came out to +speak with them. "It is to ask you in marriage we are come," said Finn. +"Who is it is asking for me?" said she. "It is Cael, the hundred-killer, +grandson of Nemhnain, son of the King of Leinster in the east." "I have +heard talk of him, but I have never seen him," said Credhe. "And has he +any poem for me?" she said. "I have that," said Cael, and he rose up +then and sang his poem: + +"A journey I have to make, and it is no easy journey, to the house of +Credhe against the breast of the mountain, at the Paps of Dana; it is +there I must be going through hardships for the length of seven days. It +is pleasant her house is, with men and boys and women, with Druids and +musicians, with cup-bearer and door-keeper, with horse-boy that does not +leave his work, with distributer to share food; and Credhe of the Fair +Hair having command over them all. + +"It would be delightful to me in her dun, with coverings and with down, +if she has but a mind to listen to me. + +"A bowl she has with juice of berries in it to make her eyebrows black; +crystal vats of fermenting grain; beautiful cups and vessels. Her house +is of the colour of lime; there are rushes for beds, and many silken +coverings and blue cloaks; red gold is there, and bright drinking-horns. +Her sunny house is beside Loch Cuire, made of silver and yellow gold; +its ridge is thatched without any fault, with the crimson wings of +birds. The doorposts are green, the lintel is of silver taken in battle. +Credhe's chair on the left is the delight of delights, covered with gold +of Elga; at the foot of the pleasant bed it is, the bed that was made of +precious stones by Tuile in the east. Another bed there is on the right, +of gold and silver, it is made without any fault, curtains it has of the +colour of the foxglove, hanging on rods of copper. + +"The people of her house, it is they have delight, their cloaks are not +faded white, they are not worn smooth; their hair is fair and curling. +Wounded men in their blood would sleep hearing the birds of the Sidhe +singing in the eaves of the sunny house. + +"If I have any thanks to give to Credhe, for whom the cuckoo calls, she +will get better praise than this; if this love-service I have done is +pleasing to her, let her not delay, let her say, 'Your coming is +welcome to me.' + +"A hundred feet there are in her house, from one corner to another; +twenty feet fully measured is the width of her great door; her roof has +its thatch of the wings of blue and yellow birds, the border of her well +is of crystals and carbuncles. + +"There is a vat there of royal bronze; the juice of pleasant malt is +running from it; over the vat is an apple-tree with its heavy fruit; +when Credhe's horn is filled from the vat, four apples fall into it +together. + +"She that owns all these things both at low water and at flood, Credhe +from the Hill of the Three Peaks, she is beyond all the women of Ireland +by the length of a spear-cast. + +"Here is this song for her, it is no sudden bride-gift it is, no hurried +asking; I bring it to Credhe of the beautiful shape, that my coming may +be very bright to her." + +Then Credhe took him for her husband, and the wedding-feast was made, +and the whole of the Fianna stopped there through seven days, at +drinking and pleasure, and having every good thing. + + + + +CHAPTER III. CONN CRITHER + + +Finn now, when he had turned from his road to go to Credhe's house, had +sent out watchmen to every landing-place to give warning when the ships +of the strangers would be in sight. And the man that was keeping watch +at the White Strand was Conn Crither, son of Bran, from Teamhair +Luachra. + +And after he had been a long time watching, he was one night west from +the Round Hill of the Fianna that is called Cruachan Adrann, and there +he fell asleep. And while he was in his sleep the ships came; and what +roused him was the noise of the breaking of shields and the clashing of +swords and of spears, and the cries of women and children and of dogs +and horses that were under flames, and that the strangers were making an +attack on. + +Conn Crither started up when he heard that, and he said: "It is great +trouble has come on the people through my sleep; and I will not stay +living after this," he said, "for Finn and the Fianna of Ireland to see +me, but I will rush into the middle of the strangers," he said, "and +they will fall by me till I fall by them." + +He put on his suit of battle then and ran down towards the strand. And +on the way he saw three women dressed in battle clothes before him, and +fast as he ran he could not overtake them. He took his spear then to +make a cast of it at the woman was nearest him, but she stopped on the +moment, and she said: "Hold your hand and do not harm us, for we are not +come to harm you but to help you." "Who are you yourselves?" said Conn +Crither. "We are three sisters," she said, "and we are come from Tir nan +Og, the Country of the Young, and we have all three given you our love, +and no one of us loves you less than the other, and it is to give you +our help we are come." "What way will you help me?" said Conn. "We will +give you good help," she said, "for we will make Druid armies about you +from stalks of grass and from the tops of the watercress, and they will +cry out to the strangers and will strike their arms from their hands, +and take from them their strength and their eyesight. And we will put a +Druid mist about you now," she said, "that will hide you from the armies +of the strangers, and they will not see you when you make an attack on +them. And we have a well of healing at the foot of Slieve Iolair, the +Eagle's Mountain," she said, "and its waters will cure every wound made +in battle. And after bathing in that well you will be as whole and as +sound as the day you were born. And bring whatever man you like best +with you," she said, "and we will heal him along with you." + +Conn Crither gave them his thanks for that, and he hurried on to the +strand. And it was at that time the armies of the King of the Great +Plain were taking spoils from Traigh Moduirn in the north to Finntraighe +in the south. And Conn Crither came on them, and the Druid army with +him, and he took their spoils from them, and the Druid army took their +sight and their strength from them, and they were routed, and they made +away to where the King of the Great Plain was, and Conn Crither +followed, killing and destroying. "Stop with me, king-hero," said the +King of the Great Plain, "that I may fight with you on account of my +people, since there is not one of them that turns to stand against you." + +So the two set their banners in the earth and attacked one another, and +fought a good part of the day until Conn Crither struck off the king's +head. And he lifted up the head, and he was boasting of what he had +done. "By my word," he said, "I will not let myself be parted from this +body till some of the Fianna, few or many, will come to me." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. GLAS, SON OF BREMEN + + +The King of the World heard that, and he said: "It is a big word that +man is saying," he said; "and rise up now, Glas, son of Dremen, and see +which of the Fianna of Ireland it is that is saying it." + +Glas left the ship then, and he went to where Conn + +Crither was, and he asked who was he. "I am Conn Crither, son of Bran, +from Teamhair Luachra," said he. "If that is so," said Glas, "you are of +the one blood with myself, for I am Glas, son of Bremen from Teamhair +Luachra." "It is not right for you to come fighting against me from +those foreigners, so," said Conn. "It is a pity indeed," said Glas; "and +but for Finn and the Fianna driving me from them, I would not fight +against you or against one of themselves for all the treasures of the +whole world." "Do not say that," said Conn, "for I swear by my hand of +valour," he said, "if you had killed Finn's own son and the sons of his +people along with him, you need not be in dread of him if only you came +under his word and his protection." "I think indeed the day is come for +me to fight beside you," said Glas, "and I will go back and tell that to +the King of the World." + +He went back then to where the king was, and the king asked him which of +the men of the Fianna was in it. "It is a kinsman of my own is in it, +High King," said Glas; "and it is weak my heart is, he to be alone, and +I have a great desire to go and help him." "If you go," said the King of +the World, "it is what I ask you, to come and to tell me every day how +many of the Fianna of Ireland have fallen by me; and if a few of my own +men should fall," he said, "come and tell me who it was they fell by." +"It is what I ask you," said Glas, "not to let your armies land till the +Fianna come to us, but to let one man only come to fight with each of us +until that time," he said. + +So two of the strangers were sent against them that day, and they got +their death by Glas and by Conn Crither. Then they asked to have two men +sent against each of them, and that was done; and three times nine fell +by them before night. And Conn Crither was covered with wounds after +the day, and he said to Glas: "Three women came to me from the Country +of the Young, and they promised to put me in a well of healing for my +wounds. And let you watch the harbour to-night," he said, "and I will go +look for them." So he went to them, and they bathed him in the well of +healing, and he was whole of his wounds. + +And as to Glas, son of Dremen, he went down to the harbour, and he said: +"O King of the World," he said, "there is a friend of mine in the ships, +Madan of the Bent Neck, son of the King of the Marshes; and it is what +he said in the great world in the east, that he himself would be enough +to take Ireland for you, and that he would bring it under tribute to you +by one way or another. And I ask you to let him come alone against me +to-night, till we see which of us will fight best for Ireland." + +So Madan came to the land, and the two attacked one another, and made a +very hard fight; but as it was not in the prophecy that Glas would find +his death there, it was the son of the King of the Marshes that got his +death by him. + +And not long after that Conn Crither came back to Glas, and he gave Glas +great praise for all he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE HELP OF THE MEN OF DEA + + +Then Taistellach that was one of Finn's messengers came to the White +Strand asking news; and Conn bade him go back to where Finn was and tell +him the way things were. But Taistellach would not go until he had +wetted his sword in the blood of one of the enemies of Ireland, the same +as the others had done. And he sent a challenge to the ships, and +Coimhleathan, a champion that was very big and tall, came and fought +with him on the strand, and took him in his arms to bring him back +living to the ship of the High King; but Taistellach struck his head off +in the sea and brought it back to land. + +"Victory and blessing be with you!" said Conn Crither. "And go now +to-night," he said, "to the house of Bran, son of Febal my father at +Teamhair Luachra, and bid him to gather all the Tuatha de Danaan to help +us; and go on to-morrow to the Fianna of Ireland." So Taistellach went +on to Bran's house, and he told him the whole story and gave him the +message. + +Then Bran, son of Febal, went out to gather the Tuatha de Danaan, and he +went to Dun Sesnain in Ui Conall Gabra, where they were holding a feast +at that time. And there he found three of the best young men of the +Tuatha de Danaan, Ilbrec the Many Coloured, son of Manannan, and +Nemanach the Pearly, son of Angus Og, and Sigmall, grandson of Midhir, +and they made him welcome and bade him to stop with them. "There is a +greater thing than this for you to do, Men of Dea," said Bran; and he +told them the whole story, and the way Conn Crither his son was. "Stop +with me to-night," said Sesnan, "and my son Dolb will go to Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, and gather in the Tuatha de Danaan to us." + +So he stopped there, and Dolb, son of Sesnan, went to Sidhe Bean Finn +above Magh Femen, and Bodb Dearg was there at that time, and Dolb gave +him his message. "Young man," said Bodb Dearg, "we are no way bound to +help the men of Ireland out of that strait." "Do not say that," said +Dolb, "for there is not a king's son or a prince or a leader of the +Fianna of Ireland without having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother +or a sweetheart of the Tuatha de Danaan; and it is good help they have +given you every time you were in want of it." "I give my word," said +Bodb Dearg, "it is right to give a good answer to so good a messenger." +With that he sent word to the Tuatha de Danaan in every place where they +were, and they gathered to him. And from that they went on to Dun +Sesnain, and they stopped there through the night And they rose up in +the morning and put on their shirts of the dearest silk and their +embroidered coats of rejoicing, and they took their green shields and +their swords and their spears. And their leaders at that time besides +Bodb Dearg were Midhir of Bri Leith, and Lir of Sidhe Finnachaidh, and +Abarthach, son of Ildathach, and Ilbrec, son of Manannan, and Fionnbhar +of Magh Suil, and Argat Lamh, the Silver Hand, from the Sionnan, and the +Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn. + +And the whole army of them came into Ciarraighe Luachra, and to +red-haired Slieve Mis, and from that to the harbour of the White Strand. +"O Men of Dea," said Abarthach then, "let a high mind and high courage +rise within you now in the face of the battle. For the doings of every +one among you," he said, "will be told till the end of the world; and +let you fulfil now the big words you have spoken in the +drinking-houses." "Rise up, Glas, son of Dremen," said Bodb Dearg then, +"and tell out to the King of the World that I am come to do battle." +Glas went then to the King of the World. "Are those the Fianna of +Ireland I see?" said the king. "They are not," said Glas, "but another +part of the men of Ireland that do not dare to be on the face of the +earth, but that live in hidden houses under the earth, and it is to give +warning of battle from them I am come." "Who will answer the Tuatha de +Danaan for me?" said the King of the World. "We will go against them," +said two of the kings that were with him, Comur Cromchenn, King of the +Men of the Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads. +And they had five red-armed battalions with them, and they went to the +shore like great red waves. "Who is there to match with the King of the +Dog-Heads for me?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will go against him," said Lir of +Sidhe Finnachaidh, "though I heard there is not in the world a man with +stronger hands than himself." "Who will be a match for the King of the +Cat-Heads?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will be a match for him," said +Abarthach, son of Ildathach. + +So Lir and the King of the Dog-Heads attacked one another, and they made +a hard fight; but after a while Lir was getting the worst of it. "It is +a pity the way Lir is," said Bodb Dearg; "and let some of you rise up +and help him," he said. Then Ilbrec, son of Manannan, went to his help; +but if he did, he got a wound himself and could do nothing. Then Sigmal, +grandson of Midhir, went to his help, and after him the five sons of +Finnaistucan, and others of the Men of Dea, but they were all driven off +by the King of the Dog-Heads. But at that time Abarthach had made an end +of the King of the Cat-Heads, and he rose on his spear, and made a leap, +and came down between Lir and his enemy. "Leave off now and look on at +the fight," he said to Lir, "and leave it to me and the foreigner." With +that he took his sword in his left hand and made a thrust with his spear +in through the king's armour. And as the king was raising up his shield, +he struck at him with the sword that was in his left hand, and cut off +both his legs at the knees, and the king let fall his shield then, and +Abarthach struck off his head. And the two kings being dead, their +people broke away and ran, but the Men of Dea followed them and made an +end of them all; but if they did, they lost a good many of their own +men. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA + + +Ana Finn and the Fianna were at the house of Credhe yet, and they saw +Taistellach coming towards them. It was the custom, now, with Finn when +he sent any one looking for news, that it was to himself it was to be +told first, the way that if he got bad news he would let on not to mind +it; and if it was good news he got, he would have the satisfaction of +telling it himself. So Taistellach told him how the foreigners were come +to the harbour of the White Strand. + +Then Finn turned to his chief men, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland, +there never came harm or danger to Ireland to be put aside this great +danger that is come against us now. And you get great tribute and great +service from the chief men of Ireland," he said, "and if you take that +from them it is right for you to defend them now." + +And the Fianna all said they would not go back one step from the defence +of Ireland. And as to Credhe, she gave every one of them a battle dress, +and they were taking leave of her, and Finn said: "Let the woman come +along with us till we know is it good or bad the end of this journey +will be." So she came with them, bringing a great herd of cattle; and +through the whole length of the battle, that lasted a year and a day, +she had new milk for them, and it was to her house the wounded were +brought for healing. + +Then the Fianna set out, and they went to the borders of Ciarraighe +Luachra and across by the shores of the Bannlid with their left hand to +Slieve Mis, and they made shelters for themselves that night, and +kindled fires. + +But Caoilte and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son said to one another they would +go on to the harbour, the way they would have time to redden their hands +in the blood of the foreigners before the rest of the Fianna would come. + +And at that time the King of the World bade some of his chief men to go +on shore and to bring him back some spoils. So they went to land and +they gave out a great shout, and the people of the ships gave out a +great shout at the same time. "I swear by the oath my people swear by," +said Caoilte, "I have gone round the whole world, but I never heard so +many voices together in the one place." And with that he himself and +Oisin and Lugaidh's Son made an attack on the strangers, and struck +great blows at them. And when Conn Crither and Glas, son of Bremen, +heard the noise of those blows, they knew they were struck by some of +the Fianna of Ireland, and they came and joined with them, and did great +destruction on the strangers, till there was not one left of all that +had come to land. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS + + +And in the morning they saw Finn and all his people coming to the rath +that is above the harbour. "My father Finn," said Oisin than, "let us +fight now with the whole of the foreigners altogether." "That is not my +advice," said Finn, "for the number of their armies is too great for us, +and we could not stand against them. But we will send out every day," +he said, "some son of a king or of a leader against some king of the +kings of the world that is equal in blood to ourselves. And let none of +you redden your arms," he said, "but against a king or a chief man at +first, for when a king is fallen, his people will be more inclined to +give way. And who will give out a challenge of battle from me now?" he +said. "I will do that," said the son of Cuban, leader of the Fianna of +Munster. "Do not go, my son," said Finn, "for it is not showed to me +that you will have good luck in the battle, and I never sent out any man +to fight without I knew he would come back safe to me." "Do not say +that," said Cuban's son, "for I would not for the treasure of the whole +world go back from a fight on account of a bad foretelling. And as it is +my own country they have done their robbery in first," he said, "I will +defend it for you." "It is sorrowful I am for that," said Finn, "for +whichever of the kings of the world will meet you to-day, yourself and +himself will fall together." + +Then Glas, son of Dremen, gave out a challenge of fight from Cuban's +son, and the King of Greece answered it. And the two fought hand to +hand, and the King of Greece made a great cast of his thick spear at +Cuban's son, that went through his body and broke his back in two. But +he did not take that blow as a gift, but he paid for it with a strong +cast of his own golden spear that went through the ringed armour of the +King of Greece. And those two fell together, sole to sole, and lip to +lip. "There is grief on me, Cuban's son to have fallen," said Finn, "for +no one ever went from his house unsatisfied; and a man that I would not +keep, or the High King of Ireland would not keep for a week, he would +keep him in his house through the length of a year. And let Follamain, +his son, be called to me now," he said, "and I will give him his +father's name and place." + +They stopped there then till the next morning. "Who will go and fight +to-day?" said Finn then. "I will do that," said Goll Garb, son of the +King of Alban and of the daughter of Goll, son of Morna. + +So he put on his battle dress, and there came against him the three +kings from the rising of the sun in the east, and their three battalions +with them. And Goll Garb rushed among their men, and wounded and maimed +and destroyed them, and blinded their eyes for ever, so that their wits +went from them, and they called to him to stop his deadly sword for a +while. So he did that; and it is what they agreed to take their three +kings and to give them over to Goll Garb that he might stop doing +destruction with his sword. + +"Who will go out and fight to-day?" said Finn, on the morning of the +morrow. "I will go," said Oisin, "and the chief men of the sons of +Baiscne with me; for we get the best share of all the pleasant things of +Ireland, and we should be first to defend her." "I will answer that +challenge," said the King of France, "for it is against Finn I am come +to Ireland, on account of my wife that he brought away from me; and +these men will fall by me now," he said, "and Finn himself at the last; +for when the branches of a tree are cut off, it is not hard to cut down +the tree itself." + +So the King of France and Oisin met one another at the eastern end of +the strand, and they struck their banners of soft silk into the green +hill, and bared their swords and made a quick attack on one another. And +at one time the king struck such a great blow that he knocked a groan +out of Oisin. But for all that he was worsted in the end, and great fear +came on him, like the fear of a hundred horses at the sound of thunder, +and he ran from Oisin, and he rose like a swallow, that his feet never +touched the earth at all; and he never stopped till he came to Gleann +na-n Gealt, the Valley of Wild Men. And ever since that time, people +that have lost their wits make for that valley; and every mad person in +Ireland, if he had his way, would go there within twenty-four hours. + +And there rose great cries of lamentation from the armies of the World +when they saw him going from them, and the Fianna of Ireland raised +great shouts of joy. + +And when the night was coming on, it is what Finn said: "It is sad and +gloomy the King of the World is to-night; and it is likely he will make +an attack on us. And which of you will keep watch over the harbour +through the night?" he said. "I will," said Oisin, "with the same number +that was fighting along with me to-day; for it is not too much for you +to fight for the Fianna of Ireland through a day and a night," he said. + +So they went down to the harbour, and it was just at that time the King +of the World was saying, "It seems to me, men of the World, that our +luck of battle was not good to-day. And let a share of you rise up now," +he said, "and make an attack on the Fianna of Ireland." Then there rose +up the nine sons of Garb, King of the Sea of Icht, that were smiths, and +sixteen hundred of their people along with them, and they all went on +shore but Dolar Durba that was the eldest of them. And the sons of +Baiscne were ready for them, and they fought a great battle till the +early light of the morrow. And not one of them was left alive on either +side that could hold a weapon but only Oisin and one of the sons of +Garb. And they made rushes at one another, and threw their swords out of +their hands, and closed their arms about one another, and wrestled +together, so that it was worth coming from the east to the west of the +world to see the fight of those two. Then the foreigner gave a sudden +great fall to Oisin, to bring him into the sea, for he was a great +swimmer, and he thought to get the better of him there. And Oisin +thought it would not be worthy of him to refuse any man his place of +fighting. So they went into the water together, and they were trying to +drown one another till they came to the sand and the gravel of the clear +sea. And it was a torment to the heart of the Fianna, Oisin to be in +that strait. "Rise up, Fergus of the Sweet Lips," said Finn then, "and +go praise my son and encourage him." So Fergus went down to the edge of +the sea, and he said: "It is a good fight you are making, Oisin, and +there are many to see it, for the armies of the whole world are looking +at you, and the Fianna of Ireland. And show now," he said, "your ways +and your greatness, for you never went into any place but some woman of +high beauty or some king's daughter set her love on you." Then Oisin's +courage increased, and anger came on him and he linked his hands behind +the back of the foreigner and put him down on the sand under the sea +with his face upwards, and did not let him rise till the life was gone +from him. And he brought the body to shore then, and struck off his head +and brought it to the Fianna. + +But there was great grief and anger on Dolar Durba, the eldest of the +sons of Garb, that had stopped in the ship, and he made a great oath +that he would have satisfaction for his brothers. And he went to the +High King, and he said: "I will go alone to the strand, and I will kill +a hundred men every day till I have made an end of the whole of the +armies of Ireland; and if any one of your own men comes to interfere +with me," he said, "I will kill him along with them." + +The next morning Finn asked who would lead the battle that day. "I +will," said Dubhan, son of Donn. "Do not," said Finn, "but let some +other one go." + +But Dubhan went to the strand, and a hundred men along with him; and +there was no one there before him but Dolar Durba, and he said he was +there to fight with the whole of them. And Dubhan's men gave a great +shout of laughter when they heard that; but Dolar Durba rushed on them, +and he made an end of the whole hundred, without a man of them being +able to put a scratch on him. And then he took a hurling stick and a +ball, and he threw up the ball and kept it in the air with the hurl from +the west to the east of the strand without letting it touch the ground +at all. And then he put the ball on his right foot and kicked it high +into the air, and when it was coming down he gave it a kick of his left +foot and kept it in the air like that, and he rushing like a blast of +March wind from one end of the strand to the other. And when he had done +that he walked up and down on the strand making great boasts, and +challenging the men of Ireland to do the like of those feats. And every +day he killed a hundred of the men that were sent against him. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE KING OF ULSTER'S SON + + +Now it chanced at that time that news of the great battle that was going +on reached to the court of the King of Ulster. And the king's son, that +was only twelve years of age, and that was the comeliest of all the +young men of Ireland, said to his father: "Let me go to help Finn, son +of Cumhal, and his men." "You are not old enough, or strong enough, boy; +your bones are too soft," said the king. And when the boy went on +asking, his father shut him up in some close place, and put twelve +young men, his foster-brothers, in charge of him. + +There was great anger on the young lad then, and he said to his +foster-brothers: "It is through courage and daring my father won a great +name for himself in his young youth, and why does he keep me from +winning a name for myself? And let you help me now," he said, "and I +will be a friend to you for ever." And he went on talking to them and +persuading them till he got round them all, and they agreed to go with +him to join Finn and the Fianna. And when the king was asleep, they went +into the house where the arms were kept, and every lad of them brought +away with him a shield and a sword and a helmet and two spears and two +greyhound whelps. And they went across Ess Ruadh in the north, and +through Connacht of many tribes, and through Caille an Chosanma, the +Woods of Defence, that were called the choice of every king and the true +honour of every poet, and into Ciarraighe, and so on to the White +Strand. + +And when they came there Dolar Durba was on the strand, boasting before +the men of Ireland. And Oisin was rising up to go against him, for he +said he would sooner die fighting with him than see the destruction he +was doing every day on his people. And all the wise men and the fighting +men and the poets and the musicians of the Fianna gave a great cry of +sorrow when they heard Oisin saying that. + +And the King of Ulster's son went to Finn and stood before him and +saluted him, and Finn asked who was he, and where did he come from. "I +am the son of the King of Ulster," he said; "and I am come here, myself +and my twelve foster-brothers, to give you what help we can." "I give +you a welcome," said Finn. + +Just then they heard the voice of Dolar Durba, very loud and boastful. +"Who is that I hear?" said the king's son. "It is a man of the +foreigners asking for a hundred of my men to go and meet him," said +Finn. + +Now, when the twelve foster-brothers heard that, they said no word but +went down to the strand, unknown to the king's son and to Finn. + +"You are not a grown man," said Conan; "and neither yourself or your +comrades are fit to face any fighting man at all." "I never saw the +Fianna of Ireland till this day," said the young lad; "but I know well +that you are Conan Maol, that never says a good word of any man. And you +will see now," he said, "if I am in dread of that man on the strand, or +of any man in the world, for I will go out against him by myself." + +But Finn kept him back and was talking with him; but then Conan began +again, and he said: "It is many men Dolar Durba has made an end of, and +there was not a man of all those that could not have killed a hundred of +the like of you every day." + +When the king's son heard that, there was great anger on him, and he +leaped up, and just then Dolar Durba gave a great shout on the strand. +"What is he giving, that shout for?" said the king's son. "He is shouting +for more men to come against him," said Conan, "for he is just after +killing your twelve comrades." "That is a sorrowful story," said the +king's son. + +And with that he took hold of his arms, and no one could hold him or +hinder him, and he rushed down to the strand where Dolar Durba was. And +all the armies of the strangers gave a great shout of laughter, for they +thought all Finn's men had been made an end of, when he sent a young lad +like that against their best champion. And when the boy heard that, his +courage grew the greater, and he fell on Dolar Durba and gave him many +wounds before he knew he was attacked at all. And they fought a very +hard fight together, till their shields and their swords were broken in +pieces. And that did not stop the battle, but they grappled together +and fought and wrestled that way, till the tide went over them and +drowned them both. And when the sea went over them the armies on each +side gave out a great sorrowful cry. + +And after the ebb-tide on the morrow, the two bodies were found cold and +quiet, each one held fast by the other. But Dolar Durba was beneath the +king's son, so they knew it was the young lad was the best and had got +the victory. And they buried him, and put a flag-stone over his grave, +and keened him there. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. THE HIGH KING'S SON + + +Then Finn said he would send a challenge himself to Daire Bonn, the King +of the Great World. But Caoilte asked leave to do that day's fighting +himself. And Finn said he would agree to that if he could find enough of +men to go with him. And he himself gave him a hundred men, and Oisin did +the same, and so on with the rest. And he gave out his challenge, and it +was the son of the King of the Great Plain that answered it. And while +they were in the heat of the fight, a fleet of ships came into the +harbour, and Finn thought they were come to help the foreigners. But +Oisin looked at them, and he said: "It is seldom your knowledge fails +you, Finn, but those are friends of our own: Fiachra, son of the King of +the Fianna of the Bretons, and Duaban Donn, son of the King of +Tuathmumain with his own people." + +And when those that were in the ships came on shore, they saw Caoilte's +banner going down before the son of the King of the Great Plain. And +they all went hurrying on to his help, and between them they made an +end of the king's son and of all his people. + +"Who will keep watch to-night?" said Finn then. "We will," said the nine +Garbhs of the Fianna, of Slieve Mis, and Slieve Cua, and Slieve Clair, +and Slieve Crot, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve Fuad, and Slieve Atha +Moir, and Dun Sobairce and Dundealgan. + +And they were not long watching till they saw the King of the Men of +Dregan coming towards them, and they fought a fierce battle; and at the +end of the night there were left standing but three of the Garbhs, and +the King of the Men of Dregan. And they fought till their wits were gone +from them; and those four fell together, sole against sole, and lip +against lip. + +And the fight went on from day to day, and from week to week, and there +were great losses on both sides. And when Fergus of the Sweet Lips saw +that so many of the Fianna were fallen, he asked no leave but went to +Teamhair of the Kings, where the High King of Ireland was, and he told +him the way it was with Finn and his people. "That is good," said the +High King, "Finn to be in that strait; for there is no labouring man +dares touch a pig or a deer or a salmon if he finds it dead before him +on account of the Fianna; and there is no man but is in dread to go from +one place to another without leave from Finn, or to take a wife till he +knows if she has a sweetheart among the Fianna of Ireland. And it is +often Finn has given bad judgments against us," he said, "and it would +be better for us the foreigners to gain the day than himself." + +Then Fergus went out to the lawn where the High King's son was playing +at ball. "It is no good help you are giving to Ireland," said Fergus +then, "to be playing a game without lasting profit, and strangers taking +away your country from you." And he was urging him and blaming him, and +great shame came on the young man, and he threw away the stick and went +through the people of Teamhair and brought together all the young men, a +thousand and twenty of them that were in it. And they asked no leave and +no advice from the High King, but they set out and went on till they +came to Finntraigh. And Fergus went to where Finn was, and told him the +son of the High King of Ireland was come with him; and all the Fianna +rose up before the young man and bade him welcome. And Finn said: "Young +man," he said, "we would sooner see you coming at a time when there +would be musicians and singers and poets and high-up women to make +pleasure for you than at the time we are in the straits of battle the +way we are now." "It is not for playing I am come," said the young man, +"but to give you my service in battle." "I never brought a lad new to +the work into the breast of battle," said Finn, "for it is often a lad +coming like that finds his death, and I would not wish him to fall +through me." "I give my word," said the young man, "I will do battle +with them on my own account if I may not do it on yours." Then Fergus of +the Fair Lips went out to give a challenge of battle from the son of the +High King of Ireland to the King of the World. + +"Who will answer the King of Ireland's son for me?" said the King of the +World. "I will go against him," said Sligech, King of the Men of Cepda; +and he went on shore, and his three red battalions with him. And the +High King's son went against them, and his comrades were near him, and +they were saying to him: "Take a good heart now into the fight, for the +Fianna will be no better pleased if it goes well with you than if it +goes well with the foreigner." And when the High King's son heard that, +he made a rush through the army of the foreigners, and began killing and +overthrowing them, till their chief men were all made an end of. Then +Sligech their king came to meet him, very angry and destroying, and +they struck at one another and made a great fight, but at the last the +King of Ireland's son got the upper hand, and he killed the King of the +Men of Cepda and struck off his head. + + + + +CHAPTER X. THE KING OF LOCHLANN AND HIS SONS + + +And the fighting went on from day to day, and at last Finn said to +Fergus of the Sweet Lips: "Go out, Fergus, and see how many of the +Fianna are left for the fight to-day." And Fergus counted them, and he +said: "There is one battalion only of the Fianna left in good order; but +there are some of the men of it," he said, "are able to fight against +three, and some that are able to fight against nine or thirty or a +hundred." "If that is so," said Finn, "rise up and go to where the King +of the World is, and bid him to come out to the great battle." + +So Fergus went to the King of the World, and it is the way he was, on +his bed listening to the music of harps and pipes. "King of the World," +said Fergus, "it is long you are in that sleep; and that is no shame for +you," he said, "for it will be your last sleep. And the whole of the +Fianna are gone out to their place of battle," he said, "and let you go +out and answer them." "In my opinion," said the King of the World, +"there is not a man of them is able to fight against me; and how many +are there left of the Fianna of Ireland?" "One battalion only that is in +good order," said Fergus. "And how many of the armies of the World are +there left?" he said. "Thirty battalions came with me to Ireland; and +there are twenty of them fallen by the Fianna, and what is left of them +is ten red battalions in good order. And there are eight good fighters +of them," he said, "that would put down the men of the whole world if +they were against me; that is, myself, and Conmail my son, and Ogarmach, +the daughter of the King of Greece, that is the best hand in battle of +the whole world after myself, and Finnachta of the Teeth, the chief of +my household, and the King of Lochlann, Caisel Clumach of the Feathers, +and his three sons, Tocha, and Forne of the Broad Shoulders, and Mongach +of the Sea." + +"I swear by the oath of my people," said the King of Lochlann then, "if +any man of the armies goes out against the Fianna before myself and my +three sons, we will not go at all, for we would not get the satisfaction +we are used to, unless our swords get their fill of blood." "I will go +out against them alone," said Forne, the youngest son of the King of +Lochlann. With that he put on his battle suit, and he went among the +Fianna of Ireland, and a red-edged sword in each of his hands. And he +destroyed those of their young men that were sent against him, and he +made the strand narrow with their bodies. + +And Finn saw that, and it was torment to his heart, and danger of death +and loss of wits to him, and he was encouraging the men of Ireland +against Forne. And Fergus of the True Lips stood up, and it is what he +said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "it is a pity the way you are under +hardship and you defending Ireland. And one man is taking her from you +to-day," he said, "and you are like no other thing but a flock of little +birds looking for shelter in a bush from a hawk that is after them. And +it is going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Caoilte you are," he +said; "and not one of you is better than another, and none of you sets +his face against the foreigner." "By my oath," said Oisin, "all that is +true, and no one of us tries to do better than another keeping him off." +"There is not one of you is better than another," said Fergus. Then +Oisin gave out a great shout against the King of Lochlann's son. "Stop +here with me, king's son," he said, "until I fight with you for the +Fianna." "I give my word it is short the delay will be," said Forne. + +Then he himself and Oisin made an attack on one another, and it seemed +for a while that the battle was going against Oisin. "By my word, Man of +Poetry," said Finn then to Fergus of the True Lips, "it is a pity the +way you sent my son against the foreigner. And rise up and praise him +and hearten him now," he said. So Fergus went down to where the fight +was, and he said: "There is great shame on the Fianna, Oisin, seeing you +so low in this fight; and there is many a foot messenger and many a +horsemen from the daughters of the kings and princes of Ireland looking +at you now," he said. And great courage rose in Oisin then, and he drove +his spear through the body of Forne, the King of Lochlann's son. And he +himself came back to the Fianna of Ireland. + +Then the armies of the World gave out a great cry, keening Forne; and +there was anger and not fear on his brothers, for they thought it no +right thing he to have fallen by a man of the Fianna. And Tocha, the +second son of the King of Lochlann, went on shore to avenge his brother. +And he went straight into the middle of the Fianna, and gave his sword +good feeding on their bodies, till they broke away before him and made +no stand till Lugaidh's Son turned round against him. And those two +fought a great fight, till their swords were bent and their spears +crumbled away, and they lost their golden shields. And at the last +Lugaidh's Son made a stroke of his sword that cut through the +foreigner's sword, and then he made another stroke that cut his heart +in two halves. And he came back high and proud to the Fianna. + +Then the third son of the King of Lochlann, Mongach of the Sea, rose up, +and all the armies rose up along with him. "Stop here, Men of the +World," he said, "for it is not you but myself that has to go and ask +satisfaction for the bodies of my brothers." So he went on shore; and it +is the way he was, with a strong iron flail in his hand having seven +balls of pure iron on it, and fifty iron chains, and fifty apples on +every chain, and fifty deadly thorns on every apple. And he made a rush +through the Fianna to break them up entirely and to tear them into +strings, and they gave way before him. And great shame came on Fidach, +son of the King of the Bretons, and he said: "Come here and praise me, +Fergus of the True Lips, till I go out and fight with the foreigner." +"It is easy to praise you, son," said Fergus, and he was praising him +for a long time. + +Then the two looked at one another and used fierce, proud words. And +then Mongach of the Sea raised his iron flail and made a great blow at +the King of the Bretons' son. But he made a quick leap to one side and +gave him a blow of his sword that cut off his two hands at the joint; +and he did not stop at that, but made a blow at his middle that cut him +into two halves. But as he fell, an apple of the flail with its deadly +thorns went into Fidach's comely mouth and through his brain, and it was +foot to foot those two fell, and lip to lip. + +And the next that came to fight on the strand was the King of Lochlann +himself, Caisel of the Feathers. And he came to the battle having his +shield on his arm; and it is the way the shield was, that was made for +him by the smith of the Fomor, there were red flames coming from it; and +if it was put under the sea itself, not one of its flames would stop +blazing. And when he had that shield on his arm no man could come near +him. + +And there was never such destruction done on the men of Ireland as on +that day, for the flames of fire that he sent from his shield went +through the bodies of men till they blazed up like a splinter of oak +that was after hanging through the length of a year in the smoke of a +chimney; and any one that would touch the man that was burning would +catch fire himself. And every other harm that ever came into Ireland +before was small beside this. + +Then Finn said: "Lift up your hands, Fianna of Ireland, and give three +shouts of blessing to whoever will hinder this foreigner." And the +Fianna gave those three shouts; and the King of Lochlann gave a great +laugh when he heard them. And Druimderg, grandson of the Head of the +Fianna of Ulster, was near him, and he had with him a deadly spear, the +Croderg, the Red-Socketed, that came down from one to another of the +sons of Rudraighe. And he looked at the King of Lochlann, and he could +see no part of him without armour but his mouth that was opened wide, +and he laughing at the Fianna. Then Druimderg made a cast with the +Croderg that hit him in the open mouth, and he fell, and his shield fell +along with its master, and its flame went out. And Druimderg struck the +head from his body, and made great boasts of the things he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. LABRAN'S JOURNEY + + +It is then Fergus of the True Lips set out again and went through the +length of Ireland till he came to the house of Tadg, son of Nuada, that +was grandfather to Finn. + +And there was great grief on Muirne, Finn's mother, and on Labran of the +Long Hand her brother, and on all her people, when they knew the great +danger he was in. And Tadg asked his wife who did she think would escape +with their lives from the great fighting at the White Strand. "It is a +pity the way they are there," said she; "for if all the living men of +the world were on one side, Daire Donn, the King of the World, would put +them all down; for there are no weapons in the world that will ever be +reddened on him. And on the night he was born, the smith of the Fomor +made a shield and a sword, and it is in the prophecy that he will fall +by no other arms but those. And it is to the King of the Country of the +Fair Men he gave them to keep, and it is with him they are now." "If +that is so," said Tadg, "you might be able to get help for Finn, son of +Cumhal, the only son of your daughter. And bid Labran Lamfada to go and +ask those weapons of him," he said. "Do not be asking me," said she, "to +go against Daire Donn that was brought up in my father's house." But +after they had talked for a while, they went out on the lawn, and they +sent Labran looking for the weapons in the shape of a great eagle. + +And he went on from sea to sea, till at noon on the morrow he came to +the dun of the King of the Country of the Fair Men; and he went in his +own shape to the dun and saluted the king, and the king bade him +welcome, and asked him to stop with him for a while. "There is a thing I +want more than that," said Labran, "for the wife of a champion of the +Fianna has given me her love, and I cannot get her without fighting for +her; and it is the loan of that sword and that shield you have in your +keeping I am come asking now," he said. + +There were seven rooms, now, in the king's house that opened into one +another, and on the first door was one lock, and on the second two +locks, and so on to the door of the last room that had seven locks; and +it was in that the sword and the shield that were made by the smith of +the Fomor were kept. And they were brought out and were given to Labran, +and stalks of luck were put with them, and they were bound together with +shield straps. + +Then Labran of the Long Hand went back across the seas again, and he +reached his father's dun between the crowing of the cock and the full +light of day; and the weakness of death came on him. "It is a good +message you are after doing, my son," said Tadg, "and no one ever went +that far in so short a time as yourself." "It is little profit that is +to me," said Labran, "for I am not able to bring them to Finn in time +for the fight to-morrow." + +But just at that time one of Tadg's people saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, that +was as quick as the wind over a plain till the middle of every day, and +after that, there was no man quicker than he was. "You are come at a +good time," said Tadg. And with that he gave him the sword and the +shield to bring to Finn for the battle. + +So Aedh, son of Aebinn, went with the swiftness of a hare or of a fawn +or a swallow, till at the rising of the day on the morrow he came to the +White Strand. And just at that time Fergus of the True Lips was rousing +up the Fianna for the great fight, and it is what he said: "Fianna of +Ireland," he said, "if there was the length of seven days in one day, +you would have work to fill it now; for there never was and there never +will be done in Ireland a day's work like the work of to-day." + +Then the Fianna of Ireland rose up, and they saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, +coming towards them with his quick running, and Finn asked news from +him. "It is from the dun of Tadg, son of Nuada, I am come," he said, +"and it is to yourself I am sent, to ask how it is you did not redden +your weapons yet upon the King of the World." "I swear by the oath of my +people," said Finn, "if I do not redden my weapons on him, I will crush +his body within his armour." "I have here for you, King of the Fianna," +said Aedh then, "the deadly weapons that will bring him to his death; +and it was Labran of the Long Hand got them for you through his Druid +arts." He put them in Finn's hand then, and Finn took the coverings off +them, and there rose from them flashes of fire and deadly bubbles; and +not one of the Fianna could stay looking at them, but it put great +courage into them to know they were with Finn. "Rise up now," said Finn +to Fergus of the True Lips, "and go where the King of the World is, and +bid him to come out to the place of the great fight." + + + + +CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT FIGHT + + +Then the King of the World came to the strand, and all his armies with +him; and all that were left of the Fianna went out against them, and +they were like thick woods meeting one another, and they made great +strokes, and there were swords crashing against bones, and bodies that +were hacked, and eyes that were blinded, and many a mother was left +without her son, and many a comely wife without her comrade. + +Then the creatures of the high air answered to the battle, foretelling +the destruction that would be done that day; and the sea chattered of +the losses, and the waves gave heavy shouts keening them, and the +water-beasts roared to one another, and the rough hills creaked with the +danger of the battle, and the woods trembled mourning the heroes, and +the grey stones cried out at their deeds, and the wind sobbed telling +them, and the earth shook, foretelling the slaughter; and the cries of +the grey armies put a blue cloak over the sun, and the clouds were dark; +and the hounds and the whelps and the crows, and the witches of the +valley, and the powers of the air, and the wolves of the forests, howled +from every quarter and on every side of the armies, urging them against +one another. + +It was then Conan, son of Morna, brought to mind that himself and his +kindred had done great harm to the sons of Baiscne, and he had a wish to +do some good thing for them on account of that, and he raised up his +sword and did great deeds. + +And Finn was over the battle, encouraging the Fianna; and the King of +the World was on the other side encouraging the foreigners. "Rise up +now, Fergus," said Finn, "and praise Conan for me that his courage may +be the greater, for it is good work he is doing on my enemies." So +Fergus went where Conan was, and at that time he was heated with the +dust of the fight, and he was gone outside to let the wind go about him. + +"It is well you remember the old quarrel between the sons of Morna and +the sons of Baiscne, Conan," said Fergus; "and you would be ready to go +to your own death if it would bring harm on the sons of Baiscne," he +said. "For the love of your good name, Man of Poetry," said Conan, "do +not be speaking against me without cause, and I will do good work on the +foreigners when I get to the battle again." "By my word," said Fergus, +"that would be a good thing for you to do." He sang a verse of praise +for him then, and Conan went back into the battle, and his deeds were +not worse this time than they were before. And Fergus went back to where +Finn was. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "Duban, son of Cas, a +champion of your own people," said Fergus, "for he never gives but the +one stroke to any man, and no man escapes with his life from that +stroke, and three times nine and eighty men have fallen by him up to +this time." And Duban Donn, great-grandson of the King of Tuathmumhain, +was there listening to him, and it is what he said: "By my oath, +Fergus," he said, "all you are saying is true, for there is not a son of +a king or of a lord is better in the battle than Duban, son of Cas; and +I will go to my own death if I do not go beyond him." With that he went +rushing through the battle like flames over a high hill that is thick +with furze. Nine times he made a round of the battle, and he killed nine +times nine in every round. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn, after a while. "It is Duban +Donn that is after going from us," said Fergus. "For there has been no +one ahead of him since he was in his seventh year, and there is no one +ahead of him now." "Rise up and praise him that his courage may be the +greater," said Finn. "It is right to praise him," said Fergus, "and the +foreigners running before him on every side as they would run from a +heavy drenching of the sea." So Fergus praised him for a while, and he +went back then to Finn. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "It is Osgar is best in it +now," said Fergus, "and he is fighting alone against two hundred Franks +and two hundred of the men of Gairian, and the King of the Men of +Gairian himself. And all these are beating at his shield," he said, "and +not one of them has given him a wound but he gave him a wound back for +it." "What way is Caoilte, son of Ronan?" said Finn. "He is in no great +strait after the red slaughter he has made," said Fergus. "Go to him +then," said Finn, "and bid him to keep off a share of the foreigners +from Osgar." So Fergus went to him. "Caoilte," he said, "it is great +danger your friend Osgar is in under the blows of the foreigners, and +let you rise up and give him some help," he said. + +Caoilte went then to the place where Osgar was, and he gave a straight +blow of his sword at the man who was nearest him, that made two halves +of him. Osgar raised his head then and looked at him. "It is likely, +Caoilte," he said, "you did not dare redden your sword on any one till +you struck down a man that was before my sword. And it is a shame for +you," he said, "all the men of the great world and the Fianna of Ireland +to be in the one battle, and you not able to make out a fight for +yourself without coming to take a share of my share of the battle. And I +give my oath," he said, "I would be glad to see you put down in your bed +of blood on account of that thing." Caoilte's mind changed when he heard +that, and he turned again to the army of the foreigners with the redness +of anger on his white face; and eighty fighting men fell in that rout. + +"What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is a pity," said Fergus, +"there never came and there never will come any one that can tell the +way it is now. For by my word," he said, "the tree-tops of the thickest +forest in the whole of the western world are not closer together than +the armies are now. For the bosses of their shields are in one another's +hands. And there is fire coming from the edges of their swords," he +said, "and blood is raining down like a shower on a day of harvest; and +there were never so many leaves torn by the wind from a great forest as +there are locks of long golden hair, and of black curled hair, cut off +by sharp weapons, blowing into the clouds at this time. And there is no +person could tell one man from another, now," he said, "unless it might +be by their voices." With that he went into the very middle of the fight +to praise and to hearten the men of the Fianna. + +"Who is first in the battle now, Fergus?" said Finn, when he came back +to him. "By my oath, it is no friend of your own is first in it," said +Fergus, "for it is Daire Donn, the King of the World; and it is for you +he is searching through the battle," he said, "and three times fifty of +his own people were with him. But two of the men of your Fianna fell on +them," he said, "Cairell the Battle Striker, and Aelchinn of Cruachan, +and made an end of them. But they were not able to wound the King of the +World," he said, "but the two of them fell together by him." + +Then the King of the World came towards Finn, and there was no one near +him but Arcallach of the Black Axe, the first that ever brought a wide +axe into Ireland. "I give my word," said Arcallach, "I would never let +Finn go before me into any battle." He rose up then and made a terrible +great blow of his axe at the king, that went through his royal crown to +the hair of his head, but that did not take a drop of blood out of him, +for the edge of the axe turned and there went balls of fire over the +plain from that blow. And the King of the World struck back at +Arcallach, and made two halves of him. + +Then Finn and the King of the World turned on one another. And when the +king saw the sword and the shield in Finn's hand, he knew those were the +weapons that were to bring him to his death, and great dread came on +him, and his comeliness left him, and his fingers were shaking, and his +feet were unsteady, and the sight of his eyes was weakened. + +And then the two fought a great fight, striking at one another like two +days of judgment for the possession of the world. + +But the king, that had never met with a wound before, began to be +greatly weakened in the fight. And Finn gave great strokes that broke +his shield and his sword, and that cut off his left foot, and at the +last he struck off his head. But if he did, he himself fell into a faint +of weakness with the dint of the wounds he had got. + +Then Finnachta of the Teeth, the first man of the household of the King +of the World, took hold of the royal crown of the king, and brought it +where Conmail his son was, and put it on his head. + +"That this may bring you success in many battles, my son," he said. And +he gave him his father's weapons along with it; and the young man went +through the battle looking for Finn, and three fifties of the men of the +Fianna fell by him. Then Goll Garbh the Rough, son of the King of Alban, +saw him and attacked him, and they fought a hard fight. But the King of +Albain's son gave him a blow under the shelter of the shield, in his +left side, that made an end of him. + +Finnachta of the Teeth saw that, and he made another rush at the royal +crown, and brought it to where Ogarmach was, the daughter of the King of +Greece. "Put on that crown, Ogarmach," he said, "as it is in the +prophecy the world will be owned by a woman; and it will never be owned +by any woman higher than yourself," he said. + +She went then to look for Finn in the battle, and Fergus of the True +Lips saw her, and he went where Finn was. "O King of the Fianna," he +said then, "bring to mind the good fight you made against the King of +the World and all your victories before that; for it is a great danger +is coming to you now," he said, "and that is Ogarmach, daughter of the +King of Greece." + +With that the woman-fighter came towards him. "O Finn," she said, "it is +little satisfaction you are to me for all the kings and lords that have +fallen by you and by your people; but for all that," she said, "there is +nothing better for me to get than your own self and whatever is left of +your people." "You will not get that," said Finn, "for I will lay your +head in its bed of blood the same as I did to every other one." Then +those two attacked one another like as if there had risen to smother +one another the flooded wave of Cliodna, and the seeking wave of Tuaigh, +and the big brave wave of Rudraighe. And though the woman-warrior fought +for a long time, a blow from Finn reached to her at last and cut through +the royal crown, and with a second blow he struck her head off. And then +he fell himself in his bed of blood, and was the same as dead, but that +he rose again. + +And the armies of the World and the Fianna of Ireland were fallen side +by side there, and there were none left fit to stand but Cael, son of +Crimthan of the Harbours, and the chief man of the household of the King +of the World, Finnachta of the Teeth. And Finnachta went among the dead +bodies and lifted up the body of the King of the World and brought it +with him to his ship, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, +"although it is bad this battle was for the armies of the World, it was +worse for yourselves; and I am going back to tell that in the East of +the World," he said. Finn heard him saying that, and he lying on the +ground in his blood, and the best men of the sons of Baiscne about him, +and he said: "It is a pity I not to have found death before I heard the +foreigner saying those words. And nothing I myself have done, or the +Fianna of Ireland, is worth anything since there is left a man of the +foreigners alive to go back into the great world again to tell that +story. And is there any one left living near me?" he said. "I am," said +Fergus of the True Lips. "What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is +a pity the way it is," said Fergus, "for, by my word," he said, "since +the armies met together to-day, no man of the foreigners or of the men +of Ireland took a step backward from one another till they all fell foot +to foot, and sole to sole. And there is not so much as a blade of grass +or a grain of sand to be seen," he said, "with the bodies of fighting +men that are stretched on them; and there is no man of the two armies +that is not stretched in that bed of blood, but only the chief man of +the household of the King of the World, and your own foster-son, Cael, +son of Crimthan of the Harbours." "Rise up and go to him," said Finn. So +Fergus went where Cael was, and asked what way was he. "It is a pity the +way I am," said Cael, "for I swear by my word that if my helmet and my +armour were taken from me, there is no part of my body but would fall +from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that +man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I +leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to +the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the +foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus +lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming +after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for +he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when +he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him. +And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it, +and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then +their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the +sand and the gravel of the clear sea. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT + + +Then there came the women and the musicians and the singers and the +physicians of the Fianna of Ireland to search out the kings and the +princes of the Fianna, and to bury them; and every one that might be +healed was brought to a place of healing. + +And Credhe, wife of Cael, came with the others, and went looking +through the bodies for her comely comrade, and crying as she went. And +as she was searching, she saw a crane of the meadows and her two +nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching the nestlings; and +when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, he would make a rush +at the other bird, the way she had to stretch herself out over the +birds; and she would sooner have got her own death by the fox than her +nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was looking at that, and she +said: "It is no wonder I to have such love for my comely sweetheart, and +the bird in that distress about her nestlings." + +Then she heard a stag in Druim Ruighlenn above the harbour, that was +making great lamentations for his hind from place to place, for they had +been nine years together, and had lived in the wood at the foot of the +harbour, Fidh Leis, and Finn had killed the hind, and the stag was +nineteen days without tasting grass or water, lamenting after the hind. +"It is no shame for me," said Credhe, "I to die for grief after Cael, +since the stag is shortening his life sorrowing after the hind." + +Then she met with Fergus of the True Lips. "Have you news of Cael for +me, Fergus?" she said. "I have news," said Fergus, "for he and the last +man that was left of the foreigners, Finnachta Fiaclach, are after +drowning one another in the sea." + +And at that time the waves had put Cael back on the strand, and the +women and the men of the Fianna that were looking for him raised him up, +and brought him to the south of the White Strand. + +And Credhe came to where he was, and she keened him and cried over him, +and she made this complaint:-- + +"The harbour roars, O the harbour roars, over the rushing race of the +Headland of the Two Storms, the drowning of the hero of the Lake of the +Two Dogs, that is what the waves are keening on the strand. + +"Sweet-voiced is the crane, O sweet-voiced is the crane in the marshes +of the Ridge of the Two Strong Men; it is she cannot save her nestlings, +the wild dog of two colours is taking her little ones. + +"Pitiful the cry, pitiful the cry the thrush is making in the Pleasant +Ridge, sorrowful is the cry of the blackbird in Leiter Laeig. + +"Sorrowful the call, O sorrowful the call of the deer in the Ridge of +Two Lights; the doe is lying dead in Druim Silenn, the mighty stag cries +after her. + +"Sorrowful to me, O sorrowful to me the death of the hero that lay +beside me; the son of the woman of the Wood of the Two Thickets, to be +with a bunch of grass under his head. + +"Sore to me, O sore to me Cael to be a dead man beside me, the waves to +have gone over his white body; it is his pleasantness that has put my +wits astray. + +"A woeful shout, O a woeful shout the waves are making on the strand; +they that took hold of comely Cael, a pity it is he went to meet them. + +"A woeful crash, O a woeful crash the waves are making on the strand to +the north, breaking against the smooth rock, crying after Cael now he is +gone. + +"A sorrowful fight, O a sorrowful fight, the sea is making with the +strand to the north; my beauty is lessened; the end of my life is +measured. + +"A song of grief, O a song of grief is made by the waves of Tulcha Leis; +all I had is gone since this story came to me. Since the son of +Crimthann is drowned I will love no one after him for ever; many a king +fell by his hand; his shield never cried out in the battle." + +After she had made that complaint, Credhe laid herself down beside Cael +and died for grief after him. And they were put in the one grave, and +it was Caoilte raised the stone over them. + +And after that great battle of the White Strand, that lasted a year and +a day, there was many a sword and shield left broken, and many a dead +body lying on the ground, and many a fighting man left with a foolish +smile on his face. + +And the great name that was on the armies of the World went from them to +the Fianna of Ireland; and they took the ships and the gold and the +silver and all the spoils of the armies of the World. And from that time +the Fianna had charge of the whole of Ireland, to keep it from the Fomor +and from any that might come against it. + +And they never lost power from that time until the time of their last +battle, the sorrowful battle of Gabhra. + + + + +BOOK FOUR: HUNTINGS AND ENCHANTMENTS. + +CHAPTER I. THE KING OF BRITAIN'S SON + + +Arthur, son of the King of Britain, came one time to take service with +Finn, and three times nine men along with him. And they went hunting one +day on Beinn Edair, and Finn took his place on the Cairn of the Fianna +between the hill and the sea, and Arthur took his stand between the hunt +and the sea, the way the deer would not escape by swimming. + +And while Arthur was there he took notice of three of Finn's hounds, +Bran, and Sceolan and Adhnuall, and he made a plan in his mind to go +away across the sea, himself and his three nines, bringing those three +hounds along with him. So he did that, and he himself and his men +brought away the hounds and crossed the sea, and the place where they +landed was Inver Mara Gamiach on the coast of Britain. And after they +landed, they went to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir, to hunt on it. + +And as to the Fianna, after their hunting was done they gathered +together on the hill; and as the custom was, all Finn's hounds were +counted. Three hundred full-grown hounds he had, and two hundred whelps; +and it is what the poets used to say, that to be counting them was like +counting the branches on a tree. + +Now on this day when they were counted, Bran and Sceolan and Adhnuall +were missing; and that was told to Finn. He bade his people to search +again through the three battalions of the Fianna, but search as they +would, the hounds were not to be found. + +Then Finn sent for a long-shaped basin of pale gold, and water in it, +and he put his face in the water, and his hand over his face, and it was +showed him what had happened, and he said: "The King of Britain's son +has brought away the hound. And let nine men be chosen out to follow +after them," he said. So nine men were chosen out, Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne; Goll, son of Morna; Oisin, son of Finn; Faolan, the friend of +the hounds, son of a woman that had come over the sea to give her love +to Finn; Ferdoman, son of Bodb Dearg; two sons of Finn, Raighne Wide Eye +and Cainche the Crimson-Red; Glas, son of Enchered Bera, with Caoilte +and Lugaidh's Son. And their nine put their helmets on their heads, and +took their long spears in their hands, and they felt sure they were a +match for any four hundred men from the east to the west of the world. + +They set out then, till they came to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir; +and they were not long there till they heard talk of men that were +hunting in that place. + +Arthur of Britain and his people were sitting on a hunting mound just at +that time, and the nine men of the Fianna made an attack on them and +killed all of them but Arthur, that Goll, son of Morna, put his two arms +about and saved from death. Then they turned to go back to Ireland, +bringing Arthur with them, and the three hounds. And as they were going, +Goll chanced to look around him and he saw a dark-grey horse, having a +bridle with fittings of worked gold. And then he looked to the left and +saw a bay mare that was not easy to get hold of, and it having a bridle +of silver rings and a golden bit. And Goll took hold of the two, and he +gave them into Oisin's hand, and he gave them on to Diarmuid. + +They went back to Finn then, bringing his three hounds with them, and +the King of Britain's son as a prisoner; and Arthur made bonds with +Finn, and was his follower till he died. + +And as to the horse and the mare, they gave them to Finn; and the mare +bred eight times, at every birth eight foals, and it is of that seed +came all the horses of the fair Fianna of the Gael, for they had used +no horses up to that time. + +And that was not the only time Finn was robbed of some of his hounds. +For there was a daughter of Roman was woman-Druid to the Tuatha de +Danaan, and she set her love on Finn. But Finn said, so long as there +was another woman to be found in the world, he would not marry a witch. +And one time, three times fifty of Finn's hounds passed by the hill +where she was; and she breathed on the hounds and shut them up in the +hill, and they never came out again. It was to spite Finn she did that, +and the place got the name of Duma na Conn, the Mound of the Hounds. + +And as to Adhnuall, one of the hounds Finn thought most of, and that was +brought back from the King of Britain's son, this is the way he came to +his death afterwards. + +There was a great fight one time between the Fianna and Macoon, son of +Macnia, at some place in the province of Leinster, and a great many of +the Fianna were killed. And the hound Adhnuall went wandering northward +from the battle and went astray; and three times he went round the whole +of Ireland, and then he came back to the place of the battle, and to a +hill where three young men of the Fianna that had fallen there were +buried after their death, and three daughters of a King of Alban that +had died for love of them. And when Adhnuall came to that hill, he gave +three loud howls and he stretched himself out and died. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN + + +Finn called for a great hunt one time on the plains of Magh Chonaill and +in the forest parts of Cairbre of the Nuts. And he himself went up to +the top of Ceiscoran, and his two dogs Bran and Sceolan with him. + +And the Fianna were shouting through the whole country where they were +hunting, the way the deer were roused in their wild places and the +badgers in their holes, and foxes in their wanderings, and birds on the +wing. + +And Conaran, son of Imidd, of the Tuatha de Danaan, had the sway in +Ceiscoran at that time, and when he heard the shouting and the cry of +the hounds all around, he bade his three daughters that had a great +share of enchantments, to do vengeance on Finn for his hunting. + +The three women went then to the opening of a cave that was in the +hills, and there they sat down together, and they put three strong +enchanted hanks of yarn on crooked holly-sticks, and began to reel them +off outside the cave. + +They were not long there till Finn and Conan came towards them, and saw +the three ugly old hags at their work, their coarse hair tossed, their +eyes red and bleary, their teeth sharp and crooked, their arms very +long, their nails like the tips of cows' horns, and the three spindles +in their hands. + +Finn and Conan passed through the hanks of yarn to get a better look at +the hags. And no sooner had they done that, than a deadly trembling came +on them and a weakness, and the bold hags took hold of them and put them +in tight bonds. + +Two other men of the Fianna came up then, and the sons of Menhann along +with them, and they went through the spindles to where Finn and Conan +were, and their strength went from them in the same way, and the hags +tied them fast and carried them into the cave. + +They were not long there till Caoilte and Lugaidh's Son came to the +place, and along with them the best men of the sons of Baiscne. The sons +of Morna came as well, and no sooner did they see the hanks than their +strength and their bravery went out of them the same as it went from the +others. + +And in the end the whole number of them, gentle and simple, were put in +bonds by the hags, and brought into the cave. And there began at the +mouth of the cave a great outcry of hounds calling for their masters +that had left them there. And there was lying on the hillside a great +heap of deer, and wild pigs, and hares, and badgers, dead and torn, that +were brought as far as that by the hunters that were tied up now in the +cave. + +Then the three women came in, having swords in their hands, to the place +where they were lying, to make an end of them. But first they looked out +to see was there ever another man of the Fianna to bring in and to make +an end of with the rest. + +And they saw coming towards them a very tall man that was Goll, son of +Morna, the Flame of Battle. And when the three hags saw him they went to +meet him, and they fought a hard battle with him. And great anger came +on Goll, and he made great strokes at the witches, and at the last he +raised up his sword, and with one blow he cut the two that were nearest +him through and through. + +And then the oldest of the three women wound her arms about Goll, and he +beheading the two others, and he turned to face her and they wrestled +together, till at last Goll gave her a great twist and threw her on the +ground. He tied her fast then with the straps of a shield, and took his +sword to make an end of her. But the hag said: "O champion that was +never worsted, strong man that never went back in battle, I put my body +and my life under the protection of your bravery. And it is better for +you," she said, "to get Finn and the Fianna safe and whole than to have +my blood; and I swear by the gods my people swear by," she said, "I will +give them back to you again." + +With that Goll set her free, and they went together into the hill where +the Fianna were lying. And Goll said: "Loose off the fastenings first +from Fergus of the True Lips and from the other learned men of the +Fianna; and after that from Finn, and Oisin, and the twenty-nine sons of +Morna, and from all the rest." + +She took off the fastenings then, and the Fianna made no delay, but rose +up and went out and sat down on the side of the hill. And Fergus of the +Sweet Lips looked at Goll, son of Morna, and made great praises of him, +and of all that he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER III. DONN SON OF MIDHIR + + +One time the Fianna were at their hunting at the island of Toraig to the +north of Ireland, and they roused a fawn that was very wild and +beautiful, and it made for the coast, and Finn and six of his men +followed after it through the whole country, till they came to +Slieve-nam-Ban. And there the fawn put down its head and vanished into +the earth, and none of them knew where was it gone to. + +A heavy snow began to fall then that bent down the tops of the trees +like a willow-gad, and the courage and the strength went from the Fianna +with the dint of the bad weather, and Finn said to Caoilte: "Is there +any place we can find shelter to-night?" Caoilte made himself supple +then, and went over the elbow of the hill southward. + +And when he looked around him he saw a house full of light, with cups +and horns and bowls of different sorts in it. He stood a good while +before the door of the house, that he knew to be a house of the Sidhe, +thinking would it be best go in and get news of it, or to go back to +Finn and the few men that were with him. And he made up his mind to go +into the house, and there he sat down on a shining chair in the middle +of the floor; and he looked around him, and he saw, on the one side, +eight-and-twenty armed men, each of them having a well-shaped woman +beside him. And on the other side he saw six nice young girls, +yellow-haired, having shaggy gowns from their shoulders. And in the +middle there was another young girl sitting in a chair, and a harp in +her hand, and she playing on it and singing. And every time she stopped, +a man of them would give her a horn to drink from, and she would give it +back to him again, and they were all making mirth around her. + +She spoke to Caoilte then. "Caoilte, my life," she said, "give us leave +to attend on you now." "Do not," said Caoilte, "for there is a better +man than myself outside, Finn, son of Cumhal, and he has a mind to eat +in this house to-night." "Rise up, Caoilte, and go for Finn," said a man +of the house then; "for he never refused any man in his own house, and +he will get no refusal from us." + +Caoilte went back then to Finn, and when Finn saw him he said: "It is +long you are away from us, Caoilte, for from the time I took arms in my +hands I never had a night that put so much hardship on me as this one." + +The six of them went then into the lighted house and their shields and +their arms with them. And they sat down on the edge of a seat, and a +girl having yellow hair came and brought them to a shining seat in the +middle of the house, and the newest of every food, and the oldest of +every drink was put before them. And when the sharpness of their hunger +and their thirst was lessened, Finn said: "Which of you can I question?" +"Question whoever you have a mind to," said the tallest of the men that +was near him. "Who are you yourself then?" said Finn, "for I did not +think there were so many champions in Ireland, and I not knowing them." + +"Those eight-and-twenty armed men you see beyond," said the tall man, +"had the one father and mother with myself; and we are the sons of +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and our mother is Fionnchaem, the fair, +beautiful daughter of the King of the Sidhe of Monaid in the east. And +at one time the Tuatha de Danaan had a gathering, and gave the kingship +to Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, at his bright hospitable place, and he +began to ask hostages of myself and of my brothers; but we said that +till all the rest of the Men of Dea had given them, we would not give +them. Bodb Dearg said then to our father: 'Unless you will put away your +sons, we will wall up your dwelling-place on you.' So the +eight-and-twenty brothers of us came out to look for a place for +ourselves; and we searched all Ireland till we found this secret hidden +place, and we are here ever since. And my own name," he said, "is Donn, +son of Midhir. And we had every one of us ten hundred armed men +belonging to himself, but they are all worn away now, and only the +eight-and-twenty of us left." "What is it is wearing you away?" said +Finn. "The Men of Dea," said Donn, "that come three times in every year +to give battle to us on the green outside." "What is the long new grave +we saw on the green outside?" said Finn. "It is the grave of Diangalach, +a man of enchantments of the Men of Dea; and that is the greatest loss +came on them yet," said Donn; "and it was I myself killed him," he +said. "What loss came next to that?" said Finn. "All the Tuatha de +Danaan had of jewels and riches and treasures, horns and vessels and +cups of pale gold, we took from them at the one time." "What was the +third greatest loss they had?" said Finn. "It was Fethnaid, daughter of +Feclach, the woman-harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, their music and the +delight of their minds," said Donn. + +"And to-morrow," he said, "they will be coming to make an attack on us, +and there is no one but myself and my brothers left; and we knew we +would be in danger, and that we could make no stand against them. And we +sent that bare-headed girl beyond to Toraig in the North in the shape of +a foolish fawn, and you followed her here. It is that girl washing +herself, and having a green cloak about her, went looking for you. + +"And the empty side of the house," he said, "belonged to our people that +the Men of Dea have killed." + +They spent that night in drinking and in pleasure. And when they rose up +in the morning of the morrow, Donn, son of Midhir, said to Finn, "Come +out with me now on the lawn till you see the place where we fight the +battles every year." They went out then and they looked at the graves +and the flag-stones, and Donn said: "It is as far as this the Men of Dea +come to meet us." "Which of them come here?" said Finn. + +"Bodb Dearg with his seven sons," said Donn; "and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda, with his seven sons; and Finnbharr of Cnoc Medha with his +seventeen sons; Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh with his twenty-seven sons and +their sons; Tadg, son of Nuada, out of the beautiful hill of Almhuin; +Donn of the Island and Donn of the Vat; the two called Glas from the +district of Osraige; Dobhran Dubthaire from the hill of Liamhain of the +Smooth Shirt; Aedh of the Island of Rachrainn in the north; Ferai and +Aillinn and Lir and Fainnle, sons of Eogobal, from Cnoc Aine in Munster; +Cian and Coban and Conn, three sons of the King of Sidhe Monaid in +Alban; Aedh Minbhreac of Ess Ruadh with his seven sons; the children of +the Morrigu, the Great Queen, her six-and-twenty women warriors, the two +Luaths from Magh Life; Derg and Drecan out of the hill of Beinn Edair in +the east; Bodb Dearg himself with his great household, ten hundred ten +score and ten. Those are the chief leaders of the Tuatha de Danaan that +come to destroy our hill every year." + +Finn went back into the hill then, and told all that to his people. + +"My people," he said, "it is in great need and under great oppression +the sons of Midhir are, and it is into great danger we are come +ourselves. And unless we make a good fight now," he said, "it is likely +we will never see the Fianna again." + +"Good Finn," every one of them said then, "did you ever see any +drawing-back in any of us that you give us that warning?" "I give my +word," said Finn, "if I would go through the whole world having only +this many of the Fianna of Ireland along with me, I would not know fear +nor fright. And good Donn," he said, "is it by day or by night the Men +of Dea come against you?" "It is at the fall of night they come," said +Donn, "the way they can do us the most harm." + +So they waited till night came on, and then Finn said: "Let one of you +go out now on the green to keep watch for us, the way the Men of Dea +will not come on us without word or warning." + +And the man they set to watch was not gone far when he saw five strong +battalions of the Men of Dea coming towards him. He went back then to +the hill and he said: "It is what I think, that the troops that are come +against us this time and are standing now around the grave of the Man +of Enchantments are a match for any other fighting men." + +Finn called to his people then, and he said: "These are good fighters +are come against you, having strong red spears. And let you all do well +now in the battle. And it is what you have to do," he said, "to keep the +little troop of brothers, the sons of Midhir, safe in the fight; for it +would be a treachery to friendship any harm to come on them, and we +after joining them; and myself and Caoilte are the oldest among you, and +leave the rest of the battle to us." + +Then from the covering time of evening to the edge of the morning they +fought the battle. And the loss of the Tuatha de Danaan was no less a +number than ten hundred ten score and ten men. Then Bodb Dearg and +Midhir and Fionnbhar said to one another: "What are we to do with all +these? And let Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh give us an advice," they said, +"since he is the oldest of us." And Lir said: "It is what I advise, let +every one carry away his friends and his fosterlings, his sons and his +brothers, to his own place. And as for us that stop here," he said, "let +a wall of fire be made about us on the one side, and a wall of water on +the other side." Then the Men of Dea put up a great heap of stones, and +brought away their dead; and of all the great slaughter that Finn and +his men and the sons of Midhir had made, there was not left enough for a +crow to perch upon. + +And as to Finn and his men, they went back into the hill, hurt and +wounded and worn-out. + +And they stopped in the hill with the sons of Midhir through the whole +length of a year, and three times in the year the Men of Dea made an +attack on the hill, and a battle was fought. + +And Conn, son of Midhir, was killed in one of the battles; and as to the +Fianna, there were so many wounds on them that the clothing was held +off from their bodies with bent hazel sticks, and they lying in their +beds, and two of them were like to die. And Finn and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son went out on the green, and Caoilte said: "It was a bad +journey we made coming to this hill, to leave two of our comrades after +us." "It is a pity for whoever will face the Fianna of Ireland," said +Lugaidh's Son, "and he after leaving his comrades after him." "Whoever +will go back and leave them, it will not be myself," said Finn. Then +Bonn, son of Midhir, came to them. "Good Donn," said Finn, "have you +knowledge of any physician that can cure our men?" "I only know one +physician could do that," said Donn; "a physician the Tuatha de Danaan +have with them. And unless a wounded man has the marrow of his back cut +through, he will get relief from that physician, the way he will be +sound at the end of nine days." "How can we bring that man here," said +Finn, "for those he is with are no good friends to us?" "He goes out +every morning at break of day," said Donn, "to gather healing herbs +while the dew is on them." "Find some one, Donn," said Caoilte, "that +will show me that physician, and, living or dead, I will bring him with +me." + +Then Aedh and Flann, two of the sons of Midhir, rose up. "Come with us, +Caoilte," they said, and they went on before him to a green lawn with +the dew on it; and when they came to it they saw a strong young man +armed and having a cloak of the wool of the seven sheep of the Land of +Promise, and it full of herbs of healing he was after gathering for the +Men of Dea that were wounded in the battle. "Who is that man?" said +Caoilte. "That is the man we came looking for," said Aedh. "And mind him +well now," he said, "that he will not make his escape from us back to +his own people." + +They ran at him together then, and Caoilte took him by the shoulders +and they brought him away with them to the ford of the Slaine in the +great plain of Leinster, where the most of the Fianna were at that time; +and a Druid mist rose up about them that they could not be seen. + +And they went up on a little hill over the ford, and they saw before +them four young men having crimson fringed cloaks and swords with gold +hilts, and four good hunting hounds along with them. And the young man +could not see them because of the mist, but Caoilte saw they were his +own two sons, Colla and Faolan, and two other young men of the Fianna, +and he could hear them talking together, and saying it was a year now +that Finn, son of Cumhal, was gone from them. "And what will the Fianna +of Ireland do from this out," said one of them, "without their lord and +their leader?" "There is nothing for them to do," said another, "but to +go to Teamhair and to break up there, or to find another leader for +themselves." And there was heavy sorrow on them for the loss of their +lord; and it was grief to Caoilte to be looking at them. + +And he and the two sons of Midhir went back then by the Lake of the Two +Birds to Slieve-nam Ban, and they went into the hill. + +And Finn and Donn gave a great welcome to Luibra, the physician, and +they showed him their two comrades that were lying in their wounds. +"Those men are brothers to me," said Donn, "and tell me how can they be +cured?" Luibra looked then at their wounds, and he said: "They can be +cured if I get a good reward." "You will get that indeed," said Caoilte; +"and tell me now," he said, "how long will it take to cure them?" "It +will take nine days," said Luibra. "It is a good reward you will get," +said Caoilte, "and this is what it is, your own life to be left to you. +But if these young men are not healed," he said, "it is my own hand will +strike off your head." + +And within nine days the physician had done a cure on them, and they +were as well and as sound as before. + +And it was after that time the High King sent a messenger to bring the +Fianna to the Feast of Teamhair. And they all gathered to it, men and +women, boys and heroes and musicians. And Goll, son of Morna, was +sitting at the feast beside the king. "It is a great loss you have had, +Fianna of Ireland," said the king, "losing your lord and your leader, +Finn, son of Cumhal." "It is a great loss indeed," said Goll. + +"There has no greater loss fallen on Ireland since the loss of Lugh, son +of Ethne," said the king. "What orders will you give to the Fianna now, +king?" said Goll. "To yourself, Goll," said the king, "I will give the +right of hunting over all Ireland till we know if the loss of Finn is +lasting." "I will not take Finn's place," said Goll, "till he has been +wanting to us through the length of three years, and till no person in +Ireland has any hope of seeing him again." + +Then Ailbe of the Freckled Face said to the king: "What should these +seventeen queens belonging to Finn's household do?" "Let a safe, secret +sunny house be given to every one of them," said the king; "and let her +stop there and her women with her, and let provision be given to her for +a month and a quarter and a year till we have knowledge if Finn is alive +or dead." + +Then the king stood up, and a smooth drinking-horn in his hand, and he +said: "It would be a good thing, men of Ireland, if any one among you +could get us news of Finn in hills or in secret places, or in rivers or +invers, or in any house of the Sidhe in Ireland or in Alban." + +With that Berngal, the cow-owner from the borders of Slieve Fuad, that +was divider to the King of Ireland, said: "The day Finn came out from +the north, following after a deer of the Sidhe, and his five comrades +with him, he put a sharp spear having a shining head in my hand, and a +hound's collar along with it, and he bade me to keep them till he would +meet me again in the same place." Berngal showed the spear and the +collar then to the king and to Goll, and they looked at them and the +king said: "It is a great loss to the men of Ireland the man is that +owned this collar and this spear. And were his hounds along with him?" +he said. "They were," said Berngal; "Bran and Sceolan were with Finn, +and Breac and Lainbhui with Caoilte, and Conuall and Comrith with +Lugaidh's Son." + +The High King called then for Fergus of the True Lips, and he said: "Do +you know how long is Finn away from us?" "I know that well," said +Fergus; "it is a month and a quarter and a year since we lost him. And +indeed it is a great loss he is to the Fianna of Ireland," he +said, "himself and the men that were with him." "It is a great loss +indeed," said the king, "and I have no hope at all of finding those six +that were the best men of Ireland or of Alban." + +And then he called to Cithruadh, the Druid, and he said: "It is much +riches and many treasures Finn gave you, and tell us now is he living or +is he dead?" "He is living," said Cithruadh then. "But as to where he +is, I will give no news of that," he said, "for he himself would not +like me to give news of it." There was great joy among them when they +heard that, for everything Cithruadh had ever foretold had come true. +"Tell us when will he come back?" said the king. "Before the Feast of +Teamhair is over," said the Druid, "you will see the Leader of the +Fianna drinking at it." + +And as to Finn and his men, they stopped in the House of the Two Birds +till they had taken hostages for Donn, son of Midhir, from the Tuatha de +Danaan. And on the last day of the Feast of Teamhair they came back to +their people again. + +And from that time out the Fianna of Ireland had not more dealings with +the people living in houses than they had with the People of the Gods of +Dana. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE + + +It happened one day Finn and Oisin and Caoilte and Diarmuid and +Lugaidh's Son went up on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their five +hounds with them, Bran and Sceolan, Sear Dubh, Luath Luachar and +Adhnuall. And they were not long there till they saw a giant coming +towards them, very tall and rough and having an iron fork on his back +and a squealing pig between the prongs of the fork. And there was a +beautiful eager young girl behind the giant, shoving him on before her. +"Let some one go speak with those people," said Finn. So Diarmuid went +towards them, but they turned away before he came to them. Then Finn and +the rest rose up and went after them, but before they came to the giant +and the girl, a dark Druid mist rose up that hid the road. And when the +mist cleared away, Finn and the rest looked about them, and they saw a +good light-roofed house at the edge of a ford near at hand. They went on +to the house, and there was a green lawn before it, and in the lawn two +wells, and on the edge of one well there was a rough iron vessel, and on +the edge of the other a copper vessel. They went into the house then, +and they found there a very old white-haired man, standing to the right +hand of the door, and the beautiful young girl they saw before, sitting +near him, and the great rough giant beside the fire, and he boiling a +pig. And on the other side of the fire there was an old countryman, +having dark-grey hair and twelve eyes in his head, and his twelve eyes +were twelve sons of battle. And there was a ram in the house having a +white belly and a very black head, and dark-blue horns and green feet. +And there was a hag in the end of the house and a worn grey gown on her, +and there was no one in the house but those. + +And the man at the door gave them a welcome, and then the five of them +sat down on the floor of the house, and their hounds along with them. + +"Let great respect be shown to Finn, son of Cumhal, and to his people," +said the man at the door. "It is the way I am," said the giant, "to be +asking always and getting nothing." But for all that he rose up and +showed respect to Finn. + +Presently there came a great thirst on Finn, and no one took notice of +it but Caoilte, and he began complaining greatly. "Why are you +complaining, Caoilte?" said the man at the door; "you have but to go out +and get a drink for Finn at whichever of the wells you will choose." +Caoilte went out then, and he brought the full of the copper vessel to +Finn, and Finn took a drink from it, and there was the taste of honey on +it while he was drinking, and the taste of gall on it after, so that +fierce windy pains and signs of death came on him, and his appearance +changed, that he would hardly be known. And Caoilte made greater +complaints than he did before on account of the way he was, till the man +at the door bade him to go out and to bring him a drink from the other +well. So Caoilte did that, and brought in the full of the iron vessel. +And Finn never went through such great hardship in any battle as he did +drinking that draught, from the bitterness of it; but no sooner did he +drink it than his own colour and appearance came back to him and he was +as well as before, and his people were very glad when they saw that. + +Then the man of the house asked was the pig ready that was in the +cauldron. "It is ready," said the giant; "and leave the dividing of it +to me," he said. "What way will you divide it?" said the man of the +house. "I will give one hind quarter to Finn and his dogs," said the +giant, "and the other hind quarter to Finn's four comrades; and the fore +quarter to myself, and the chine and the rump to the old man there by +the fire and the hag in the corner; and the entrails to yourself and to +the young girl that is beside you." "I give my word," said the man of +the house, "you have shared it well." "I give my word," said the ram, +"it is a bad division to me, for you have forgotten my share in it." +With that he took hold of the quarter that was before the Fianna, and +brought it into a corner and began to eat it. On that the four of them +attacked him with their swords, but with all the hard strokes they gave +they could not harm him at all, for the swords slipped from his back the +same as they would from a rock. "On my word it is a pity for any one +that has the like of you for comrades," said the man with the twelve +eyes, "and you letting a sheep bring away your food from you." With that +he went up to the ram and took him by the feet and threw him out from +the door that he fell on his back, and they saw him no more. + +It was not long after that, the hag rose up and threw her pale grey gown +over Finn's four comrades, and they turned to four old men, weak and +withered, their heads hanging. When Finn saw that there came great dread +on him, and the man at the door saw it, and he bade him to come over to +him, and to put his head in his breast and to sleep. Finn did that, and +the hag took her covering off the four men, the way that when Finn awoke +they were in their own shape again, and it is well pleased he was to see +that. + +"Is there wonder on you, Finn?" said the man at the door, "at the ways +of this house?" "I never wondered more at anything I ever saw," said +Finn. "I will tell you the meaning of them, so," said the man. "As to +the giant you saw first," he said, "having the squealing pig in the +prongs of his fork, Sluggishness is his name; and the girl here beside +me that was shoving him along is Liveliness, for liveliness pushes on +sluggishness, and liveliness goes farther in the winking of an eye than +the foot can travel in a year. The old man there beyond with the twelve +bright eyes betokens the World, and he is stronger than any other, and +he showed that when he made nothing of the ram. The ram you saw betokens +the Desires of Men. The hag is Old Age, and her gown withered up your +four comrades. And the two wells you drank the two draughts out of," he +said, "betoken Lying and Truth; for it is sweet to people to be telling +a lie, but it is bitter in the end. And as to myself," he said, "Cuanna +from Innistuil is my name, and it is not here I am used to be, but I +took a very great love for you, Finn, because of your wisdom and your +great name, and so I put these things in your way that I might see you. +And the hospitality of Cuanna's house to Finn will be the name of this +story to the end of the world. And let you and your men come together +now," he said, "and sleep till morning." + +So they did that, and when they awoke in the morning, it is where they +were, on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their dogs and their arms beside +them. + + + +CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS + + +Nine of the Fianna set out one time, looking for a pup they wanted, and +they searched through many places before they found it. All through Magh +Leine they searched, and through the Valley of the Swords, and through +the storm of Druim Cleibh, and it is pleasant the Plain of the Life +looked after it; but not a pup could they find. Then they went searching +through Durlass of the generous men, and great Teamhair and Dun Dobhran +and Ceanntsaile, men and dogs searching the whole of Ireland, but not a +pup could they find. + +And while they were going from place to place, and their people with +them, they saw the three armies of the sons of the King of Ruadhleath +coming towards them. Cat-headed one army was, and the one alongside of +it was Dog-headed, and the men of the third army were White-backed. + +And when the Fianna saw them coming, Finn held up his shining spear, and +light-hearted Caoilte gave out a great shout that was heard in Almhuin, +and in Magh Leine, and in Teamhair, and in Dun Reithlein. And that shout +was answered by Goll, son of Morna, and by Faolan, Finn's son that was +with him, and by the Stutterers from Burren, and by the two sons of +Maith Breac, and by Iolunn of the Sharp Edge, and by Cael of the Sharp +Sword, that never gave his ear to tale-bearers. + +It is pleasant the sound was then of the spears and the armies and of +the silken banners that were raised up in the gusty wind of the morning. +And as to the banners, Finn's banner, the Dealb-Greine, the Sun-Shape, +had the likeness of the sun on it; and Coil's banner was the Fulang +Duaraidh, that was the first and last to move in a battle; and Faolan's +banner was the Coinneal Catha, the Candle of Battle; and Oisin's banner +was the Donn Nimhe, the Dark Deadly One; and Caoilte's was the Lamh +Dearg, the Red Hand; and Osgar's was the Sguab Gabhaidh that had a Broom +of rowan branches on it, and the only thing asked when the fight was at +the hottest was where that Broom was; and merry Diarmuid's banner was +the Liath Loinneach, the Shining Grey; and the Craobh Fuileach, the +Bloody Branch, was the banner of Lugaidh's Son. And as to Conan, it is a +briar he had on his banner, because he was always for quarrels and for +trouble. And it used to be said of him he never saw a man frown without +striking him, or a door left open without going in through it. + +And when the Fianna had raised their banners they attacked the three +armies; and first of all they killed the whole of the Cat-Heads, and +then they took the Dog-Heads in hand and made an end of them, and of the +White-Backs along with them. + +And after that they went to a little hill to the south, having a double +dun on it, and it is there they found a hound they were able to get a +pup from. + +And by that time they had searched through the whole of Ireland, and +they did not find in the whole of it a hundred men that could match +their nine. + +And as well as their banners, some of the Fianna had swords that had +names to them, Mac an Luin, Son of the Waves, that belonged to Finn; and +Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, that was Oisin's; and +Caoilte's Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One; and Diarmuid's +Liomhadoir, the Burnisher; and Osgar's Cosgarach Mhor, the Great +Triumphant One. + +And it is the way they got those swords: there came one time to where +Finn and Caoilte and some others of the Fianna were, a young man, very +big and ugly, having but one foot and one eye; a cloak of black skins he +had over his shoulders, and in his hand a blunt ploughshare that was +turning to red. And he told them he was Lon, son of Liobhan, one of the +three smiths of the King of Lochlann. And whether he thought to go away +from the Fianna, or to bring them to his smithy, he started running, and +they followed after him all through Ireland, to Slieve-na-Righ, and to +Luimnech, and to Ath Luain, and by the right side of Cruachan of +Connacht, and to Ess Ruadh and to Beinn Edair, and so to the sea. + +And wherever it was they found the smithy, they went into it, and there +they found four smiths working, and every one of them having seven +hands. And Finn and Caoilte and the rest stopped there watching them +till the swords were made, and they brought them away with them then, +and it is good use they made of them afterwards. + +And besides his sword, Mac an Luin, Finn had a shield was called Sgiath +Gailbhinn, the Storm Shield; and when it called out it could be heard +all through Ireland. + +And whether or not it was the Storm Shield, Finn had a wonderful shield +that he did great deeds with, and the story of it is this: + +At the time of the battle of the Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh, +after he had struck the head off Balor of the Evil Eye, hung it in the +fork of a hazel-tree. And the tree split, and the leaves fell from it +with the dint of the poison that dropped from the head. And through the +length of fifty years that tree was a dwelling-place of crows and of +ravens. And at the end of that time Manannan, son of Lir, was passing +by, and he took notice of the tree that it was split and withered, and +he bade his men to dig it up. And when they began to dig, a mist of +poison rose up from the roots, and nine of the men got their death from +it, and another nine after them, and the third nine were blinded. And +Luchtaine the Carpenter made a shield of the wood of that hazel for +Manannan. And after a while Manannan gave it, and a set of chessmen +along with it, to Tadg, son of Nuada; and from him it came to his +grandson, Finn, son of Muirne and of Cumhal. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD + +FINN took a wife one time of the Luigne of Midhe. And at the same time +there was in his household one Lomna, a fool. + +Finn now went into Tethra, hunting with the Fianna, but Lomna stopped at +the house. And after a while he saw Coirpre, a man of the Luigne, go in +secretly to where Finn's wife was. + +And when the woman knew he had seen that, she begged and prayed of Lomna +to hide it from Finn. And Lomna agreed to that, but it preyed on him to +have a hand in doing treachery on Finn. And after a while he took a +four-square rod and wrote an Ogham on it, and these were the words he +wrote:--"An alder stake in a paling of silver; deadly night-shade in a +bunch of cresses; a husband of a lewd woman; a fool among the +well-taught Fianna; heather on bare Ualann of Luigne." + +Finn saw the message, and there was anger on him against the woman; and +she knew well it was from Lomna he had heard the story, and she sent a +message to Coirpre bidding him to come and kill the fool. + +So Coirpre came and struck his head off, and brought it away with him. + +And when Finn came back in the evening he saw the body, and it without a +head. "Let us know whose body is this," said the Fianna. And then Finn +did the divination of rhymes, and it is what he said: "It is the body of +Lomna; it is not by a wild boar he was killed; it is not by a fall he +was killed; it is not in his bed he died; it is by his enemies he died; +it is not a secret to the Luigne the way he died. And let out the hounds +now on their track," he said. + +So they let out the hounds, and put them on the track of Coirpre, and +Finn followed them, and they came to a house, and Coirpre in it, and +three times nine of his men and he cooking fish on a spit; and Lomna's +head was on a spike beside the fire. + +And the first of the fish that was cooked Coirpre divided between his +men, but he put no bit into the mouth of the head. And then he made a +second division in the same way. Now that was against the law of the +Fianna, and the head spoke, and it said: "A speckled white-bellied +salmon that grows from a small fish under the sea; you have shared a +share that is not right; the Fianna will avenge it upon you, Coirpre." +"Put the head outside," said Coirpre, "for that is an evil word for us." +Then the head said from outside: "It is in many pieces you will be; it +is great fires will be lighted by Finn in Luigne." + +And as it said that, Finn came in, and he made an end of Coirpre, and of +his men. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH + +One time Caoilte was hunting on Beinn Gulbain, and he went on to Ess +Ruadh. And when he came near the hill of the Sidhe that is there, he saw +a young man waiting for him, having a crimson fringed cloak about him, +and on his breast a silver brooch, and a white shield, ornamented with +linked beasts of red gold, and his hair rolled in a ball at the back, +and covered with a golden cup. And he had heavy green weapons, and he +was holding two hounds in a silver chain. + +And when Caoilte came up to him he gave him three loving kisses, and sat +down beside him on the grass. "Who are you, young champion?" said +Caoilte. "I am Derg, son of Eoghan of the people of Usnach," he said, +"and foster-brother of your own." Caoilte knew him then, and he said: +"And what is your life with your mother's people, the Tuatha de Danaan +in Sidhe Aedha?" "There is nothing wanting to us there of food or of +clothing," said the young man. "But for all that," he said, "I would +sooner live the life of the worst treated of the serving-boys of the +Fianna than the life I am living in the hill of the Sidhe." "Lonely as +you are at your hunting to-day," said Caoilte, "it is often I saw you +coming to the Valley of the Three Waters in the south, where the Siuir +and the Beoir and the Berba come together, with a great company about +you; fifteen hundred young men, fifteen hundred serving-boys, and +fifteen hundred women." "That was so," said Derg; "and although myself +and my gentle hound are living in the hill of the Sidhe, my mind is +always on the Fianna. And I remember well the time," he said, "when you +yourself won the race against Finn's lasting black horse. And come now +into the hill," he said, "for the darkness of the night is coming on." + +So he brought Caoilte into the hill with him, and they were set down in +their right places. + +It was at that time, now, there was great war between Lir of Sidhe +Fionnachaidh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh. There used a bird with an iron +beak and a tail of fire to come every evening to a golden window of +Ilbrec's house, and there he would shake himself till he would not leave +sword on pillow, or shield on peg, or spear in rack, but they would come +down on the heads of the people of the house; and whatever they would +throw at the bird, it is on the heads of some of themselves it would +fall. And the night Caoilte came in, the hall was made ready for a +feast, and the bird came in again, and did the same destruction as +before, and nothing they threw at him would touch him at all. "Is it +long the bird has been doing this?" said Caoilte. "Through the length of +a year now," said Derg, "since we went to war with Sidhe Fionnachaidh." + +Then Caoilte put his hand within the rim of his shield, and he took out +of it a copper rod he had, and he made a cast of it at the bird, that +brought it down on the floor of the hall. "Did any one ever make a +better cast than that?" said Ilbrec. "By my word," said Caoilte, "there +is no one of us in the Fianna has any right to boast against another." +Then Ilbrec took down a sharp spear, having thirty rivets of gold in it, +from its place, and he said: "That is the Spear of Fiacha, son of +Congha, and it is with that Finn made an end of Aillen, son of Midhna, +that used to burn Teamhair. And keep it beside you now, Caoilte," he +said, "till we see will Lir come to avenge his bird on us." + +Then they took up their horns and their cups, and they were at drinking +and pleasure, and Ilbrec said: "Well, Caoilte," he said, "if Lir comes +to avenge his bird on us, who will you put in command of the battle?" "I +will give the command to Derg there beyond," said he. "Will you take it +in hand, Derg?" said the people of the hill. "I will take it," said +Derg, "with its loss and its gain." + +So that is how they spent the night, and it was not long in the morning +till they heard blowing of horns, and rattling of chariots, and clashing +of shields, and the uproar of a great army that came all about the hill. +They sent some of their people out then to see were there many in it, +and they saw three brave armies of the one size. "It would be a great +vexation to me," said Aedh Nimbrec, the Speckled, then, "we to get our +death and Lir's people to take the hill." "Did you never hear, Aedh," +said Caoilte, "that the wild boar escapes sometimes from both hounds and +from wolves, and the stag in the same way goes away from the hounds with +a sudden start; and what man is it you are most in dread of in the +battle?" he said. "The man that is the best fighter of all the Men of +Dea," said they all, "and that is Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh." "The +thing I have done in every battle I will not give up to-day," said +Caoilte, "to meet the best man that is in it hand to hand." "The two +that are next to him in fighting," they said then, "are Donn and Dubh." +"I will put down those two," said Derg. + +Then the host of the Sidhe went out to the battle, and the armies +attacked one another with wide green spears and with little casting +spears, and with great stones; and the fight went on from the rising of +the day till midday. And then Caoilte and Lir met with one another, and +they made a very fierce fight, and at the last Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh +fell by the hand of Caoilte. + +Then the two good champions Dubh and Donn, sons of Eirrge, determined to +go on with the battle, and it is how they fought, Dubh in the front of +the whole army, and Donn behind all, guarding the rear. But Derg saw +that, and he put his finger into the thong of his spear and made a cast +at the one that was nearest him, and it broke his back and went on into +the body of the other, so that the one cast made an end of the two. And +that ended the battle, and all that was left of the great army of Lir +went wearing away to the north. And there was great rejoicing in the +hill at Ess Ruadh, and Ilbrec took the spoils of the beaten army for his +people, and to Caoilte he gave the enchanted spear of Fiacha, together +with nine rich cloaks and nine long swords with hilts and guards of +gold, and nine hounds for hunting. And they said farewell to one +another, and Caoilte left his blessing to the people of the hill, and he +brought their thanks with him. And as hard as the battle had been, it +was harder again for Derg to part from his comrade, and the day he was +parted from Finn and from all the Fianna was no sadder to him than this +day. + +It was a long time after that Caoilte went again to the hill of Ilbrec +at Ess Ruadh, and this is the way it happened. + +It was in a battle at Beinn Edair in the east that Mane, son of the King +of Lochlann, made a cast at him in the middle of the battle with a +deadly spear. And he heard the whistling of the spear, and it rushing to +him; and he lifted his shield to protect his head and his body, but that +did not save him, for it struck into his thigh, and left its poison in +it, so that he had to go in search of healing. And it is where he went, +to the hill of the Sidhe at Ess Ruadh, to ask help of Bebind, daughter +of Elcmar of Brugh na Boinne, that had the drink of healing of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and all that was left of the ale of Goibniu that she +used to be giving out to them. + +And Caoilte called to Cascorach the Musician, son of Caincenn, and bade +him bring his harp and come along with him. And they stopped for a night +in the hill of the Sidhe of Druim Nemed in Luigne of Connacht, and from +that they went forward by Ess Dara, the Fall of the Oaks, and Druim +Dearg na Feinne, the Red Ridge of the Fianna, and Ath Daim Glas, the +Ford of the Grey Stag, and to Beinn Gulbain, and northward into the +plain of Ceitne, where the Men of Dea used to pay their tribute to the +Fomor; and up to the Footstep of Ess Ruadh, and the High Place of the +Boys, where the boys of the Tuatha de Danaan used to be playing their +hurling. And Aedh of Ess Ruadh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh were at the door +of the hill, and they gave Caoilte a true welcome. "I am glad of that +welcome," said Caoilte. And then Bebind, daughter of Elcmar of Brugh na +Boinne, came out, and three times fifty comely women about her, and she +sat down on the green grass and gave three loving kisses to the three, +to Caoilte and to Cascorach and to Fermaise, that had come with them out +of the hill of the Sidhe in Luigne of Connacht. And all the people of +the hill welcomed them, and they said: "It is little your friendship +would be worth if you would not come to help us and we in need of help." +"It was not for bravery I was bade come," said Cascorach; "but when the +right time comes I will make music for you if you have a mind to hear +it." "It is not for deeds of bravery we are come," said Fermaise, "but +we will give you our help if you are in need of it." Then Caoilte told +them the cause of his journey. "We will heal you well," said they. And +then they all went into the hill and stayed there three days and three +nights at drinking and pleasure. + +And indeed it was good help Caoilte and Cascorach gave them after that. +For there was a woman-warrior used to come every year with the ships of +the men of Lochlann to make an attack on the Tuatha de Danaan. And she +had been reared by a woman that knew all enchantments, and there was no +precious thing in all the hills of the Sidhe but she had knowledge of +it, and would bring it away. And just at this time there came a +messenger to the door of the hill with news that the harbour was full of +ships, and that a great army had landed, and the woman-warrior along +with it. + +And it was Cascorach the Musician went out against her, having a shield +he got the loan of from Donn, son of Midhir; and she used high words +when she saw so young a man coming to fight with her, and he alone. But +he made an end of her for all her high talk, and left her lying on the +strand with the sea foam washing up to her. + +And as to Caoilte, he went out in a chariot belonging to Midhir of the +Yellow Hair, son of the Dagda, and a spear was given him that was called +Ben-badb, the War-Woman, and he made a cast of the spear that struck the +King of Lochlann, that he fell in the middle of his army, and the life +went from him. And Fermaise went looking for the king's brother, Eolus, +that was the comeliest of all the men of the world; and he knew him by +the band of gold around his head, and his green armour, and his red +shield, and he killed him with a cast of a five-pronged spear. And when +the men of Lochlann saw their three leaders were gone, they went into +their ships and back to their own country. And there was great joy +through the whole country, both among the men of Ireland and the Tuatha +de Danaan, the men of Lochlann to have been driven away by the deeds of +Caoilte and Fermaise and Cascorach. + +And that was not all they did, for it was at that time there came three +flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad in the north, and began +eating the green grass before the hill of the Sidhe. "What birds are +those?" said Caoilte. "Three flocks they are that come and destroy the +green every year, eating it down to the bare flag-stones, till they +leave us no place for our races," said Ilbrec. Then Caoilte and his +comrades took up three stones and threw them at the flocks and drove +them away. "Power and blessings to you," said the people of the Sidhe +then, "that is a good work you have done. And there is another thing you +can do for us," they said, "for there are three ravens come to us every +year out of the north, and the time the young lads of the hill are +playing their hurling, each one of the ravens carries off a boy of them. +And it is to-morrow the hurling will be," they said. + +So when the full light of day was come on the morrow, the whole of the +Tuatha de Danaan went out to look at the hurling; and to every six men +of them was given a chess-board, and a board for some other game to +every five, and to every ten men a little harp, and a harp to every +hundred men, and pipes that were sharp and powerful to every nine. + +Then they saw the three ravens from the north coming over the sea, and +they pitched on the great tree of power that was on the green, and they +gave three gloomy screeches, that if such a thing could be, would have +brought the dead out of the earth or the hair off the head of the +listeners; and as it was, they took the courage out of the whole +gathering. + +Then Cascorach, son of Caincenn, took a man of the chessmen and made a +cast at one of the ravens that struck his beak and his throat, and made +an end of him; and Fermaise killed the second of them, and Caoilte the +third of them in the same way. + +"Let my cure be done now," said Caoilte, "for I have paid my fee for it, +and it is time." "You have paid it indeed," said Ilbrec. "And where is +Bebind, daughter of Elcmar?" he said. "I am here," said she. + +"Bring Caoilte, son of Ronan, with you into some hidden place," he said, +"and do his cure, and let him be well served, for he has driven every +danger from the Men of Dea and from the Sons of the Gael. And let +Cascorach make music for him, and let Fermaise, son of Eogabil, be +watching him and guarding him and attending him." + +So Elcmar's daughter went to the House of Arms, and her two sons with +her, and a bed of healing was made ready for Caoilte, and a bowl of pale +gold was brought to her, and it full of water. And she took a crystal +vessel and put herbs into it, and she bruised them and put them in the +water, and gave the bowl to Caoilte, and he drank a great drink out of +it, that made him cast up the poison of the spear that was in him. Five +drinks of it he took, and after that she gave him new milk to drink; but +with the dint of the reaching he was left without strength through the +length of three days and three nights. + +"Caoilte, my life," she said then, "in my opinion you have got relief." +"I have got it indeed," he said, "but that the weakness of my head is +troubling me." "The washing of Flann, daughter of Flidais, will be done +for you now," she said, "and the head that washing is done for will +never be troubled with pain, or baldness, or weakness of sight." So that +cure was done to him for a while; and the people of the hill divided +themselves into three parts; the one part of their best men and great +nobles, and another of their young men, and another of their women and +poets, to be visiting him and making mirth with him as long as he would +be on his bed of healing. And everything that was best from their +hunting, it was to him they would bring it. + +And one day, when Elcmar's daughter and her two sons and Cascorach and +Fermaise were with Caoilte, there was heard a sound of music coming +towards them from the waters of Ess Ruadh, and any one would leave the +music of the whole world for that music. And they put their harps on the +corners of the pillars and went out, and there was wonder on Caoilte +that they left him. And he took notice that his strength and the +strength of his hands was not come to him yet, and he said: "It is many +a rough battle and many a hard fight I went into, and now there is not +enough strength in me so much as to go out along with the rest," and he +cried tears down. + +And the others came back to him then, and he asked news of them. "What +was that sound of music we heard?" he said. "It was Uaine out of the +hill of the Sidhe, at the Wave of Cliodna in the south," said they; "and +with her the birds of the Land of Promise; and she is musician to the +whole of that country. And every year she goes to visit one of the hills +of the Sidhe, and it is our turn this time." Then the woman from the +Land of Promise came into the house, and the birds came in along with +her, and they pitched on the pillars and the beams, and thirty of them +came in where Caoilte was, began singing together. And Cascorach took +his harp, and whatever he would play, the birds would sing to it. "It is +much music I have heard," said Caoilte, "but music so good as that I +never heard before." + +And after that Caoilte asked to have the healing of his thigh done, and +the daughter of Elcmar gave herself to that, and all that was bad was +sucked from the wound by her serving people till it was healed. And +Caoilte stopped on where he was for three nights after that. + +And then the people of the hill rose up and went into the stream to +swim. And Caoilte said: "What ails me now not to go swim, since my +health has come back to me?" And with that he went into the water. And +afterwards they went back into the hill, and there was a great feast +made that night. + +And Caoilte bade them farewell after that, and Cascorach, but Fermaise +stopped with them for a while. And the people of the hill gave good +gifts to Caoilte; a fringed crimson cloak of wool from the seven sheep +of the Land of Promise; and a fish-hook that was called Aicil mac Mogha, +and that could not be set in any river or inver but it would take fish; +and along with that they gave him a drink of remembrance, and after that +drink there would be no place he ever saw, or no battle or fight he ever +was in, but it would stay in his memory. "That is a good help from +kinsmen and from friends," said Caoilte. + +Then Caoilte and Cascorach went out from the hill, and the people of it +made a great lamentation after them. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE CAVE OF CRUACHAN + + +CAOLITE was one time at Cruachan of Connacht, and Cascorach was with +him, and there he saw sitting on a heap of stones a man with very rough +grey hair, having a dark brown cloak fastened with a pin of bronze, and +a long stick of white hazel in his hand; and there was a herd of cattle +before him in a fenced field. + +Caoilte asked news of him. "I am steward to the King of Ireland," said +the old man, "and it is from him I hold this land. And we have great +troubles on us in this district," he said. "What troubles are those?" +said Caoilte. "I have many herds of cattle," he said, "and every year at +Samhain time, a woman comes out of the hill of the Sidhe of Cruachan and +brings away nine of the best out of every herd. And as to my name, I am +Bairnech, son of Carbh of Collamair of Bregia." + +"Who was the best man that ever came out of Collamair?" said Caoilte. "I +know, and the men of Ireland and of Alban know," said he, "it was +Caoilte, son of Ronan. And do you know where is that man now?" he said. +"I myself am that man and your own kinsman," said Caoilte. + +When Bairnech heard that, he gave him a great welcome, and Caoilte gave +him three kisses. "It seems to me that to-night is Samhain night," said +Caoilte. "If that is so, it is to-night the woman will come to rob us," +said Bernech. "Let me go to-night to the door of the hill of the Sidhe," +said Cascorach. "You may do that, and bring your arms with you," said +Caoilte. + +So Cascorach went then, and it was not long till he saw the girl going +past him out of the hill of Cruachan, having a beautiful cloak of one +colour about her; a gown of yellow silk tied up with a knot between her +thighs, two spears in her hands, and she not in dread of anything before +her or after her. + +Then Cascorach blew a blast against her, and put his finger into the +thong of his spear, and made a cast at the girl that went through her, +and that is the way she was made an end of by Cascorach of the Music. + +And then Bernech said to Caoilte: "Caoilte," he said, "do you know the +other oppression that is on me in this place?" "What oppression is +that?" said Caoilte. "Three she-wolves that come out of the Cave of +Cruachan every year and destroy our sheep and our wethers, and we can do +nothing against them, and they go back into the cave again. And it will +be a good friend that will rid us of them," he said. "Well, Cascorach," +said Caoilte, "do you know what are the three wolves that are robbing +this man?" "I know well," said Cascorach, "they are the three daughters +of Airetach, of the last of the people of oppression of the Cave of +Cruachan, and it is easier for them to do their robbery as wolves than +as women." "And will they come near to any one?" said Caoilte. "They +will only come near to one sort," said Cascorach; "if they see the +world's men having harps for music, they will come near to them." "And +how would it be for me," he said, "to go to-morrow to the cairn beyond, +and to bring my harp with me?" + +So in the morning he rose up and went to the cairn and stopped on it, +playing his harp till the coming of the mists of the evening. And while +he was there he saw the three wolves coming towards him, and they lay +down before him, listening to the music. But Cascerach found no way to +make an attack on them, and they went back into the cave at the end of +the day. + +Cascorach went back then to Caoilte and told him what had happened. "Go +up to-morrow to the same place," said Caoilte, "and say to them it would +be better for them to be in the shape of women for listening to music +than in the shape of wolves." + +So on the morrow Cascorach went out to the same cairn, and set his +people about it, and the wolves came there and stretched themselves to +listen to the music. And Cascorach was saying to them: "If you were ever +women," he said, "it would be better for you to be listening to the +music as women than as wolves." And they heard that, and they threw off +the dark trailing coverings that were about them, for they liked well +the sweet music of the Sidhe. + +And when Caoilte saw them there side by side, and elbow by elbow, he +made a cast of his spear, and it went through the three women, that they +were like a skein of thread drawn together on the spear. And that is the +way he made an end of the strange, unknown three. And that place got the +name of the Valley of the Shapes of the Wolves. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. THE WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE + +Finn and the Fianna made a great hunting one time on the hill of Torc +that is over Loch Lein and Feara Mor. And they went on with their +hunting till they came to pleasant green Slieve Echtge, and from that it +spread over other green-topped hills, and through thick tangled woods, +and rough red-headed hills, and over the wide plains of the country. And +every chief man among them chose the place that was to his liking, and +the gap of danger he was used to before. And the shouts they gave in the +turns of the hunt were heard in the woods all around, so that they +started the deer in the wood, and sent the foxes wandering, and the +little red beasts climbing rocks, and badgers from their holes, and +birds flying, and fawns running their best. Then they let out their +angry small-headed hounds and set them hunting. And it is red the hands +of the Fianna were that day, and it is proud they were of their hounds +that were torn and wounded before evening. + +It happened that day no one stopped with Finn but only Diorraing, son of +Domhar. "Well, Diorraing," said Finn, "let you watch for me while I go +asleep, for it is early I rose to-day, and it is an early rising a man +makes when he cannot see the shadow of his five fingers between himself +and the light of day, or know the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of +the oak." With that he fell into a quiet sleep that lasted till the +yellow light of the evening. And the rest of the Fianna, not knowing +where he was gone, gave over the hunt. + +And the time was long to Diorraing while Finn was asleep, and he roused +him and told him the Fianna must have given up the hunt, for he could +not hear a cry or a whistle from them. "The end of day is come," said +Finn then, "and we will not follow them to-night. And go now to the +wood," he said, "and bring timber and dead branches for a shelter, and I +will go looking for food for the night." So Diorraing went to the wood, +but he was not gone far till he saw a fine well-lighted house of the +Sidhe before him on the edge of the wood near at hand, and he went back +to Finn with the news. "Let us go to it," said Finn, "for we ought not +to be working in this place, and people living so near at hand." They +went then to the door of the house and knocked at it, and the +door-keeper came to it. "Whose house is this?" said Diorraing. "It +belongs to Conan of Ceann Slieve," said the door-keeper. "Tell him," +said Diorraing, "there are two of the Fianna of the Gael at the door." + +The door-keeper went in then and told Conan there were two men of the +Fianna at the door. "The one of them," he said, "is young and strong, +and quiet and fair-haired, and more beautiful than the rest of the men +of the world, and he has in his hand a small-headed, white-breasted +hound, having a collar of rubbed gold and a chain of old silver. And the +other of them," he said, "is brown and ruddy and white-toothed, and he +is leading a yellow-spotted hound by a chain of bright bronze." "It is +well you have made your report of them," said Conan, "and I know them by +it; for the man you spoke of first is Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the +Fianna of Ireland, and Bran in his hand; and the other is Diorraing, and +Sceolan in his hand. And go now quickly and let them in," he said. + +Finn and Diorraing were brought in then, and they got good attendance, +and their arms were taken from them, and a grand feast was made ready +that pleased them well. And the wife of Conan was at the one side of +Finn, and his daughter, Finndealbh, of the Fair Shape, was at his other +side. And they had a great deal of talk together, and at last, seeing +her so beautiful, the colour of gold on her curled hair, and her eyes as +blue as flowers, and a soft four-cornered cloak fastened at her breast +with a silver pin, he asked her of Conan for his wife. "Leave asking +that, Finn," said Conan, "for your own courage is not greater than the +courage of the man she is promised to." "Who is that?" said Finn. "He is +Fatha, son of the King of Ess Ruadh," said Conan. "Your wounds and your +danger on yourself," said Diorraing; "and it would be right," he said, +"that stammering tongue that gave out those words to be tied and to be +shortened for ever, and a drink of death to be given to you; for if the +whole of the Men of Dea," he said, "could be put into the one body, Finn +would be better than them all." "Leave off, Diorraing," said Finn, "for +it is not fighting I am here, but asking a wife, and I will get her +whether the Men of Dea think good or bad of it." "I will not be making a +quarrel with you," said Conan, "but I put you under bonds as a true +hero to answer me everything I am going to ask you." "I will do that," +said Finn. + +With that Conan put questions to Finn as to his birth and his rearing, +and the deeds he had done since he came to the Fianna, and Finn gave +full answers to them all. And at last he said: "Let us go on with this +no longer, but if you have musicians with you, let them be brought to us +now; for it is not my custom," he said, "to be for a single night +without music." "Tell me this first," said Conan, "who was it made the +Dord Fiann, the Mutterer of the Fianna, and when was it made?" "I will +tell you the truth of that," said Finn; "it was made in Ireland by the +three sons of Cearmait Honey-Mouth; and nine men used to be sounding it, +and since it came to me I have fifty men sounding it." "And tell me +this," said Conan, "what is the music pleased you best of all you ever +heard?" "I will tell you that," said Finn; "the time the seven +battalions of the Fianna are gathered in the one place and raise their +spear-shafts over their heads, and the sharp whining of the clear, cold +wind goes through them, that is very sweet to me. And when the +drinking-hall is set out in Almhuin, and the cup-bearers give out the +bright cups to the chief men of the Fianna, that is very sweet to me; +and it is sweet to me to be listening to the voice of the sea-gull and +the heron, and the noise of the waves of Traig Liath, the song of the +three sons of Meardha, the whistle of Lugaidh's Son, and the voice of +the cuckoo in the beginning of summer, and the grunting of the pigs on +the Plain of Eithne, and the shouting of laughter in Doire." And it is +what he said: "The Dord in the green-topped woods, the lasting wash of +the waves against the shore, the noise of the waves at Traig Liath +meeting with the river of the White Trout; the three men that came to +the Fianna, a man of them gentle and a man of them rough, another man of +them ploughing the clouds, they were sweeter than any other thing. + +"The grey mane of the sea, the time a man cannot follow its track; the +swell that brings the fish to the land, it is sleep-music, its sound is +sweet. + +"Feargall, son of Fionn, a man that was ready-handed, it is long his +leap was, it is well marked his track is; he never gave a story that did +not do away with secrets; it is his voice was music of sleep to me." + +And when Finn had answered all the questions so well, Conan said he +would give him his daughter, and that he would have a wedding-feast +ready at the end of a month. + +They spent the rest of the night then in sleep; but Finn saw a dreadful +vision through his sleep that made him start three times from his bed. +"What makes you start from your bed, Finn?" said Diorraing. "It was the +Tuatha de Danaan I saw," said he, "taking up a quarrel against me, and +making a great slaughter of the Fianna." + +Now as to the Fianna, they rested at Fotharladh of Moghna that night, +and they were downhearted, having no tidings of Finn. And early on the +morrow two of them, Bran Beag and Bran Mor, rose up and went to +Mac-an-Reith, son of the Ram, that had the gift of true knowledge, and +they asked him where did Finn spend the night. And Mac-an-Reith was +someway unwilling to tell them, but at the last he said it was at the +house of Conan of Ceann Slieve. + +The two Brans went on then to Conan's house, and Finn made them welcome; +but they blamed him when they heard he was taking a wife, and none of +his people with him. "Bid all the Fianna to come to the feast at the end +of a month," said Conan then. So Finn and Diorraing and the two Brans +went back to where the Fianna were and told them all that had happened, +and they went on to Almhuin. + +And when they were in the drinking-hall at Almhuin that night, they saw +the son of the King of Ireland coming to where they were. "It is a pity +the king's son to have come," said Finn; "for he will not be satisfied +without ordering everything in the hall in his own way." "We will not +take his orders," said Oisin, "but we will leave the half of the hall to +him, and keep the other half ourselves." + +So they did that; but it happened that in the half of the house that was +given up to the King of Ireland's son, there were sitting two of the Men +of Dea, Failbhe Mor and Failbhe Beag; and it is what they said, that it +is because they were in that side of the hall it was given up. "It is a +pity," said Failbhe Beag, "this shame and this great insult to have been +put on us to-night; and it is likely Finn has a mind to do more than +that again to us," he said, "for he is going to bring away the woman +that is promised to the third best man of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +against the will of her father and mother." And these two went away +early in the morning to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail, and told him of the +insults Finn and the Fianna of Ireland had a mind to put on the Tuatha +de Danaan. + +And when Fionnbhar that was king over the Tuatha de Danaan heard that, +he sent out messengers through the length of Ireland to gather them all +to him. And there came six good battalions to him on the edge of Loch +Derg Dheirc at the end of a month; and it was the same day Conan had the +wedding-feast made ready for Finn and his people. + +And Finn was at Teamhair Luachra at that time, and when he heard the +feast was ready, he set out to go to it. And it chanced that the most of +the men he had with him at that time were of the sons of Morna. And when +they were on their way, Finn said to Goll, "O Goll," he said, "I never +felt any fear till now going to a feast. And there are but few of my +people with me," he said; "and I know there is no good thing before me, +but the Men of Dea are going to raise a quarrel against me and to kill +my people." "I will defend you against anything they may do," said Goll. + +They went on then to Conan's house, and there was a welcome before them, +and they were brought into the drinking-hall, and Finn was put in the +place beside the door, and Goll on his right and Finndeilb, of the Fair +Shape, on his left, and all the rest in the places they were used to. + +And as to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail and the Tuatha de Danaan, they put +a Druid mist about themselves and went on, hidden and armed, in sixteen +battalions, to the lawn before Conan's house. "It is little profit we +have being here," they said then, "and Goll being with Finn against us." +"Goll will not protect him this time," said Ethne, the woman-Druid, "for +I will entice Finn out of the house, however well he is watched." + +She went on to the house then, and took her stand before Finn outside. +"Who is that before me?" she said then. "It is I myself," said Finn. "I +put you under the bonds a true hero never broke," she said, "to come out +to me here." When Finn heard that, he made no delay and went out to her; +and for all there were so many in the house, not one of them took notice +of him going, only Caoilte, and he followed him out. And at the same +time the Tuatha de Danaan let out a flock of blackbirds having fiery +beaks, that pitched on the breasts of all the people in the house, and +burned them and destroyed them, till the young lads and the women and +children of the place ran out on all sides, and the woman of the house, +Conan's wife, was drowned in the river outside the dun. + +But as to Ethne, the woman-Druid, she asked Finn would he run against +her. "For it is to run a race against you I called you out," she said. +"What length of a race?" said Finn. "From Doire da Torc, the Wood of the +Two Boars, to Ath Mor, the Great Ford," she said. So they set out, but +Finn got first over the ford. And Caoilte was following after them, and +Finn was urging him, and he said: "It is ashamed of your running you +should be, Caoilte, a woman to be going past you." On that Caoilte made +a leap forward, and when he was in front of the witch he turned about +and gave a blow of his sword that made two equal halves of her. + +"Power and good luck to you, Caoilte!" said Finn; "for though it is many +a good blow you have struck, you never struck a better one than this." + +They went back then to the lawn before Conan's dun, and there they found +the whole company of the Tuatha de Danaan, that had put the Druid mist +off them. "It seems to me, Caoilte," said Finn, "that we are come into +the middle of our enemies." + +With that they turned their backs to one another, and they were attacked +on all sides till groans of weakness from the unequal fight were forced +from Finn. And when Goll, that was in the house, heard that, he said: +"It is a pity the Tuatha de Danaan to have enticed Finn and Caoilte away +from us; and let us go to their help and make no delay," he said. + +Then he rushed out, and all that were there of the Fianna with him, and +Conan of Ceann Slieve and his sons. And great anger came on Goll, that +he looked like a tall mountain under his grey shield in the battle. And +he broke through the Tuatha de Danaan till he reached to Fionnbhar their +leader, and they attacked one another, cutting and wounding, till at the +last Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail fell by the strokes of Goll. And a great +many others fell in that battle, and there never was a harder battle +fought in Ireland, for there was no man on one side or the other had a +mind to go back one step before whoever he was fighting against. For +they were the two hardest fighting troops to be found in the four parts +of the world, the strong, hardy Fianna of the Gael, and the beautiful +Men of Dea; and they went near to being all destroyed in that battle. + +But after a while they saw the rest of the Fianna that were not in the +battle coming from all parts of Ireland. And when the Tuatha de Danaan +saw them coming, they put the Druid mist about themselves again and made +away. And clouds of weakness came on Finn himself, and on them that were +with him, with the dint of the fight. And there were many men of the +Fianna lost in that battle; and as to the rest, it is a long time they +stopped in Almhuin of Leinster, till their wounds were entirely healed. + + + + +CHAPTER X. THE SHADOWY ONE + + +And indeed Finn had no great luck in going to look for a wife that time; +and he had no better luck another time he asked a wife from among the +Sidhe. And this is the way that happened. + +It was on the mountain of Bearnas Mor he was hunting, and a great wild +pig turned on the hounds of the Fianna and killed the most of them, but +Bran made an attack on it then and got the best of it. And the pig began +to scream, and with that a very tall man came out of the hill and he +asked Finn to let the pig go free. And when he agreed to that, the man +brought them into the hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis; and when they +came to the door of the house he struck the pig with his Druid rod, and +on the moment it changed into a beautiful young woman, and the name he +called her by was Scathach, the Shadowy One. + +And he made a great feast for the Fianna, and Finn asked the young girl +in marriage, and the tall man, her father, said he would give her to him +on that very night. + +But when night came on, Scathach asked the loan of a harp, and it was +brought to her. One string it had of iron, and one of bronze, and one of +silver. And when the iron string would be played, it would set all the +hosts of the world crying and ever crying; and when the bright bronze +string would be played, it would set them all laughing from the one day +to the same hour on the morrow; and when the silver string would be +played, all the men of the whole world would fall into a long sleep. + +And it is the sleepy silver string the Shadowy One played upon, till +Finn and Bran and all his people were in their heavy sleep. + +And when they awoke at the rising of the sun on the morrow, it is +outside on the mountain of Bearnas they were, where they first saw the +wild pig. + + + +CHAPTER XI. FINN'S MADNESS + + +One time Finn and the Fianna were come to a ford of the Slaine, and they +sat down for a while. And as they were sitting there they saw on the +round rock up over the ford a young woman, having a dress of silk and a +green cloak about her, and a golden brooch in the cloak, and the golden +crown that is the sign of a queen on her head. "Fianna of Ireland," she +said, "let one of you come now and speak with me." + +Then Sciathbreac, of the Speckled Shield, went towards her. "Who is it +you are wanting?" he said, "Finn, son of Cumhal," said she. Finn went +over then to talk with her. "Who are you?" he said, "and what is it you +are wanting?" "I am Daireann, daughter of Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," +she said; "and I am come to be your wife if you will give me the +bride-gift I ask." "What bride-gift is that?" said Finn. "It is your +promise," said she, "I to be your only wife through the length of a +year, and to have the half of your time after that." "I will not give +that promise," said Finn, "to any woman of the world, and I will not +give it to you," he said. + +On that the young woman took a cup of white silver from under a +covering, and filled it with strong drink, and she gave it to Finn. +"What is this?" said Finn. "It is very strong mead," said she. Now there +were bonds on Finn not to refuse anything belonging to a feast, so he +took the cup and drank what was in it, and on the moment he was like one +gone mad. And he turned his face towards the Fianna, and every harm and +every fault and every misfortune in battle that he knew against any one +of them, he sprang it on them, through the mad drunkenness the young +woman had put on him. + +Then the chief men of the Fianna of Ireland rose up and left the place +to him, every one of them setting out for his own country, till there +was no one left upon the hill but Finn and Caoilte. And Caoilte rose up +and followed after them, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "do +not leave your lord and your leader through the arts and the tricks of a +woman of the Sidhe." Thirteen times he went after them, bringing them +back to the hill in that way. And with the end of the day and the fall +of night the bitterness went from Finn's tongue; and by the time Caoilte +had brought back the whole of the Fianna, his sense and his memory were +come back to him, and he would sooner have fallen on his sword and got +his death, than have stayed living. + +And that was the hardest day's work Caoilte ever did, unless the day he +brought the flock of beasts and birds to Teamhair, to ransom Finn from +the High King of Ireland. + +Another time Maer, wife of Bersa of Berramain, fell in love with Finn, +and she made nine nuts of Segair with love charms, and sent them to +Finn, and bade him eat them. "I will not," said Finn; "for they are not +nuts of knowledge, but nuts of ignorance; and it is not known what they +are, unless they might be an enchantment for drinking love." So he +buried them a foot deep in the earth. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. THE RED WOMAN + + +One time the Fianna were in Almhuin with no great work to do, and there +came a very misty morning, and Finn was in dread that sluggishness would +come on his men, and he rose up, and he said: "Make yourselves ready, +and we will go hunting to Gleann-na-Smol." + +They all said the day was too misty to go hunting; but there was no use +in talking: they had to do as Finn bade them. So they made themselves +ready and went on towards Gleann-na-Smol; and they were not gone far +when the mist lifted and the sun came shining out. + +And when they were on the edge of a little wood, they saw a strange +beast coming towards them with the quickness of the wind, and a Red +Woman on its track. Narrow feet the beast had, and a head like the head +of a boar, and long horns on it; but the rest of it was like a deer, and +there was a shining moon on each of its sides. + +Finn stopped, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "did you ever +see a beast like that one until now?" "We never did indeed," said they; +"and it would be right for us to let out the hounds after it." "Wait a +while," said Finn, "till I speak with the Red Woman; but do not let the +beast go past you," he said. They thought to keep back the beast then, +going before it; but they were hardly able to hinder it at all, and it +went away through them. + +And when the Red Woman was come up to them, Finn asked her what was the +name of the beast she was following. "I do not know that," she said, +"though I am on its track since I left the borders of Loch Dearg a month +ago, and I never lost sight of it since then; and the two moons that are +on its two sides shine through the country all around in the night time. +And I must follow it till it falls," she said, "or I will lose my own +life and the lives of my three sons that are the best fighting men in +the whole world." "We will take the beast for you if you have a mind," +said Finn. "Do not try to do that," she said, "for I myself am swifter +than you are, and I cannot come up with it." "We will not let it go till +we know what sort of a beast is it," said Finn. "If you yourself or your +share of men go after it, I will bind you hand and foot," said she. "It +is too stiff your talk is," said Finn. "And do you not know," he said, +"I am Finn, son of Cumhal; and there are fourscore fighting men along +with me that were never beaten yet." "It is little heed I give to +yourself or your share of men," said the Red Woman; "and if my three +sons were here, they would stand up against you." "Indeed it will be a +bad day," said Finn, "when the threat of a woman will put fear on myself +or on the Fianna of Ireland." With that he sounded his horn, and he +said: "Let us all follow now, men and dogs, after that beast that we +saw." + +He had no sooner said that word than the woman made a great water-worm +of herself, and made an attack on Finn, and she would have killed him +then and there but for Bran being with him. Bran took a grip of the worm +and shook it, and then it wound itself round Bran's body, and would +have crushed the life out of her, but Finn thrust his sharp sword into +its throat. "Keep back your hand," said the worm then, "and you will not +have the curse of a lonely woman upon you." "It is what I think," said +Finn, "that you would not leave me my life if you could take it from me; +but go out of my sight now," he said, "and that I may never see you +again." + +Then she made herself into a Red Woman again, and went away into the +wood. + +All the Fianna were gone on the track of the beast while Finn was +talking and fighting with the Red Woman; and he did not know in what +place they were, but he went following after them, himself and Bran. It +was late in the evening when he came up with a share of them, and they +still on the track of the beast. The darkness of the night was coming +on, but the two moons in the sides of the beast gave a bright light, and +they never lost it from sight. They followed it on always; and about +midnight they were pressing on it, and it began to scatter blood after +it, and it was not long till Finn and his men were red from head to +foot. But that did not hinder them, and they followed him on till they +saw him going in at the foot of Cnoc-na-righ at the breaking of day. + +When they came to the foot of the hill the Red Woman was standing there +before them. "You did not take the beast," she said. "We did not take +it, but we know where it is," said Finn. + +She took a Druid rod then, and she struck a blow on the side of the +hill, and on the moment a great door opened, and they heard sweet music +coming from within. "Come in now," said the Red Woman, "till you see the +wonderful beast." "Our clothing is not clean," said Finn, "and we would +not like to go in among a company the way we are," he said. + +She put a horn to her mouth and blew it, and on the moment there came +ten young men to her. "Bring water for washing," she said, "and four +times twenty suits of clothes, and a beautiful suit and a crown of +shining stones for Finn, son of Cumhal." The young men went away then, +and they came back at the end of a minute with water and with clothing. + +When the Fianna were washed and dressed, the Red Woman brought them into +a great hall, where there was the brightness of the sun and of the moon +on every side. From that she brought them into another great room; and +although Finn and his men had seen many grand things up to that time, +they had never seen any sight so grand as what they saw in this place. +There was a king sitting in a golden chair, having clothes of gold and +of green, and his chief people were sitting around him, and his +musicians were playing. And no one could know what colour were the +dresses of the musicians, for every colour of the rainbow was in them. +And there was a great table in the middle of the room, having every sort +of thing on it, one better than another. + +The king rose up and gave a welcome to Finn and to his men, and he bade +them to sit down at the table; and they ate and drank their fill, and +that was wanting to them after the hunt they had made. And then the Red +Woman rose up, and she said: "King of the Hill, if it is your will, Finn +and his men have a mind to see the wonderful beast, for they spent a +long time following after it, and that is what brought them here." + +The king struck a blow then on his golden chair, and a door opened +behind him, and the beast came through it and stood before the king. And +it stooped down before him, and it said: "I am going on towards my own +country now; and there is not in the world a runner so good as myself, +and the sea is the same to me as the land. And let whoever can come up +with me come now," it said, "for I am going." + +With that the beast went out from the hill as quick as a blast of wind, +and all the people that were in it went following after it. It was not +long till Finn and his men were before the rest, in the front of the +hunt, gaining on the beast. + +And about midday Bran made the beast turn, and then she forced it to +turn a second time, and it began to put out cries, and it was not long +until its strength began to flag; and at last, just at the setting of +the sun, it fell dead, and Bran was at its side when it fell. + +Then Finn and his men came up, but in place of a beast it was a tall man +they saw lying dead before them. And the Red Woman came up at the same +time, and she said: "High King of the Fianna, that is the King of the +Firbolgs you have killed; and his people will put great troubles on this +country in the time to come, when you yourself, Finn, and your people +will be under the sod. And I myself am going now to the Country of the +Young," she said, "and I will bring you with me if you have a mind to +come." "We give you our thanks for that," said Finn, "but we would not +give up our own country if we were to get the whole world as an estate, +and the Country of the Young along with it." "That is well," said the +Red Woman; "but you are going home empty after your hunt." "It is likely +we will find a deer in Gleann-na-Smol," said Finn. "There is a fine deer +at the foot of that tree beyond," said the Red Woman, "and I will rouse +it for you." With that she gave a cry, and the deer started out and +away, and Finn and his men after it, and it never stopped till it came +to Gleann-na-Smol, but they could not come up with it. Then the Red +Woman came to them, and she said: "I think you are tired now with +following after the deer; and call your hounds off now," she said, "and +I will let out my own little dog after it." So Finn sounded a little +horn he had at his side, and on the moment the hounds came back to him. +And then the Red Woman brought out a little hound as white as the snow +of the mountains, and put it after the deer; and it was not long till it +had come up with the deer and killed it, and then it came back and made +a leap in under the cloak of the Red Woman. There was great wonder on +Finn; but before he could ask a question of the Red Woman, she was gone +out of sight. And as to the deer, Finn knew there was enchantment on it, +and so he left it there after him. And it is tired and empty the Fianna +were, going back to Almhuin that night. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. FINN AND THE PHANTOMS + + +Finn went to a gathering one time at Aonach Clochair, and a great many +of the men of Munster crowded to it. And the horses of the Fianna were +brought there, and the horses of the men of Munster, and they ran races +against one another. + +And Fiachu, son of Eoghan, was in it; and when the games were over he +gave good presents to Finn, a lasting black horse that won the three +prizes of the gathering, and a chariot, and a horse for the +chariot-driver, and a spear, having a deadly spell, and weapons of +silver, and three comely hounds, Feirne and Derchaem and Dialath, having +collars of yellow gold and chains of white bronze. + +And Finn rose up and gave his thanks to Fiachu, son of Eoghan, and he +and his people set out to the house of Cacher at Cluain-da-loch. And +they stopped three days feasting in Cacher's house, and then Finn gave +him the price of his feast and of his ale, fifty rings, and fifty horses +and fifty cows. + +And he himself and the Fianna went on from that over Luachair to the +strand at Berramain. And Finn went trying his black horse on the strand, +and Caoilte and Oisin went racing against him; but it was only folly for +them to do that, for he gave a blow to his horse, and away with him to +Traigh Liath and over the Plain of Health to the Old Yew of the Old +Valley, and to the inver of the Flesc and the inver of the Lemain to +Loch Lein, till he came to the hill of Bairnech, and Caoilte and Oisin +after him. + +"Night is coming on us," said Finn then; "and go look for some place +where we can sleep," he said. He looked round then at the rocks on his +left hand and he saw a house, and a fire shining out from it in the +valley below. "I never knew of a house in this valley," he said. + +"It is best for us to go see it," said Caoilte, "for there are many +things we have no knowledge of." + +The three went on then to the house, and they heard screams and crying +from it; and when they came to the house, the people of it were very +fierce and rough; and a big grey man took hold of their horses and +brought them in and shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My +welcome to you, Finn of the great name," he said then; "it is a long +time you were in coming here." + +They sat down then on the hard boards of a bed, and the grey man kindled +a fire, and he threw logs of elder-wood on it, till they went near being +smothered with the smoke. They saw a hag in the house then having three +heads on her lean neck; and there was on the other side a man without a +head, having one eye, and it in his breast. "Rise up, you that are in +the house, and make music for the King of the Fianna," said the grey man +then. + +With that nine bodies rose up out of the corner nearest the Fianna, and +nine heads rose up on the other side of the bed, and they raised nine +harsh screeches together, that no one would like to be listening to. And +then the hag answered to them, and the headless man answered; and if all +of that music was harsh, there was none of it that you would not wish to +hear sooner than the music of the one-eyed man. And the music that was +sung went near to breaking the bones of their heads; and indeed it is no +sweet music that was. + +Then the big grey man rose up and took the axe that was for cutting +logs, and he began striking at the horses, flaying and destroying them. +Then there were brought fifty pointed spits of the rowan-tree, and he +put a piece of the horse's flesh on each one of the spits, and settled +them on the hearth. But when he took the spits from the fire and put +them before Finn, it is raw the flesh was on them yet. "Take your food +away," said Finn then, "for I have never eaten meat that was raw, and I +never will eat it because of being without food for one day." "If you +are come into our house to refuse our food," said the grey man, "we will +surely go against yourselves, Finn and Caoilte and Oisin." + +With that all in the house made an attack on the three; and they were +driven back into the corner, and the fire was quenched, and the fight +went on through the whole night in the darkness, and but for Finn and +the way he fought, they would have been put down. + +And when the sun rose and lighted up the house on the morrow, a mist +came into the head of each of the three, so that they fell as if dead on +the floor. + +But after awhile they rose up again, and there was nothing to be seen of +the house or of the people of the house, but they had all vanished. And +their horses were there, and they took them and went on, very weak and +tired, for a long way, till they came to the strand of Berramain. + +And those three that fought against them were the three Shapes out of +the Valley of the Yew Tree that came to avenge their sister, Cuillen of +the Wide Mouth. + +Now as to Cuillen, she was a daughter of the King of Munster, and her +husband was the King of Ulster's son. And they had a son that was called +Fear Og, the Young Man; and there was hardly in Ireland a man so good as +himself in shape and in courage and in casting a spear. And one time he +joined in a game with the Fianna, and he did better than them all, and +Finn gave him a great reward. And after that he went out to a hunt they +made, and it was by him and by none of the Fianna the first blood was +got of pig or of deer. And when they came back, a heavy sickness fell on +the young man through the eyes and the envy of the Fianna, and it left +him without life at the end of nine days. And he was buried under a +green hill, and the shining stone he used to hold in his hand, and he +doing his feats, was put over his head. + +And his mother, Cuillen, came to his grave keening him every day through +the length of a year. And one day she died there for grief after her +son, and they put her into the same green hill. + +But as to Finn, he was afraid of no earthly thing, and he killed many +great serpents in Loch Cuilinn and Loch Neathach, and at Beinn Edair; +and Shadow-Shapes at Loch Lein and Drom Cleib and Loch Liath, and a +serpent and a cat in Ath Cliath. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. THE PIGS OF ANGUS + + +Angus Og, son of the Dagda, made a feast one time at Brugh na Boinne for +Finn and the Fianna of the Gael. Ten hundred of them were in it, and +they wearing green clothing and crimson cloaks; and as to the people of +Angus' house, it is clothing of red silk they had. + +And Finn was sitting beside Angus in the beautiful house, and it is +long since the like of those two were seen in Ireland. And any stranger +would wonder to see the way the golden cups were going from hand to +hand. + +And Angus said out in a loud voice that every one could hear: "It is a +better life this is than to be hunting." There was anger on Finn then, +and he said: "It is a worse life than hunting to be here, without +hounds, without horses, without battalions, without the shouting of +armies." "Why are you talking like that, Finn?" said Angus, "for as to +the hounds you have," he said, "they would not kill so much as one pig." +"You have not yourself," said Finn, "and the whole host of the Tuatha de +Danaan have not a pig that ever went on dry land that Bran and Sceolan +would not kill." "I will send you a pig," said Angus, "that will go from +you and your hounds, and that will kill them in the end." + +The steward of the house called out then in a loud voice: "Let every one +go now to his bed, before the lightness of drunkenness comes on you." +But Finn said to his people: "Let us make ready and leave this; for we +are but a few," he said, "among the Men of Dea." So they set out and +went westward till they came to Slieve Fuad where the Fianna were at +that time. + +And through the whole length of a year after that, the Tuatha de Danaan +were boasting how they would get the better of the Fianna, and the +Fianna were thinking how they could do best in the hunt. And at the end +of that time Angus sent messengers to Finn, asking him with great +respect if he was ready to keep his word. And Finn said he was, and the +hounds were brought out, and he himself was holding Bran and Sceolan, +one in each hand, and Caoilte had Adhnuall, and Oisin had Ablach, and +merry Bran Beag had Lonn, and Diarmuid was holding Eachtach, and Osgar +was holding Mac an Truim, and Garraidh was held by Faolan, and Rith +Fada, of the Long Run, by hungry Conan. + +And they were not long there with their hounds till they saw on the +plain to the east a terrible herd of great pigs, every one of them the +height of a deer. And there was one pig out in front of the rest was +blacker than a smith's coal, and the bristles on its head were like a +thicket of thorn-trees. + +Then Caoilte let out Adhnuall, and she was the first to kill a pig of +the herd. And then Bran made away from the leash that Finn was holding, +and the pigs ran their best, but she came up with them, and took hold of +a pig of them. And at that Angus said: "O Bran, fosterling of +fair-haired Fergus, it is not a right thing you are doing, to kill my +own son." But when Bran heard that, her ways changed and it was like an +enemy she took hold of the pig, and did not let it go, and held her +breath back and kept it for the Fianna. + +And it was over Slieve Cua the hunt went, and Slieve Crot, and from Magh +Cobha to Cruachan, and to Fionnabraic and to Finnias. And at evening +when the hunt was over, there was not one pig of the whole herd without +a hurt, and there were but a hundred and ten pigs left living. But if +the hunt brought destruction on Angus, it brought losses on the Fianna +as well, for there were ten hundred of their men missing besides +serving-lads and dogs. + +"Let us go to Brugh na Boinne and get satisfaction for our people," said +Oisin then. "That is the advice of a man without sense," said Finn; "for +if we leave these pigs the way they are, they will come to life again. +And let us burn them," he said, "and throw their ashes in the sea." + +Then the seven battalions of the Fianna made seven fires to every +battalion; but for all they could do, they could not set fire to one +pig. Then Bran, that had great sense and knowledge, went away, and she +came back bringing three logs along with her, but no one knows what wood +it was they came from. And when the logs were put on the fire they lit +up like a candle, and it is with them the pigs were burned; and after +that their ashes were thrown into the sea. + +Then Oisin said again: "Let us go now to Brugh na Boinne and avenge the +death of our people." So the whole of the Fianna set out for Brugh na +Boinne, and every step they made could surely be heard through the whole +of the skies. + +And Angus sent out messengers to where Finn was, offering any one thing +to him if he would spare his people. "I will take no gift at all from +you, Angus of the slender body," said Finn, "so long as there is a room +left in your house, north or east, without being burned." But Angus +said: "Although you think bad of the loss of your fine people that you +have the sway over, yet, O Finn, father of Oisin, it is sorrowful to me +the loss of my own good son is. For as to the black pig that came before +you on the plain," he said, "it was no common pig was in it, but my own +son. And there fell along with him," he said, "the son of the King of +the Narrow Sea, and the son of the King of the Sea of Gulls, and the son +of Ilbhrec, son of Manannan, and seven score of the comely sons of kings +and queens. And it is what destroyed my strength and my respect +entirely, they to have been burned away from me in a far place. And it +is a pity for you, sweet daring Bran," he said, "fosterling of Fergus of +the thirty woods and plains, that you did not do something worth praise +before killing your own foster-brother. And I will put a curse on you, +Bran," he said, "beyond every hound in Ireland, that you will never see +with your eyes any deer you may ever kill." + +There was anger on Finn when he heard that, and he said: "If you put a +curse on Bran, Angus, there will not be a room left, east or west, in +the whole of your great house without being burned." "If you do that," +said Angus, "I will put trees and stones in front of you in every +battle; and I will know what number of men you have in your armies," he +said, "looking at them through my ring." + +Then Oisin, that was wise, said: "It is best for you to agree between +yourselves now; and let us be helpful to one another," he said, "and pay +whatever fines are due." + +So they agreed to that, and they made peace, and gave children to be +fostered by one another: a son of Finn's to Angus, and son of Angus Og +to the Fianna. + +But for all that, it is not very friendly to Finn Angus was afterwards, +at the time he was following after Diarmuid and Grania through the whole +length of Ireland. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN + + +Finn was one time out on the green of Almhuin, and he saw what had the +appearance of a grey fawn running across the plain. He called and +whistled to his hounds then, but neither hound nor man heard him or came +to him, but only Bran and Sceolan. He set them after the fawn, and near +as they kept to her, he himself kept nearer to them, till at last they +reached to Slieve Cuilinn in the province of Ulster. + +But they were no sooner at the hill than the fawn vanished from them, +and they did not know where was she gone, and Finn went looking for her +eastward, and the two hounds went towards the west. + +It was not long till Finn came to a lake, and there was sitting on the +brink of it a young girl, the most beautiful he had ever seen, having +hair of the colour of gold, and a skin as white as lime, and eyes like +the stars in time of frost; but she seemed to be some way sorrowful and +downhearted. Finn asked her did she see his hounds pass that way. "I did +not see them," she said; "and it is little I am thinking of your hounds +or your hunting, but of the cause of my own trouble." "What is it ails +you, woman of the white hands?" said Finn; "and is there any help I can +give you?" he said. "It is what I am fretting after," said she, "a ring +of red gold I lost off my finger in the lake. And I put you under bonds, +Finn of the Fianna," she said, "to bring it back to me out of the lake." + +With that Finn stripped off his clothes and went into the lake at the +bidding of the woman, and he went three times round the whole lake and +did not leave any part of it without searching, till he brought back the +ring. He handed it up to her then out of the water, and no sooner had he +done that than she gave a leap into the water and vanished. + +And when Finn came up on the bank of the lake, he could not so much as +reach to where his clothes were; for on the moment he, the head and the +leader of the Fianna of Ireland, was but a grey old man, weak and +withered. + +Bran and Sceolan came up to him then, but they did not know him, and +they went on round the lake, searching after their master. + + +In Almhuin, now, when he was missed, Caoilte began asking after him. +"Where is Finn," he said, "of the gentle rule and of the spears?" But no +one knew where was he gone, and there was grief on the Fianna when they +could not find him. But it is what Conan said: "I never heard music +pleased me better than to hear the son of Cumhal is missing. And that he +may be so through the whole year," he said, "and I myself will be king +over you all." And downhearted as they were, it is hardly they could +keep from laughing when they heard Conan saying that. + +Caoilte and the rest of the chief men of the Fianna set out then looking +for Finn, and they got word of him; and at last they came to Slieve +Cuilinn, and there they saw a withered old man sitting beside the lake, +and they thought him to be a fisherman. "Tell us, old man," said +Caoilte, "did you see a fawn go by, and two hounds after her, and a tall +fair-faced man along with them?" "I did see them," he said, "and it is +not long since they left me." "Tell us where are they now?" said +Caoilte. But Finn made no answer, for he had not the courage to say to +them that he himself was Finn their leader, being as he was an ailing, +downhearted old man, without leaping, without running, without walk, +grey and sorrowful. + +Caoilte took out his sword from the sheath then, and he said: "It is +short till you will have knowledge of death unless you will tell us what +happened those three." + +Then Finn told them the whole story; and when the seven battalions of +the Fianna heard him, and knew it was Finn that was in it, they gave +three loud sorrowful cries. And to the lake they gave the name of Loch +Doghra, the Lake of Sorrow. + +But Conan of the sharp tongue began abusing Finn and all the Fianna by +turns. "You never gave me right praise for my deeds, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "and you were always the enemy of the sons of Morna; +but we are living in spite of you," he said, "and I have but the one +fault to find with your shape, and that is, that it was not put on the +whole of the Fianna the same as on yourself." Caoilte made at him then; +"Bald, senseless Conan," he said, "I will break your mouth to the bone." +But Conan ran in then among the rest of the Fianna and asked protection +from them, and peace was made again. + +And as to Finn, they asked him was there any cure to be found for him. +"There is," he said; "for I know well the enchantment was put on me by a +woman of the Sidhe, Miluchradh, daughter of Cuilinn, through jealousy of +her sister Aine. And bring me to the hill that belongs to Cuilinn of +Cuailgne," he said, "for he is the only one can give me my shape again." + +They came around him then, and raised him up gently on their shields, +and brought him on their shoulders to the hill of the Sidhe in Cuailgne, +but no one came out to meet them. Then the seven battalions began +digging and rooting up the whole hill, and they went on digging through +the length of three nights and three days. And at the end of that time +Cuilinn of Cuailgne, that some say was Manannan, son of Lir, came out of +the hill, holding in his hand a vessel of red gold, and he gave the +vessel into Finn's hand. And no sooner did Finn drink what was in the +vessel than his own shape and his appearance came back to him. But only +his hair, that used to be so fair and so beautiful, like the hair of a +woman, never got its own colour again, for the lake that Cuilinn's +daughter had made for Finn would have turned all the men of the whole +world grey if they had gone into it. + +And when Finn had drunk all that was in the vessel it slipped from his +hand into the earth, that was loosened with the digging, and he saw it +no more. But in the place where it went into the earth, a tree grew up, +and any one that would look at the branches of that tree in the morning, +fasting, would have knowledge of all that was to happen on that day. + +That, now, is the way Finn came by his grey hair, through the jealousy +of Miluchradh of the Sidhe, because he had not given his love to her, +but to her sister Aine. + + + + +BOOK FIVE: OISIN'S CHILDREN + + +Now as to Oisin, that was so brave and so comely, and that could +overtake a deer at its greatest speed, and see a thistle thorn on the +darkest night, the wife he took was Eibhir of the plaited yellow hair, +that was the foreign sweetheart of the High King of Ireland. + +It is beyond the sea she lived, in a very sunny place; and her father's +name was lunsa, and her sunny house was thatched with the feathers of +birds, and the doorposts were of gold, and the doors of ribbed grass. +And Oisin went there looking for her, and he fought for her against the +High King and against an army of the Firbolgs he had helping him; and he +got the better of them all, and brought away Eibhir of the yellow hair +to Ireland. + +And he had a daughter that married the son of Oiliol, son of Eoghan, and +of Beara, daughter of the King of Spain. It was that Eoghan was driven +out of Ireland one time, and it is to Spain he went for safety. And +Beara, that was daughter of the King of Spain, was very shining and +beautiful, and her father had a mind to know who would be her husband, +and he sent for his Druid and asked the question of him. "I can tell you +that," said the Druid, "for the man that is to be her husband will come +to land in Spain this very night. And let your daughter go eastward to +the river Eibhear," he said, "and she will find a crimson-spotted salmon +in that river, having shining clothing on him from head to tail. And let +her strip that clothing off him," he said, "and make with it a shining +shirt for her husband." + +So Beara went to the river Eibhear, and found the golden salmon as the +Druid had said, and she stripped him of his crimson clothing and made a +shining shirt of it. + +And as to Eoghan, the waves of the shore put a welcome before him, and +he came the same night to the king's house. And the king gave him a +friendly welcome; and it is what all the people said, that there was +never seen a comelier man than Eoghan, or a woman more beautiful than +Beara, and that it was fitting for them to come together. And Eoghan's +own people said they would not be sorry for being sent away out of +Ireland, if only Eoghan could get her for his wife. + +And after a while the king sent his Druid to ask Eoghan why he did not +ask for Beara. "I will tell you that," said Eoghan; "it would not be +fitting for me to be refused a wife, and I am but an exile in this +country, and I have brought no treasures or goods with me out of Ireland +for giving to learned men and to poets. But for all that," he said, "the +king's daughter is dear to me, and I think I have the friendship of the +king." + +The Druid went back with that message. "That is the answer of a king," +said the King of Spain; "and bid my daughter to sit at Eoghan's right +hand," he said, "and I will give her to him this very night." And when +Beara, the king's daughter, heard that, she sent out her serving-maid to +bring the shirt she had made for Eoghan, and he put it on him over his +armour, and its shining was seen in every place; and it was from wearing +that shirt he got the name of Eoghan the Bright. + +And Oiliol was the first son they had; it was he that had his ear bitten +off by Aine of the Sidhe in revenge for her brother, and it was his son +married Oisin's daughter afterwards. + +And as to Osgar, that was Oisin's son, of all the young men of the +Fianna he was the best in battle. And when he was but a young child he +was made much of by the whole of the Fianna, and it is for him they used +to keep the marrow bones, and they did not like to put any hardship on +him. And he grew up tall and idle, and no one thought he would turn out +so strong as he did. And one day there was an attack made on a troop of +the Fianna, and all that were in it went out to fight, but they left +Osgar after them. And when he knew the fight was going on, he took a log +of wood that was the first thing he could find, and attacked the enemy +and made a great slaughter, and they gave way and ran before him. And +from that out there was no battle he did not go into; and he was said to +be the strongest of all the Fianna, though the people of Connacht said +that Goll was the strongest. And he and Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, +were comrades and dear friends; and it was Diarmuid taught him feats of +arms and of skill, and chess-playing. And Oisin his father took great +pride in him, and his grandfather Finn. And one time Finn was holding a +feast at Almhuin, and he asked the chief men of the Fianna that were +there what was the music they thought the best. "To be playing at +games," said Conan, "that is the best music I ever heard;" for though +Conan was a good hand against an enemy, there never was a man had less +sense. "The music I like the best is to be talking with a woman," said +Diarmuid. "My music is the outcry of my hounds, and they putting a deer +to its last stand," said Lugaidh's Son. "The music of the woods is best +to me," said Oisin; "the sound of the wind and of the cuckoo and the +blackbird, and the sweet silence of the crane." + +And then Osgar was asked, and he said: "The best music is the striking +of swords in a battle." And it is likely he took after Finn in that, for +in spite of all the sweet sounds he gave an account of the time he was +at Conan's house, at Ceann Slieve, it used to be said by the Fianna that +the music that was best with Finn was what happened. + +This now is the way Osgar met with his wife. + +One time Finn and his men came to Slieve Crot, and they saw a woman +waiting there before them, having a crimson fringed cloak, and a gold +brooch in it, and a band of yellow gold on her forehead. Finn asked her +name, and where she came from. "Etain of the Fair Hair is my name," she +said, "daughter of Aedh of the White Breast, of the hill of the Sidhe at +Beinn Edair, son of Angus Og." "What is it brought you here, girl?" said +Finn. "To ask a man of the Fianna of Ireland to run a race with me." +"What sort of a runner are you?" said Diarmuid. "I am a good runner," +said the girl; "for it is the same to me if the ground is long or short +under my feet." + +All of the Fianna that were there then set out to run with her, and they +ran to the height over Badhamair and on to Ath Cliath, and from that on +to the hill of the Sidhe at Beinn Edair. + +And there was a good welcome before them, and they were brought meat and +wine for drinking, and water for washing their feet. And after a while +they saw a nice fair-haired girl in front of the vats, and a cup of +white silver in her hand, and she giving out drink to every one. "It +seems to me that is the girl came asking the Fianna to race against her +at Slieve Crot," said Finn. "It is not," said Aedh of the White Breast, +"for that is the slowest woman there is among us." "Who was it so?" said +Finn. "It was Be-mannair, daughter of Ainceol, woman-messenger of the +Tuatha de Danaan. And it is she that changes herself into all shapes; +and she will take the shape of a fly, and of a true lover, and every one +leaves their secret with her. And it was she outran you coming from the +east," he said, "and not this other girl that was drinking and making +merry here in the hall." "What is her name?" said Finn. "Etain of the +Fair Hair," he said; "a daughter of my own, and a darling of the Tuatha +de Danaan. And it is the way with her, she has a lover of the men of the +Fianna." "That is well," said Finn; "and who is that lover?" "It is +Osgar, son of Oisin," said Aedh; "and it is she herself sent her +messenger for you," he said, "in her own shape, to Slieve Crot in the +south. And the son of the High King of Ireland has offered a great +bride-price to the Men of Dea for her," he said, "three hundreds of the +land nearest to Bregia and to Midhe, and to put himself and his weight +of gold into a balance, and to give it all to her. But we did not take +it," he said, "since she had no mind or wish for it herself, and so we +made no dealing or agreement about her." "Well," said Finn, "and what +conditions will you ask of Osgar?" "Never to leave me for anything at +all but my own fault," said the girl. "I will make that agreement with +you indeed," said Osgar. "Give me sureties for it," said she; "give me +the sureties of Goll for the sons of Morna, and of Finn, son of Cumhal, +for the Fianna of Ireland." + +So they gave those sureties, and the wedding-feast was made, and they +stopped there for twenty nights. And at the end of that time Osgar asked +Finn where would he bring his wife. "Bring her to wide Almhuin for the +first seven years," said Finn. + +But a while after that, in a great battle at Beinn Edair, Osgar got so +heavy a wound that Finn and the Fianna were as if they had lost their +wits. And when Etain of the Fair Hair came to the bed where Osgar was +lying, and saw the way he was, and that the great kinglike shape he had +was gone from him, greyness and darkness came on her, and she raised +pitiful cries, and she went to her bed and her heart broke in her like a +nut; and she died of grief for her husband and her first love. + +But it was not at that time Osgar got his death, but afterwards in the +battle of Gabhra. + + + + +BOOK SIX: DIARMUID. + +CHAPTER I. BIRTH OF DIARMUID + + +Diarmuid, now, was son of Bonn, son of Duibhne of the Fianna, and his +mother was Crochnuit, that was near in blood to Finn. And at the time he +was born, Bonn was banished from the Fianna because of some quarrel they +had with him, and Angus Og took the child from him to rear him up at +Brugh na Boinne. + +And after a while Crochnuit bore another son to Roc Diocain, that was +Head Steward to Angus. Roc Diocain went then to Donn, and asked would he +rear up his son for him, the way Angus was rearing Donn's son. But Donn +said he would not take the son of a common man into his house, and it +would be best for Angus to take him. So Angus took the child into Brugh +na Boinne, and he and Diarmuid were reared up together. + +And one day Finn was on the great Hill at Almhuin of Leinster, and no +one with him but Donn and a few of the poets and learned men of the +Fianna, and their hounds and dogs, and Bran Beag came in and asked did +he remember there were bonds on him, not to stop in Almhuin for ten +nights together. Finn asked the people about him then where would he go +and be entertained for that night, and Donn said: "I will bring you to +the house of Angus, son of the Dagda, where my young son is being +reared." + + +So they went together to the house of Angus at Brugh na Boinne, and the +child Diarmuid was there, and it is great love Angus had for him. And +the Steward's son was with him that night, and the people of the +household made as much of him as Angus made of Diarmuid; and there was +great vexation on Donn when he saw that. It chanced after a while a +great fight rose between two of Finn's hounds about some broken meat +that was thrown to them; and the women and the common people of the +place ran from them, and the others rose up to part them from one +another. And in running away, the Steward's child ran between the knees +of Donn, and Donn gave the child a strong squeeze between his two knees +that killed him on the moment, and he threw him under the feet of the +hounds. And when the Steward came after that and found his son dead, he +gave a long very pitiful cry, and he said to Finn: "There is not a man +in the house to-night has suffered more than myself from this uproar, +for I had but one son only, and he has been killed; and what +satisfaction will I get from you for that, Finn?" he said. "Try can you +find the mark of a tooth or of a nail of one of the hounds on him," said +Finn, "and if you can, I will give you satisfaction for him." + +So they looked at the child, and there was no scratch or mark of a tooth +on him at all. Then the Steward put Finn under the destroying bonds of +the Druid cave of Cruachan, to give him knowledge of who it was killed +his son. And Finn asked for a chess-board, and for water to be brought +to him, in a basin of pale gold, and he searched, and it was shown to +him truly that it was Donn had killed the Steward's son between his two +knees. When Finn knew that, he said he would take the fine on himself; +but the Steward would not consent to that, but forced him to tell who +was it had done him the wrong. And when he knew it was Donn had killed +the child, he said: "There is no man in the house it is easier to get +satisfaction from than from him, for his own son is here, and I have but +to put him between my two knees, and if I let him go from me safe, I +will forgive the death of my son." Angus was vexed at what the Steward +said, and as to Donn, he thought to strike his head off till Finn put +him back from him. Then the Steward came again, having a Druid rod with +him, and he struck his own son with the rod, and he made of him a wild +boar, without bristle or ear or tail, and he said: "I put you under +bonds to bring Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to his death; and your +own life will be no longer than his life," he said. With that the wild +boar rose up and ran out of the open door; and he was called afterwards +the Boar of Slieve Guillion, and it was by him Diarmuid came to his +death at the last. + +And when Diarmuid came to his full strength he was given a place among +the Fianna of Ireland; and all women loved him, and he did many great +deeds, fighting with the enemies of the Fianna and of Ireland; and one +time he fought a wild ox through the length of seven days and seven +nights on the top of the Mountain of Happiness. + + + + +CHAPTER II. HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT + + +Diarmuid and Conan and Goll and Osgar went one day hunting, and they +went so far they could not get home in the evening, and they spent the +first part of the night walking through the woods and pulling berries +and eating them. And when it was about midnight they saw a light, and +they went towards it, and they found a little house before them, and the +light shining from it. They went in then, and they saw an old man there, +and he bade them welcome, and he called them all by their names. And +they saw no one in the house but the old man and a young girl and a cat. +And the old man bade the girl to make food ready for the Fianna of +Ireland, for there was great hunger on them. + +And when the food was ready and put on the table, there came a great +wether that was fastened up in the back of the house, and he rose up on +the table where they were eating, and when they saw that, they looked at +one another. "Rise up, Conan," said Goll, "and fasten that wether in +the place it was before." Conan rose up and took hold of it, but the +wether gave itself a shake that threw Conan under one of its feet. The +rest were looking at that, and Goll said: "Let you rise up, Diarmuid, +and fasten up the wether." So Diarmuid rose up and took hold of it, but +it gave itself a shake the same way as before; and when Diarmuid was +down it put one of its feet on him. Goll and Osgar looked at one another +then, and shame came on them, a wether to have done so much as that. And +Osgar got up, but the wether put him down under one of his feet, so that +it had now the three men under him. Then Goll rose up and took hold of +it and threw it down; but if he did, it rose up again in spite of him, +and put Goll under his fourth foot. + +"It is a great shame," said the old man then, "the like of that to be +done to the Fianna of Ireland. And rise up now, cat," he said, "and tie +the wether in the place where he was." The cat rose up then and took +hold of the wether, and brought it over and tied it in its place at the +end of the house. + +The men rose up then, but they had no mind to go on eating, for there +was shame on them at what the wether had done to them. "You may go on +eating," said the old man; "and when you are done I will show you that +now you are the bravest men of the world." So they ate their fill then, +and the old man spoke to them, and it is what he said: "Goll," he said, +"you are the bravest of all the men of the world, for you have wrestled +with the world and you threw it down. The strength of the world is in +the wether, but death will come to the world itself; and that is death," +he said, showing them the cat. + +They were talking together then, and they had their food eaten, and the +old man said their beds were ready for them that they could go to sleep. +The four of them went then into the one room, and when they were in +their beds the young girl came to sleep in the same room with them, and +the light of her beauty was shining on the walls like as if it was the +light of a candle. + +And when Conan saw her he went over to the side of the bed where she +was. + +Now, it was Youth the young girl was, and when she saw Conan coming to +her: "Go back to your bed, Conan," she said; "I belonged to you once, +and I will never belong to you again." Conan went back to his bed then, +and Osgar had a mind to go over where she was. Then she said to him: +"Where are you going?" "I am going over to yourself for a while," said +he. + +"Go back again, Osgar," she said; "I belonged to you once, and I will +never belong to you again." + +Then Diarmuid rose up to go to her: "Where are you going, Diarmuid?" she +said. "I am going over to yourself for a while," said he. "O Diarmuid," +she said, "that cannot be; I belonged to you once, and I can never +belong to you again; but come over here to me, Diarmuid," she said, "and +I will put a love-spot on you, that no woman will ever see without +giving you her love." So Diarmuid went over to her, and she put her hand +on his forehead, and she left the love-spot there, and no woman that +ever saw him after that was able to refuse him her love. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE + + +One snowy night of winter the Fianna were come into the house after +their hunting. And about midnight they heard a knocking at the door, and +there came in a woman very wild and ugly, and her hair hanging to her +heels. She went to the place Finn was lying, and she asked him to let +her in under the border of his covering. But when he saw her so strange +and so ugly and so wild-looking he would not let her in. She gave a +great cry then, and she went to where Oisin was, and asked him to let +her shelter under the border of his covering. But Oisin refused her the +same way. Then she gave another great scream, and she went over where +Diarmuid was. "Let me in," she said, "under the border of your +covering." Diarmuid looked at her, and he said: "You are strange-looking +and wild and ugly, and your hair is down to your heels. But come in for +all that," he said. + +So she came in under the border of his covering. + +"O Diarmuid," she said then, "I have been travelling over sea and ocean +through the length of seven years, and in all that time I never got +shelter any night till this night. And let me to the warmth of the fire +now," she said. So Diarmuid brought her over to the fire, and all the +Fianna that were sitting there went away from it seeing her so ugly and +so dreadful to look at. And she was not long at the fire when she said: +"Let me go under the warmth of the covering with you now." "It is asking +too much you are," said Diarmuid; "first it was to come under the border +you asked, and then to come to the fire, and now it is under the +bed-covering with me you want to be. But for all that you may come," he +said. + +So she came in under the covering, and he turned a fold of it between +them. But it was not long till he looked at her, and what he saw was a +beautiful young woman beside him, and she asleep. He called to the +others then to come over, and he said: "Is not this the most beautiful +woman that ever was seen?" "She is that," they said, and they covered +her up and did not awaken her. + +But after a while she stirred, and she said: "Are you awake, Diarmuid?" +"I am awake," he said. "Where would you like to see the best house +built that ever was built?" she said. "Up there on the hillside, if I +had my choice," said he, and with that he fell asleep. + +And in the morning two men of the Fianna came in, and they said they +were after seeing a great house up on the hill, where there was not a +house before. "Rise up, Diarmuid," said the strange woman then; "do not +be lying there any longer, but go up to your house, and look out now and +see it," she said. So he looked out and he saw the great house that was +ready, and he said: "I will go to it, if you will come along with me." +"I will do that," she said, "if you will make me a promise not to say to +me three times what way I was when I came to you." "I will never say it +to you for ever," said Diarmuid. + +They went up then to the house, and it was ready for them, with food and +servants; and everything they could wish for they had it. They stopped +there for three days, and when the three days were ended, she said: "You +are getting to be sorrowful because you are away from your comrades of +the Fianna." "I am not sorrowful indeed," said Diarmuid. "It will be +best for you to go to them; and your food and your drink will be no +worse when you come back than they are now," said she. "Who will take +care of my greyhound bitch and her three pups if I go?" said Diarmuid. +"There is no fear for them," said she. + +So when he heard that, he took leave of her and went back to the Fianna, +and there was a great welcome before him. But for all that they were not +well pleased but were someway envious, Diarmuid to have got that grand +house and her love from the woman they themselves had turned away. + +Now as to the woman, she was outside the house for a while after +Diarmuid going away, and she saw Finn, son of Cumhal, coming towards +her, and she bade him welcome. "You are vexed with me, Queen?" he said. +"I am not indeed," she said; "and come in now and take a drink of wine +from me." "I will go in if I get my request," said Finn. "What request +is there that you would not get?" said she. "It is what I am asking, one +of the pups of Diarmuid's greyhound bitch." "That is no great thing to +ask," she said; "and whichever one you choose of them you may bring it +away." + +So he got the pup, and he brought it away with him. + +At the fall of night Diarmuid came back to the house, and the greyhound +met him at the door and gave a yell when she saw him, and he looked for +the pups, and one of them was gone. There was anger on him then, and he +said to the woman: "If you had brought to mind the way you were when I +let you in, and your hair hanging, you would not have let the pup be +brought away from me." "You ought not to say that, Diarmuid," said she. +"I ask your pardon for saying it," said Diarmuid. And they forgave one +another, and he spent the night in the house. + +On the morrow Diarmuid went back again to his comrades, and the woman +stopped at the house, and after a while she saw Oisin coming towards +her. She gave him a welcome, and asked him into the house, and he said +he would come if he would get his request. And what he asked was another +of the pups of the greyhound. + +So she gave him that, and he went away bringing the pup with him. And +when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him, and she cried +out twice. And he knew that another of the pups was gone, and he said to +the greyhound, and the woman standing there: "If she had remembered the +way she was when she came to me, she would not have let the pup be +brought away." + +The next day he went back again to the Fianna, and when he was gone, the +woman saw Caoilte coming towards her, and he would not come in to take a +drink from her till he had got the promise of one of the pups the same +as the others. + +And when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him and gave +three yells, the most terrible that ever were heard. There was great +anger on him then, when he saw all the pups gone, and he said the third +time: "If this woman remembered the way she was when I found her, and +her hair down to her heels, she would not have let the pup go." "O +Diarmuid, what is it you are after saying?" she said. He asked +forgiveness of her then, and he thought to go into the house, but it was +gone and the woman was gone on the moment, and it was on the bare ground +he awoke on the morrow. There was great sorrow on him then, and he said +he would search in every place till he would find her again. + +So he set out through the lonely valleys, and the first thing he saw was +the greyhound lying dead, and he put her on his shoulder and would not +leave her because of the love he had for her. And after a while he met +with a cowherd, and he asked him did he see a woman going the way. "I +saw a woman early in the morning of yesterday, and she walking hard," +said the cowherd. "What way was she going?" said Diarmuid. "Down that +path below to the strand, and I saw her no more after that," he said. + +So he followed the path she took down to the strand till he could go no +farther, and then he saw a ship, and he leaned on the handle of his +spear and made a light leap on to the ship, and it went on till it came +to land, and then he got out and lay down on the side of a hill and fell +asleep, and when he awoke there was no ship to be seen. "It is a pity +for me to be here," he said, "for I see no way of getting from it +again." + +But after a while he saw a boat coming, and a man in the boat rowing it, +and he went down and got into the boat, and brought the greyhound with +him. And the boat went out over the sea, and then down below it; and +Diarmuid, when he went down, found himself on a plain. And he went +walking along it, and it was not long before he met with a drop of +blood. He took it up and put it in a napkin. "It is the greyhound lost +this," he said. And after a while he met with another drop of blood, and +then with a third, and he put them in the napkin. And after that again +he saw a woman, and she gathering rushes as if she had lost her wits. + +He went towards her and asked her what news had she. "I cannot tell it +till I gather the rushes," she said. "Be telling it while you are +gathering them," said Diarmuid. "There is great haste on me," she said. +"What is this place where we are?" said Diarmuid. "It is +Land-under-Wave," said she. "And what use have you for the rushes when +they are gathered?" "The daughter of King Under-Wave is come home," she +said, "and she was for seven years under enchantment, and there is +sickness on her now, and all the physicians are gathered together and +none of them can do her any good, and a bed of rushes is what she finds +the wholesomest." "Will you show me where the king's daughter is?" said +Diarmuid. "I will do that," said the woman; "I will put you in the sheaf +of rushes, and I will put the rushes under you and over you, and I will +carry you to her on my back." "That is a thing you cannot do," said +Diarmuid. But she put the rushes about him, and lifted him on her back, +and when she got to the room she let down the bundle. "O come here to +me," said the daughter of King Under-Wave, and Diarmuid went over to +her, and they took one another's hands, and were very joyful at that +meeting. "Three parts of my sickness is gone from me now," she said +then; "but I am not well yet, and I never will be, for every time I +thought of you, Diarmuid, on my journey, I lost a drop of the blood of +my heart." "I have got those three drops here in this napkin," said +Diarmuid, "and take them now in a drink and you will be healed of your +sickness." "They would do nothing for me," she said, "since I have not +the one thing in the world that I want, and that is the thing I will +never get," she said. "What thing is that?" said Diarmuid. "It is the +thing you will never get, nor any man in the world," she said, "for it +is a long time they have failed to get it." "If it is in any place on +the whole ridge of the world I will get it," said Diarmuid. "It is three +draughts from the cup of the King of Magh an Ionganaidh, the Plain of +Wonder," she said, "and no man ever got it or ever will get it." "Tell +me where that cup is to be found," said Diarmuid, "for there are not as +many men as will keep it from me on the whole ridge of the world." "That +country is not far from the boundary of my father's country," she said; +"but there is a little river between, and you would be sailing on that +river in a ship, having the wind behind it, for a year and a day before +you would reach to the Plain of Wonder." + +Diarmuid set out then, and he came to the little river, and he was a +good while walking beside it, and he saw no way to cross it. But at last +he saw a low-sized, reddish man that was standing in the middle of the +river. "You are in straits, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," he said; +"and come here and put your foot in the palm of my hand and I will bring +you through." Diarmuid did as he bade him, and put his foot in the red +man's palm, and he brought him across the river. "It is going to the +King of the Plain of Wonder you are," he said, "to bring away his cup +from him; and I myself will go with you." + +They went on then till they came to the king's dun, and Diarmuid called +out that the cup should be sent out to him, or else champions to fight +with him should be sent out. It was not the cup was sent out, but twice +eight hundred fighting men; and in three hours there was not one of them +left to stand against him. Then twice nine hundred better fighters +again were sent out against him, and within four hours there was not one +of them left to stand against him. Then the king himself came out, and +he stood in the great door, and he said: "Where did the man come from +that has brought destruction on the whole of my kingdom?" "I will tell +you that," said he; "I am Diarmuid, a man of the Fianna of Ireland." "It +is a pity you not to have sent a messenger telling me that," said the +king, "and I would not have spent my men upon you; for seven years +before you were born it was put in the prophecy that you would come to +destroy them. And what is it you are asking now?" he said. "It is the +cup of healing from your own hand I am asking," said Diarmuid. "No man +ever got that cup from me but yourself," said the king, "but it is easy +for me to give it to you, whether or not there is healing in it." + +Then the King of the Plain of Wonder gave Diarmuid the cup, and they +parted from one another; and Diarmuid went on till he came to the river, +and it was then he thought of the red man, that he had given no thought +to while he was at the king's house. But he was there before him, and +took his foot in the palm of his hand and brought him over the river. "I +know where it is you are going, Diarmuid," he said then; "it is to heal +the daughter of King Under-Wave that you have given your love to. And it +is to a well I will give you the signs of you should go," he said, "and +bring a share of the water of that well with you. And when you come +where the woman is, it is what you have to do, to put that water in the +cup, and one of the drops of blood in it, and she will drink it, and the +same with the second drop and the third, and her sickness will be gone +from her from that time. But there is another thing will be gone along +with it," he said, "and that is the love you have for her." + +"That will not go from me," said Diarmuid. "It will go from you," said +the man; "and it will be best for you make no secret of it, for she will +know, and the king will know, that you think no more of her then than of +any other woman. And King Under-Wave will come to you," he said, "and +will offer you great riches for healing his daughter. But take nothing +from him," he said, "but ask only a ship to bring you home again to +Ireland. And do you know who am I myself?" he said. "I do not know," +said Diarmuid. "I am the messenger from beyond the world," he said; "and +I came to your help because your own heart is hot to come to the help of +another." + +So Diarmuid did as he bade him, and he brought the water and the cup and +the drops of blood to the woman, and she drank them, and at the third +draught she was healed. And no sooner was she healed than the love he +had for her was gone, and he turned away from her. "O Diarmuid," she +said, "your love is gone from me." "O, it is gone indeed," said he. + +Then there was music made in the whole place, and the lamenting was +stopped, because of the healing of the king's daughter. And as to +Diarmuid, he would take no reward and he would not stop there, but he +asked for a ship to bring him home to Ireland, to Finn and the Fianna. +And when he came where they were, there was a joyful welcome before him. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HARD SERVANT + + +The Fianna went hunting one time in the two proud provinces of Munster. +They went out from Almhuin by the nearest paths till they came to the +Brosna river in Slieve Bladhma, and from there to the twelve mountains +of Eiblinne, and on to Aine Cliach, the harp of Aine. + +They scattered themselves then and hunted through the borders of the +forest that is called Magh Breogain, through blind trackless places and +through broken lands, over beautiful level plains and the high hills of +Desmumum, under pleasant Slieve Crot and smooth Slieve na Muc, along the +level banks of the blue Siuir and over the green plain of Feman and the +rough plain of Eithne, and the dark woods of Belach Gabrain. + +And Finn was at the side of a hill, and the chief men of the Fianna +along with him, to watch the hunting; for they liked to be listening to +the outcry of the hounds and the hurried cries of the boys, and the +noise and the whistling and the shouts of the strong men. + +Finn asked then which of the men that were with him would go and keep +watch on the side of the hill where they were. And Finnbane, son of +Bresel, said he would go. And he went on to the top of the hill, where +he could see about him on all sides. And he was not long there till he +saw coming from the east a very big man, ugly and gloomy and deformed; +and it is how he was, a dark-coloured shield on his back, a wide sword +on his crooked left thigh, two spears on his shoulder, a torn loose +cloak over his limbs, that were as black as a quenched coal. A sulky +horse he had with him that had no good appearance, bony and thin as to +body, and weak in the legs, and he leading it with a rough iron halter; +and it was a great wonder the head was not pulled from the horse's body, +or the arms pulled out of his owner, with the sudden stands and stops +and the jerks it made. And the big man was striking blows on the horse +with an iron cudgel to try and knock some going out of him, and the +sound of the blows was like the breaking of strong waves. + +And when Finnbane saw all that, he thought to himself it would not be +right to let the like of that stranger go up unknown to Finn and the +Fianna, and he ran back in haste to where they were and told them all he +had seen. + +And when he had told his story, they saw the big man coming towards +them; but as short as he was from them he was long in coming, from the +badness of his walk and his going. + +And when he came into Finn's presence he saluted him, and bowed his head +and bent his knee, making signs of humility. + +Finn raised his hand over his head then, and asked news of him, and if +he was of the noble or of the mean blood of the great world. He answered +that he had no knowledge who he came from, but only that he was a man of +the Fomor, travelling in search of wages to the kings of the earth, "and +I heard," he said, "that Finn never refused wages to any man." "I never +did indeed," said Finn, "and I will not refuse you. But why is it," he +said, "you are without a boy to mind your horse?" "I have a good reason +for that," said the big man; "there is nothing in the world is worse to +me than a boy to be with me; for it is a hundred men's share of food," +he said, "that serves me for one day, and it is little enough I think +it, and I would begrudge a boy to be sharing it with me." "What is the +name you have?" said Finn. "The name I have is the Gilla Decair, the +Hard Servant," said he. "Why did you get that name?" said Finn. "There +is a good reason for that," said the big man, "for there is nothing in +the world is harder to me than to do anything at all for my master, or +whatever person I am with. And tell me this, Conan, son of Morna," he +said, "who gets the best wages, a horseman or a man afoot?" "A horseman +gets twice as much," said Conan. "Then I call you to witness, Conan," he +said, "that I am a horseman, and that it was as a horseman I came to the +Fianna. And give me your guarantee now, Finn, son of Cumhal, and the +guarantee of the Fianna, and I will turn out my horse with your horses." +"Let him out then," said Finn. + +The big man pulled off the iron halter then from his horse, and it made +off as hard as it could go, till it came where the horses of the Fianna +were; and it began to tear and to kick and to bite at them, killing and +maiming. "Take your horse out of that, big man," said Conan; "and by the +earth and the sky," he said, "only it was on the guarantee of Finn and +the Fianna you took the halter off him, I would let out his brains +through the windows of his head; and many as is the bad prize Finn has +found in Ireland," he said, "he never got one as bad as yourself." "And +I swear by earth and sky as well as yourself," said the big man, "I will +never bring him out of that; for I have no serving-boy to do it for me, +and it is not work for me to be leading my horse by the hand." + +Conan, son of Morna, rose up then and took the halter and put it on the +horse, and led it back to where Finn was, and held it with his hand. +"You would never have done a horse-boy's service, Conan," said Finn, "to +any one of the Fianna, however far he might be beyond this Fomor. And if +you will do what I advise," he said, "you will get up on the horse now, +and search out with him all the hills and hollows and flowery plains of +Ireland, till his heart is broken in his body in payment for the way he +destroyed the horses of the Fianna." + +Conan made a leap then on to the horse, and struck his heels hard into +him, but with all that the horse would not stir. "I know what ails him," +said Finn, "he will not stir till he has the same weight of horsemen on +him as the weight of the big man." + +On that thirteen men of the Fianna went up behind Conan, and the horse +lay down with them and rose up again. "I think that you are mocking at +my horse and at myself," said the big man; "and it is a pity for me to +be spending the rest of the year with you, after all the humbugging I +saw in you to-day, Finn. And I know well," he said, "that all I heard +about you was nothing but lies, and there was no cause for the great +name you have through the world. And I will quit you now, Finn," he +said. + +With that he went from them, slow and weak, dragging himself along till +he had put a little hill between himself and the Fianna. And as soon as +he was on the other side of it, he tucked up his cloak to his waist, and +away with him, as if with the quickness of a swallow or a deer, and the +rush of his going was like a blast of loud wind going over plains and +mountains in spring-time. + +When the horse saw his master going from him, he could not bear with it, +but great as his load was he set out at full gallop following after him. +And when Finn and the Fianna saw the thirteen men behind Conan, son of +Morna, on the horse, and he starting off, they shouted with mocking +laughter. + +And when Conan found that he was not able to come down off the horse, he +screeched and shouted to them not to let him be brought away with the +big man they knew nothing of, and he began abusing and reproaching them. +"A cloud of death over water on you, Finn," he said, "and that some son +of a slave or a robber of the bad blood, one that is a worse son of a +father and mother even than yourself, may take all that might protect +your life, and your head along with that, unless you follow us to +whatever place or island the big man will carry us to, and unless you +bring us back to Ireland again." + +Finn and the Fianna rose up then, and they followed the Gilla Decair +over every bald hill, and through every valley and every river, on to +pleasant Slieve Luachra, into the borders of Corca Duibhne; and the big +man, that was up on the horse then along with Conan and the rest, faced +towards the deep sea. And Liagan Luath of Luachar took hold of the +horse's tail with his two hands, thinking to drag him back by the hair +of it; but the horse gave a great tug, and away with him over the sea, +and Liagan along with him, holding on to his tail. + +It was a heavy care to Finn, those fourteen men of his people to be +brought away from him, and he himself under bonds to bring them back. +"What can we do now?" Oisin asked him. "What should we do, but to follow +our people to whatever place or island the big man has brought them, +and, whatever way we do it, to bring them back to Ireland again." "What +can we do, having neither a ship or any kind of boat?" said Oisin. "We +have this," said Finn, "the Tuatha de Danaan left as a gift to the +children of the Gael, that whoever might have to leave Ireland for a +while, had but to go to Beinn Edair, and however many would go along +with him, they would find a ship that would hold them all." Finn looked +towards the sea then, and he saw two strong armed men coming towards +him. The first one had on his back a shield ribbed and of many colours, +having shapes of strange, wonderful beasts engraved on it, and a heavy +sword at his side, and two thick spears on his shoulders; a cloak of +lasting crimson about him, with a gold brooch on the breast; a band of +white bronze on his head, gold under each of his feet; and the other was +dressed in the same way. They made no delay till they came to where Finn +was, and they bowed their heads and bent their knees before him, and +Finn raised his hand over their heads, and bade them to give an account +of themselves. "We are sons of the King of the Eastern World," they +said, "and we are come to Ireland asking to be taken into the service of +Finn; for we heard there was not a man in all Ireland," they said, +"would be better than yourself to judge of the skill we have." "What is +your name, and what skill is that?" said Finn. "My name is Feradach, +the Very Brave," he said; "and I have a carpenter's axe and a sling, and +if there were so many as thirty hundred of the men of Ireland along with +me in one spot, with three blows of the axe on the sling-stick I could +get a ship that would hold them all. And I would ask no more help of +them," he said, "than to bow down their heads while I was striking those +three blows." "That is a good art," said Finn. "And tell me now," he +said, "what can the other man do?" "I can do this," he said, "I can +follow the track of the teal over nine ridges and nine furrows until I +come on her in her bed; and it is the same to me to do it on sea as on +land," he said. "That is a good art," said Finn; "and it would be a good +help to us if you would come following a track with us now." "What is +gone from you?" said one of the men. Finn told them then the whole story +of the Hard Servant. + +Then Feradach, the Very Brave, struck three blows on his sling-stick +with the axe that he had, and the whole of the Fianna bowed their heads, +and on the moment the whole of the bay and of the harbour was filled +with ships and with fast boats. "What will we do with that many ships?" +said Finn. "We will do away with all you make no use of," he said. + +Caoilte rose up then and let out three great shouts, and all the Fianna +of Ireland, in whatever places they were, heard them, and they thought +Finn and his people to be in some kind of danger from men from beyond +the sea. + +They came then in small companies as they chanced to be, till they came +to the stepping-stones of the Cat's Head in the western part of Corca +Duibhne. And they asked news of Finn, what had happened that he called +them away from their hunting, and Finn told them all that had happened. +Then Finn and Oisin went into council together, and it is what they +agreed; that as but fifteen of his people were brought away from Finn, +he himself with fifteen others would go on their track; Oisin to be left +at the head of the Fianna to guard Ireland. + +And they said farewell to one another, and a grand ship was made ready +for Finn and his people, and there was food put in it for using and gold +for giving away. The young men and the heroes took to their seats then, +and took hold of the oars, and they set out over the restless hills and +the dark valleys of the great sea. + +And the sea rose up and bellowed, and there was madness on the broken +green waters; but to Finn and his people it was a call in the morning +and a sleepy time at night to be listening to the roaring and the +crooning that was ever and always about the sides of the ship. + +They went on like that for three days and three nights, and saw no +country or island. But at the end of that time a man of them went up +into the head of the ship, and he saw out before them a great, rough +grey cliff. They went on towards it then, and they saw on the edge of +the cliff a high rock, round-shaped, having sides more slippery than an +eel's back. And they found the track of the Hard Servant as far as to +the foot of the rock. + +Fergus of the True Lips said then to Diarmuid: "It is no brave thing you +are doing, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to hold back like this, for it +was with Manannan the Powerful, son of Lir, you were reared and got your +learning, in the Land of Promise and in the coasts of the harbours, and +with Angus Og, the Dagda's son. And are you without any share of their +skill and their daring now," he said, "that would bring Finn and his +people up this rock?" + +Diarmuid's face reddened when he heard those words, and he took hold of +Manannan's staves of power that were with him, and he reddened again, +and he rose on the staves and gave a leap, and got a standing-place for +his two feet on the overhanging rock. He looked down from that on Finn +and his people, but whatever wish he had to bring them up to where he +was, he was not able to do it. + +He left the rock behind him then, and he was not gone far when he saw a +wild tangled place before him, with thick woods that were of all he had +ever walked the most leafy and the fullest of the sounds of wind and +streams and birds, and of the humming of bees. + +He went on walking the plain, and as he was looking about him, he saw a +great tree with many twigs and branches, and a rock beside it, and a +smooth-pointed drinking-horn on it, and a beautiful fresh well at its +foot. And there was a great drouth on Diarmuid after the sea-journey, +and he had a mind to drink a hornful of the water. But when he stooped +to it he heard a great noise coming towards him, and he knew then there +was enchantment in the water. + +"I will drink my fill of it for all that," he said. And it was not long +after that till he saw a Man of Enchantments coming towards him armed, +having no friendly look. And it was in no friendly way he spoke to +Diarmuid when he came up to him, but he gave him great abuse. "It is no +right thing," he said, "to be walking through my thickets and to be +drinking up my share of water." With that they faced one another +angrily, and they fought till the end of the day. + +The Enchanter thought it well to leave off fighting then, and he made a +leap into the bottom of the well away from him, but there was vexation +on Diarmuid to be left like that. + +He looked around him then, and he saw a herd of deer coming through the +scrub, and he went towards them, and threw a spear that went through the +nearest stag and drove the bowels out of him. He kindled a fire then, +and he cut thin bits of the flesh and put them on spits of white hazel, +and that night he had his fill of meat and of the water of the well. + +He rose up early on the morrow, and he found the Enchanter at the well +before him. "It seems to me, Grandson of Duibhne," he said, "that it is +not enough for you to be walking my scrub and my woods without killing +my deer as well." With that they started again, giving one another blow +for blow, thrust for thrust, and wound for wound till the end of the day +came on them. And Diarmuid killed another great deer that night, and in +the morning the fight began again. But in the evening, when the +Enchanter was making his leap into the well, Diarmuid threw his arms +about his neck, thinking to stop him, but it is what happened, he fell +in himself. And when he was at the bottom of the well the Enchanter left +him. + +Diarmuid went then following after the Enchanter, and he found before +him a beautiful wide flowery plain, and a comely royal city in the +plain, and on the green before the dun he saw a great army; and when +they saw Diarmuid following after the Enchanter, they left a way and a +royal road for the Enchanter to pass through till he got inside the dun. +And then they shut the gates, and the whole army turned on Diarmuid. + +But that put no fear or cowardice on him, but he went through them and +over them like a hawk would go through little birds, or a wild dog +through a flock of sheep, killing all before him, till some of them made +away to the woods and wastes, and another share of them through the +gates of the dun, and they shut them, and the gates of the city after +them. And Diarmuid, all full of hurts and wounds after the hard fight, +lay down on the plain. A very strong daring champion came then and +kicked at him from behind, and at that Diarmuid roused himself up, and +put out his brave ready hand for his weapons. + +"Wait a while, Grandson of Duibhne," the champion said then; "it is not +to do you any hurt or harm I am come, but to say to you it is a bad +sleeping-place for you to have, and it on your ill-wisher's lawn. And +come now with me," he said, "and I will give you a better +resting-place." + +Diarmuid followed him then, and they went a long, long way from that, +till they came to a high-topped city, and three times fifty brave +champions in it, three times fifty modest women, and another young woman +on a bench, with blushes in her cheeks, and delicate hands, and having a +silken cloak about her, and a dress sewed with gold threads, and on her +head the flowing veil of a queen. + +There was a good welcome before Diarmuid for his own sake and the sake +of his people, and he was put in a house of healing that was in the +city, and good herbs were put to his hurts till he was smooth and sound +again. + +And a feast was made then, and the tables and the benches were set, and +no high person was put in the place of the mean, or mean in the place of +the high, but every one in his own place, according to his nobility, or +his descent, or his art. Plenty of good food was brought to them then, +and well-tasting strong drinks, and they spent the first part of the +night in drinking, and the second part with music and delight and +rejoicing of the mind, and the third part in sound sleep that lasted +till the sun rose over the heavy sodded earth on the morrow. + +Three days and three nights Diarmuid stopped in that city, and the best +feast he ever found was given to him all through. And at the end of that +time he asked what was the place he was in, and who was head of it. And +the champion that brought him there told him it was Land-Under-Wave, and +that the man that had fought with him was its king. "And he is an enemy +of the Red Hand to me," he said. "And as to myself," he said, "I was +one time getting wages from Finn, son of Cumhal, in Ireland, and I never +put a year over me that pleased me better. And tell me now," he said, +"what is the journey or the work that is before you?" + +And Diarmuid told him the story of the Hard Servant then from beginning +to end. + +Now, as to Finn and his people, when they thought Diarmuid was too long +away from them, they made ladders of the cords of the ship and put them +against the rock, looking for him. + +And after a while they found the leavings of the meat he had eaten, for +Diarmuid never ate meat without leaving some after him. + +Finn looked then on every side, and he saw a rider coming towards him +over the plain on a dark-coloured beautiful horse, having a bridle of +red gold. Finn saluted him when he came up, and the rider stooped his +head and gave Finn three kisses, and asked him to go with him. They went +on a long way till they came to a wide, large dwelling-place full of +arms, and a great troop of armed men on the green before the fort. Three +nights and three days Finn and his people stopped in the dun, and the +best feast they ever got was served out to them. + +At the end of that time Finn asked what country was he in, and the man +that brought him there told him it was the land of Sorcha, and that he +himself was its king. "And I was with yourself one time, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "taking your wages through the length of a year in +Ireland." + +Then Finn and the King of Sorcha called a great gathering of the people +and a great meeting. And when it was going on they saw a woman-messenger +coming to them through the crowd, and the king asked news of her. "I +have news indeed," she said; "the whole of the bay and the harbour is +full of ships and of boats, and there are armies all through the country +robbing all before them." "I know well," said the king, "it is the High +King of Greece is in it, for he has a mind to put the entire world under +him, and to get hold of this country like every other." The King of +Sorcha looked at Finn then, and Finn understood it was help from him he +was asking, and it is what he said: "I take the protection of this +country on myself so long as I am in it." He and his people rose up +then, and the King of Sorcha along with them, and they went looking for +the strange army. And when they came up with it they made great +slaughter of its champions, and those they did not kill ran before them, +and made no better stand than a flock of frightened birds, till there +were hardly enough of them left to tell the story. + +The High King spoke then, and it is what he said: "Who is it has done +this great slaughter of my people? And I never heard before," he said, +"any talk of the courage or of the doings of the men of Ireland either +at this time or in the old times. But from this out," he said, "I will +banish the Sons of the Gael for ever to the very ends of the earth." + +But Finn and the King of Sorcha raised a green tent in view of the ships +of the Greeks. + +The King of the Greeks called then for help against Finn and the King of +Sorcha, to get satisfaction for the shame that was put on his people. +And the sons of kings of the eastern and southern world came to his +help, but they could make no stand against Finn and Osgar and Oisin and +Goll, son of Morna. And at the last the King of Greece brought all his +people back home, the way no more of them would be put an end to. + +And then Finn and the King of Sorcha called another great gathering. And +while it was going on, they saw coming towards them a great troop of +champions, bearing flags of many-coloured silk, and grey swords at +their sides and high spears reared up over their heads. And in the front +of them was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne. + +When Finn saw him, he sent Fergus of the True Lips to ask news of him, +and they told one another all that had happened. + +And it would take too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +Finn made the Hard Servant bring home his fifteen men that he had +brought away. And when he had brought them back to Ireland, the whole of +the Fianna were watching to see him ride away again, himself and his +long-legged horse. But while they were watching him, he vanished from +them, and all they could see was a mist, and it stretching out towards +the sea. + +And that is the story of the Hard Servant, and of Diarmuid's adventures +on the island Under-Wave. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES + + +And it is often the Fianna would have been badly off without the help of +Diarmuid. It was he came to their help the time Miodac, the son of the +King of Lochlann, brought them into the enchanted House of the Quicken +Trees. + +It was by treachery he brought them in, giving himself out to be a poet, +and making poems for Finn to make out the meaning of. A verse he made +about a great army that he saw riding over the plains to victory, and +robbing all before it, and the riders of it having no horses but plants +and branches. "I understand that," said Finn, "it was an army of bees +you saw, that was gathering riches from the flowers as it went." And +another verse Miodac made was about a woman in Ireland that was swifter +than the swiftest horse. "I know that," said Finn, "that woman is the +River Boinn; and if she goes slow itself, she is swifter in the end than +the swiftest horse, for her going never stops." And other verses he made +about Angus' house at Brugh na Boinn, but Finn made them all out. + +And after that he said he had a feast ready for them, and he bade them +go into his House of the Quicken Trees till he would bring it. And they +did that, and went in, and it was a beautiful house, having walls of +every colour, and foreign coverings of every colour on the floor, and a +fire that gave out a very pleasant smoke. And they sat down there, and +after a while Finn said: "It is a wonder such a beautiful house to be +here." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Goll; "that fire that +was so pleasant when we came in is giving out now the worst stench in +the world." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Glas; "the walls +that were of all colours are now but rough boards joined together." +"There is a greater wonder than that," said Fiacha; "where there were +seven high doors to the house there is now but one little door, and it +shut." "Indeed, there is a more wonderful thing than that," said Conan; +"for we sat down on beautiful coverings, and now there is nothing +between us and the bare ground, and it as cold as the snow of one +night." And he tried to rise up, but he could not stir, or any of the +rest of them, for there was enchantment that kept them where they were. + +And it was the treachery of Miodac, and the spells of the Three Kings of +the Island of the Floods that had brought them into that danger. And +Finn knew by his divination that their enemies were gathering to make an +end of them, and he said to his people there was no use in making +complaints, but to sound the music of the Dord Fiann. + +And some of the Fianna that were waiting for him not far off heard that +sorrowful music, and came fighting against Miodac and his armies, and +they fought well, but they could not stand against them. And at the last +it was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that made an end of Miodac that +was so treacherous, and of the Three Kings of the Island of the Floods, +and took the enchantment off the floor of the House of the Rowan Trees +with their blood. + +And when he was freeing the Fianna, Conan called out, asking him to +bring him a share of the feast Miodac had made ready for his own +friends, for there was hunger on him. And when Diarmuid took no heed of +him, he said: "If it was a comely woman was speaking to you, Diarmuid, +you would not refuse to listen." + +For if many women loved Diarmuid, there were many he himself gave his +love to; and if he was often called Diarmuid the brave, or the hardy, or +the comely, or the Hawk of Ess Ruadh, it is often he was called as well +the friend and the coaxer of women, Diarmuid-na-man. + + + + +BOOK SEVEN: DIARMUID AND GRANIA. + +CHAPTER I. THE FLIGHT FROM TEAMHAIR + + +Finn rose up one morning early in Almhuin of Leinster, and he sat out +alone on the green lawn without a boy or a servant being with him. And +Oisin followed him there, and Diorraing the Druid. "What is the cause of +your early rising, Finn?" said Oisin. "It is not without cause, indeed, +I rise early," said Finn, "for I am without a wife or a companion since +Maighneis, daughter of Black Garraidh, died from me; for quiet sleep is +not used to come to a man that is without a fitting wife." "Why would +you be like that?" said Oisin, "for there is not a woman in all green +Ireland you would throw a look on but we would bring her to you, willing +or unwilling." "I myself could find a wife would be fitting for you," +said Diorraing. "Who is that?" said Finn. "It is Grania, daughter of the +High King of Ireland," said Diorraing; "and she is the woman of the best +make and shape and the best speech of the women of the whole world." "By +my word, Diorraing," said Finn, "there is strife and disagreement +between the High King and myself this long time, and it would not be +pleasing to me to get a refusal from him. And it is best for you two to +go together," he said, "and to ask his daughter for me in marriage; the +way that if he gives a refusal, it will be to you and not to myself he +will give it." "We will go," said Oisin, "even if it is little profit we +will get by it. And let no one at all know of our going," he said, +"until such time as we are come back again." + +After that the two bade farewell to Finn, and set out, and it is not +told what they did till they came to Teamhair. The King of Ireland was +holding a gathering at that time on the green of Teamhair, and the chief +nobles of his people were with him. And there was a friendly welcome +given to Oisin and to Diorraing, and the king put off the gathering +till the next day, for he was sure it was some pressing thing had +brought these two men of the Fianna to Teamhair. And Oisin went aside +with him, and told him it was to ask his daughter Grania in marriage +they were come from Finn, Head of the Fianna of Ireland. + +The king spoke, and it is what he said: "There is not a son of a king or +of a great prince, there is not a champion in Ireland my daughter has +not given a refusal to, and it is on me they all lay the blame of that. +And I will give you no answer at all," he said, "till you go to herself; +for it is better for you to get her own answer, than to be displeased +with me." + +So they went together to the sunny house of the women, and the king sat +down at the head of the high seat beside Grania, and he said: "Here, +Grania, are two of the people of Finn, son of Cumhal, come to ask you as +a wife for him, and what answer have you a mind to give them?" And it is +what Grania said: "If he is a fitting son-in-law for you, why would he +not be a fitting husband for me?" + +They were satisfied then, and there was a feast made for them that night +in Grania's sunny house, and the king settled for a meeting a fortnight +from that time between himself and Finn at Teamhair. + +So Oisin and Diorraing went back again to Almhuin, and told Finn their +story from beginning to end. And as everything wears away, so did that +time of delay. + +And then Finn gathered together the seven battalions of the Fianna from +every part where they were to Almhuin. And they set out in great bands +and troops till they came to Teamhair. + +The king was out on the green before them, and the great people of the +men of Ireland, and there was a great welcome before Finn and the +Fianna. + +But when Grania saw grey-haired Finn, she said: "It is a great wonder +it was not for Oisin Finn asked me, for he would be more fitting for me +than a man that is older than my father." + +But they talked together for a while, and Finn was putting questions to +Grania, for she had the name of being very quick with answers. "What is +whiter than snow?" he said. "The truth," said Grania. "What is the best +colour?" said Finn. "The colour of childhood," said she. "What is hotter +than fire?" "The face of a hospitable man when he sees a stranger coming +in, and the house empty." "What has a taste more bitter than poison?" +"The reproach of an enemy." "What is best for a champion?" "His doings +to be high, and his pride to be low." "What is the best of jewels?" "A +knife." "What is sharper than a sword?" "The wit of a woman between two +men." "What is quicker than the wind?" said Finn then. "A woman's mind," +said Grania. And indeed she was telling no lie when she said that. And +for all their talk together she had no liking for Finn, and she felt the +blood in her heart to be rising against him. + +And the wedding-feast was made ready then, and they all went into the +king's feasting-house in the Middle Court. And the king sat down to take +his share of drinking and pleasure, and his wife at his left side, and +Grania beside her again; and Finn, son of Cumhal, at the right hand of +the king, and Oisin at the other side, and every other one according to +his nobility and his birth. + +Then Daire of the poems stood up before Grania, and sang the songs and +good poems of her fathers to her. And there was sitting near to Grania a +knowledgeable man, a Druid of Finn's people, and it was not long until +they began to talk together. "Tell me now," said Grania, "who is that +man on the right hand of Oisin?" "That is Goll, son of Morna," said the +Druid, "the ready fighter." "Who is that beside Goll?" said Grania. +"Osgar, son of Oisin," said the Druid. "And who is that thin-legged man +beside Osgar?" "That is Caoilte, son of Ronan." "Who is that proud, +hasty man beside Caoilte?" "Lugaidh's Son of the Strong Hand." "Who is +that sweet-worded man," she said then, "with the dark hair, and cheeks +like the rowan berry, on the left side of Oisin, son of Finn?" "That is +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said the Druid, "that is the best lover +of women in the whole world." "That is a good company," said Grania. + +And after the feast had gone on a while, their own feast was made for +the dogs outside. And the dogs began to fight with one another, and the +noise was heard in the hall, and the chief men of the Fianna went to +drive them away from one another. + +Now Diarmuid was used to keep his cap always over the love-spot the +woman had left on his forehead, for no woman could see that spot but she +would give him her love. And it chanced, while he was driving the dogs +apart, the cap fell from him, and Grania was looking cut at him as it +fell, and great love for him came on her there and then. And she called +her serving-maid to her, and bade her bring the great golden cup that +held drink for nine times nine men from the sunny house. And when the +serving-maid brought the cup, she filled it with wine that had +enchantment in it, and she said: "Give the cup first to Finn, and bid +him take a drink from it, and tell him it is I myself sent it to him." +So the serving-maid did that, and Finn took the cup and drank out of it, +and no sooner did he drink than he fell into a deep sleep. And then the +cup was given to the king, and the queen, and the sons of kings, and the +whole company, but only Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diarmuid, and +Diorraing the Druid. And all that drank of it fell into the same heavy +sleep. + +And when they were all in their sleep, Grania rose up softly from the +seat where she was, and she turned her face to Diarmuid, and she said: +"Will you take my love, Diarmuid, son of Duibhne, and will you bring me +away out of this house to-night?" + +"I will not," said Diarmuid; "I will not meddle with the woman that is +promised to Finn." "If that is so," said Grania, "I put you under Druid +bonds, to bring me out of this house to-night before the awaking of Finn +and of the King of Ireland from their sleep." + +"It is under bad bonds you are putting me, Grania," said Diarmuid. "And +why is it," he said, "that you put them on me more than on the great men +and sons of kings that are in the Middle Court to-night? for there is +not one of them all but is as well worthy of a woman's love as myself." +"By my hand, Diarmuid, it is not without cause I laid those bonds on +you," said Grania; "for I was at the door a while ago when you were +parting the dogs," she said, "and my eyes fell on you, and I gave you +the love there and then that I never gave to any other, and never will +give for ever." + +"It is a wonder you to give that love to me, and not to Finn," said +Diarmuid, "for there is not in Ireland a man is a better lover of a +woman than himself. And do you know this, Grania," he said, "the night +Finn is in Teamhair it is he himself is the keeper of its gates. And as +that is so, we cannot leave the town." "There is a side door of escape +at my sunny house," said Grania, "and we will go out by it." "It is a +thing I will never do," said Diarmuid, "to go out by any side door of +escape at all." "That may be so," said Grania, "but I heard it said that +every fighting man has leave to pass over the walls of any dun and of +any strong place at all by the shafts of his spears. And I will go out +through the door," she said, "and let you follow me like that." + +With that she went out, and Diarmuid spoke to his people, and it is what +he said, "O Oisin, son of Finn, what must I do with these bonds that +are laid on me?" "You are not guilty if the bonds were laid on you," +said Oisin; "and I tell you to follow Grania, and to keep yourself well +out of the hands of Finn." "Osgar, son of Oisin," he said then, "what +must I do with these bonds that are put on me?" "I tell you to follow +Grania," said Osgar, "for it is a pitiful man that would break his +bonds." "What advice do you give me, Caoilte?" said Diarmuid. "It is +what I say," said Caoilte, "that I myself have a fitting wife; and that +it would be better to me than all the riches of the world Grania to have +given me that love." "What advice do you give me, Diorraing?" "I tell +you to follow Grania," said Diorraing, "although you will get your death +by it, and that is bad to me." "Is that the advice you all give me?" +said Diarmuid. "It is," said Oisin, and all the rest with him. With that +Diarmuid stood up and stretched out his hand for his weapons, and he +said farewell to Oisin and the others, and every tear he shed was of the +size of a mountain berry. He went out then to the wall of the dun, and +he put the shafts of his two spears under him, and he rose with a light +leap and he came down on the grassy earth outside, and Grania met him +there. Then Diarmuid said: "It is a bad journey you are come on, Grania. +For it would be better for you to have Finn, son of Cumhal, as a lover +than myself, for I do not know any part or any western corner of Ireland +that will hide you. And if I do bring you with me," he said, "it is not +as a wife I will bring you, but I will keep my faith to Finn. And turn +back now to the town," he said, "and Finn will never get news of what +you are after doing." "It is certain I will not turn back," said Grania, +"and I will never part with you till death parts us." "If that is so, +let us go on, Grania," said Diarmuid. + +They went on then, and they were not gone far out from the town when +Grania said: "I am getting tired, indeed." "It is a good time to be +tired," said Diarmuid, "and go now back again to your own house. For I +swear by the word of a true champion," he said, "I will never carry +yourself or any other woman to the end of life and time." "That is not +what you have to do," said Grania, "for my father's horses are in a +grass field by themselves, and chariots with them; and turn back now, +and bring two horses of them, and I will wait in this place till you +come to me again." + +Diarmuid went back then for the horses, and we have no knowledge of +their journey till they reached to the ford on the Sionnan, that is +called now Ath-luain. + +And Diarmuid said then to Grania: "It is easier to Finn to follow our +track, the horses being with us." "If that is so," said Grania: "leave +the horses here, and I will go on foot from this out." + +Diarmuid went down to the river then, and he brought a horse with him +over the ford, and left the other horse the far side of the river. And +he himself and Grania went a good way with the stream westward, and they +went to land at the side of the province of Connacht. And wherever they +went, Diarmuid left unbroken bread after him, as a sign to Finn he had +kept his faith with him. + +And from that they went on to Doire-da-Bhoth, the Wood of the Two Huts. +And Diarmuid cut down the wood round about them, and he made a fence +having seven doors of woven twigs, and he set out a bed of soft rushes +and of the tops of the birch-tree for Grania in the very middle of the +wood. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE PURSUIT + + +And as to Finn, son of Cumhal, I will tell out his story now. + +All that were in Teamhair rose up early in the morning of the morrow, +and they found Diarmuid and Grania were wanting from them, and there +came a scorching jealousy and a weakness on Finn. He sent out his +trackers then on the plain, and bade them to follow Diarmuid and Grania. +And they followed the track as far as the ford on the Sionnan, and Finn +and the Fianna followed after them, but they were not able to carry the +track across the ford. And Finn gave them his word that unless they +would find the track again without delay, he would hang them on each +side of the ford. + +Then the sons of Neamhuin went up against the stream, and they found a +horse on each side of it, and then they went on with the stream +westward, and they found the track going along the side of the Province +of Connacht, and Finn and the Fianna of Ireland followed it on. And Finn +said: "I know well where we will find Diarmuid and Grania now; it is in +Doire-da-Bhoth they are." Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diorraing were +listening when Finn said those words. And Osgar spoke to the others, and +it is what he said: "There is danger they might be there, and it would +be right for us to give them some warning; and look now, Osgar, where is +Bran the hound, for Finn himself is no dearer to him than Diarmuid, and +bid him go now with a warning to him." + +So Osgar told Bran, and Bran understood him well, and she went to the +rear of the whole troop the way Finn would not see her, and she followed +on the track of Diarmuid and Grania till she came to Doire-da-Bhoth, and +she put her head into Diarmuid's bosom, and he in his sleep. + +Diarmuid started up out of his sleep then, and he awoke Grania, and said +to her: "Here is Bran, Finn's hound, and she is come with a warning to +tell us Finn himself is coming." "Let us take that warning, then," said +Grania, "and make your escape." "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, +"for if I cannot escape Finn, I would as soon he took me now as at any +other time." When Grania heard that, great fear came on her. + +Bran went away from them then, and when Oisin saw her coming back, he +said: "I am in dread Bran found no chance to get to Diarmuid, and we +should send him some other warning. And look where is Fearghoin," he +said, "Caoilte's serving-man." Now it was the way with Fearghoin, every +shout he would give would be heard in the three nearest hundreds to him. +So they made him give out three shouts the way Diarmuid would hear him. +And Diarmuid heard him, and he said to Grania: "I hear Caoilte's +serving-man, and it is with Caoilte he is, and it is along with Finn +Caoilte is, and those shouts were sent as a warning to me." "Take that +warning," said Grania. "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, "for Finn +and the Fianna will come up with us before we leave the wood." And fear +and great dread came on Grania when she heard him say that. + +As for Finn, he did not leave off following the track till he came to +Doire-da-Bhoth, and he sent the sons of Neamhuin to search through the +wood, and they saw Diarmuid, and the woman along with him. They came +back then where Finn was, and he asked them were Diarmuid and Grania in +the wood? "Diarmuid is in it," they said, "and there is some woman with +him, but we knew Diarmuid, and we do not know Grania." "May no good come +to the friends of Diarmuid for his sake," said Finn, "and he will not +quit that wood till he has given me satisfaction for everything he has +done to me." + +"It is jealousy has put you astray, Finn," said Oisin; "you to think +Diarmuid would stop here on the plain of Maen Mhagh, and no close place +in it but Doire-da-Bhoth, and you following after him." "Saying that +will do you no good," said Finn, "for I knew well when I heard the three +shouts Caoilte's serving-man gave out, it was you sent them to Diarmuid +as a warning. And another thing," he said, "it was you sent my own +hound Bran to him. But none of those things you have done will serve +you, for he will not leave Doire-da-Bhoth till he gives me satisfaction +for everything he has done to me, and every disgrace he has put on me." +"It is great foolishness for you, Finn," said Osgar then, "to be +thinking Diarmuid would stop in the middle of this plain and you waiting +here to strike the head off him." "Who but himself cut the wood this +way," said Finn, "and made this close sheltered place with seven woven +narrow doors to it. And O Diarmuid," he said out then, "which of us is +the truth with, myself or Oisin?" "You never failed from your good +judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid, "and indeed I myself and Grania are +here." Then Finn called to his men to go around Diarmuid and Grania, and +to take them. + +Now it was shown at this time to Angus Og, at Brugh na Boinne, the great +danger Diarmuid was in, that was his pupil at one time, and his dear +foster-son. He set out then with the clear cold wind, and did not stop +in any place till he came to Doire-da-Bhoth. And he went unknown to Finn +or the Fianna into the place where Diarmuid and Grania were, and he +spoke kind words to Diarmuid, and he said: "What is the thing you have +done, grandson of Duibhne?" "It is," said Diarmuid, "the daughter of the +King of Ireland that has made her escape with me from her father and +from Finn, and it is not by my will she came." "Let each of you come +under a border of my cloak, so," said Angus, "and I will bring you out +of the place where you are without knowledge of Finn or his people." +"Bring Grania with you," said Diarmuid, "but I will never go with you; +but if I am alive I will follow you before long. And if I do not," he +said, "give Grania to her father, and he will do well or ill to her." + +With that Angus put Grania under the border of his cloak, and brought +her out unknown to Finn or the Fianna, and there is no news told of them +till they came to Ros-da-Shoileach, the Headland of the Two Sallows. + +And as to Diarmuid, after Angus and Grania going from him, he stood up +as straight as a pillar and put on his armour and his arms, and after +that he went to a door of the seven doors he had made, and he asked who +was at it. "There is no enemy to you here," they said, "for there are +here Oisin and Osgar and the best men of the sons of Baiscne along with +us. And come out to us now, and no one will have the daring to do any +harm or hurt on you." "I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "till I +see at what door Finn himself is." He went then to another door of the +seven and asked who was at it. "Caoilte, son of Ronan, and the rest of +the sons of Ronan along with him; and come out to us now, and we will +give ourselves for your sake." "I will not go out to you," said +Diarmuid, "for I will not put you under Finn's anger for any well-doing +to myself." He went on to another door then and asked who was at it. +"There is Conan, son of Morna, and the rest of the sons of Morna along +with him; and it is enemies to Finn we are, and you are a great deal +more to us than he is, and you may come out and no one will dare lay a +hand on you." "I will not indeed," said Diarmuid, "for Finn would be +better pleased to see the death of every one of you than to let me +escape." He went then to another door and asked who was at it. "A friend +and a comrade of your own, Fionn, son of Cuadan, head of the Fianna of +Munster, and his men along with him; and we are of the one country and +the one soil, and we will give our bodies and our lives for your sake." +"I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "for I would not like Finn to +have a grudge against you for any good you did to me." He went then to +another door and asked who was at it. "It is Fionn, son of Glor, head +of the Fianna of Ulster, and his men along him; and come out now to us +and there is no one will dare hurt or harm you." "I will not go out to +you," said Diarmuid, "for you are a friend to me, and your father along +with you, and I would not like the unfriendliness of Finn to be put on +you for my sake." He went then to another door, and he asked who was at +it. "There is no friend of yours here," they said, "for there is here +Aodh Beag the Little from Eamhuin, and Aodh Fada the Long from Eamhuin, +and Caol Crodha the Fierce, and Goineach the Wounder, and Gothan the +White-fingered, and Aoife his daughter, and Cuadan the Tracker from +Eamhuin; and we are unfriendly people to you, and if you come out to us +we will not spare you at all, but will make an end of you." "It is a bad +troop is in it," said Diarmuid; "you of the lies and of the tracking and +of the one shoe, and it is not fear of your hands is upon me, but +because I am your enemy I will not go out." + +He went then to the last of the seven doors and asked who was at it. "No +friend of yours," they said, "but it is Finn, son of Cumhal, and four +hundred paid fighting men along with him; and if you will come out to us +we will make opened marrow of you." "I give you my word, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "that the door you are at yourself is the first door I will +pass out of." + +When Finn heard that, he warned his battalions on pain of lasting death +not to let Diarmuid past them unknown. But when Diarmuid heard what he +said, he rose on the staves of his spears and he went with a very high, +light leap on far beyond Finn and his people, without their knowledge. +He looked back at them then, and called out that he had gone past them, +and he put his shield on his back and went straight on towards the west, +and it was not long before he was out of sight of Finn and the Fianna. +Then when he did not see any one coming after him, he turned back to +where he saw Angus and Grania going out of the wood, and he followed on +their track till he came to Ros-da-Shoileach. + +He found Angus and Grania there in a sheltered, well-lighted cabin, and +a great blazing fire kindled in it, and the half of a wild boar on +spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the life of Grania all to went out of +her with joy before him. + +Diarmuid told them his news from beginning to end, and they ate their +share that night, and they went to sleep till the coming of the day and +of the full light on the morrow. And Angus rose up early, and he said to +Diarmuid: "I am going from you now, grandson of Duibhne; and I leave +this advice with you," he said, "not to go into a tree with one trunk, +and you flying before Finn, and not to be going into a cave of the earth +that has but one door, and not to be going to an island of the sea that +has but one harbour. And in whatever place you cook your share of food," +he said, "do not eat it there; and in whatever place you eat it, do not +lie down there; and in whatever place you lie down, do not rise up there +on the morrow." He said farewell to them after that, and went his way. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE GREEN CHAMPIONS + +Then Diarmuid and Grania went along the right bank of the Sionnan +westward till they came to Garbh-abha-na-Fiann, the rough river of the +Fianna. And Diarmuid killed a salmon on the brink of the river, and put +it to the fire on a spit. Then he himself and Grania went across the +stream to eat it, as Angus bade them; and then they went westward to +sleep. + +They rose up early on the morrow, and they travelled straight westward +till they came to the marsh of Finnliath. + +And on the marsh they met with a young man, having a good shape and +appearance, but without fitting dress or arms. Diarmuid greeted the +young man, and asked news of him. "A fighting lad I am, looking for a +master," he said, "and Muadhan is my name." "What would you do for me, +young man?" said Diarmuid. "I would be a servant to you in the day, and +watch for you in the night," he said. "I tell you to keep that young +man," said Grania, "for you cannot be always without people." + +Then they made an agreement with him, and bound one another, and they +went on together westward till they reached the Carrthach river. And +then Muadhan bade Diarmuid and Grania to go up on his back till he would +carry them over the stream. + +"That would be a big load for you," said Grania. But he put them upon +his back and carried them over. Then they went on till they came to the +Beith, and Muadhan brought them over on his back the same way. And they +went into a cave at the side of Currach Cinn Adhmuid, the Woody Headland +of the Bog, over Tonn Toime, and Muadhan made ready beds of soft rushes +and tops of the birch for them in the far end of the cave. And he went +himself into the scrub that was near, and took a straight long rod of a +quicken-tree, and he put a hair and a hook on the rod, and a holly berry +on the hook, and he went up the stream, and he took a salmon with the +first cast. Then he put on a second berry and killed another fish, and +he put on a third berry and killed the third fish. Then he put the hook +and the hair under his belt, and struck the rod into the earth, and he +brought the three salmon where Diarmuid and Grania were, and put them on +spits. When they were done, Muadhan said: "I give the dividing of the +fish to you, Diarmuid." "I would sooner you to divide it than myself," +said Diarmuid. "I will give the dividing of the fish to you, so, +Grania," said he. "I am better satisfied you to divide it," said Grania. +"If it was you that divided the fish, Diarmuid," said Muadhan, "you +would have given the best share to Grania; and if it was Grania divided +it, she would have given you the best share; and as it is myself is +dividing it, let you have the biggest fish, Diarmuid, and let Grania +have the second biggest, and I myself will have the one is smallest." + +They spent the night there, and Diarmuid and Grania slept in the far +part of the cave, and Muadhan kept watch for them until the rising of +the day and the full light of the morrow. + +Diarmuid rose up early, and he bade Grania keep watch for Muadhan, and +that he himself would go and take a walk around the country. He went out +then, and he went up on a hill that was near, and he was looking about +him, east and west, north and south. He was not long there till he saw a +great fleet of ships coming from the west, straight to the bottom of the +hill where he was. And when they were come to land, nine times nine of +the chief men of the ships came on shore, and Diarmuid went down and +greeted them, and asked news of them, and to what country they belonged. + +"Three kings we are of the Green Champions of Muir-na-locht," said they; +"and Finn, son of Cumhal, sent looking for us by cause of a thief of the +woods, and an enemy of his own that has gone hiding from him; and it is +to hinder him we are come. And we are twenty hundred good fighting men, +and every one of us is a match for a hundred, and besides that," he +said, "we have three deadly hounds with us; fire will not burn them, and +water will not drown them, and arms will not redden on them, and we will +lay them on his track, and it will be short till we get news of him. +And tell us who you are yourself?" they said, "and have you any word of +the grandson of Duibhne?" "I saw him yesterday," said Diarmuid; "and I +myself," he said, "am but a fighting man, walking the world by the +strength of my hand and by the hardness of my sword. And by my word," he +said, "you will know Diarmuid's hand when you will meet it." "Well, we +found no one up to this," said they. "What are your own names?" said +Diarmuid. "Dubh-chosach, the Black-footed, Fionn-chosach, the +Fair-footed, and Treun-chosach, the Strong-footed," they said. + +"Is there wine in your ships?" said Diarmuid. "There is," said they. "If +you have a mind to bring out a tun of wine," said Diarmuid, "I will do a +trick for you." They sent men to get the tun, and when it came Diarmuid +took it between his two hands and drank a drink out of it, and the +others drank what was left of it. Diarmuid took up the tun after that, +and brought it to the top of the hill, and he went up himself on the +tun, and let it go down the steep of the hill till it was at the bottom. +And then he brought the tun up the hill again, and he himself on it +coming and going, and he did that trick three times before the +strangers. But they said he was a man had never seen a good trick when +he called that a trick; and with that a man of them went up on the tun, +but Diarmuid gave a stroke of his foot at it and the young man fell from +it before it began to move, and it rolled over him and crushed him, that +he died. And another man went on it, and another after him again, till +fifty of them were killed trying to do Diarmuid's trick, and as many of +them as were not killed went back to their ships that night. + +Diarmuid went back then to where he left Grania; and Muadhan put the +hair and the hook on the rod till he killed three salmon; and they ate +their meal that night, and he kept watch for them the same way he did +before. + +Diarmuid went out early the next day again to the hill, and it was not +long till he saw the three strangers coming towards him, and he asked +them would they like to see any more tricks. They said they would sooner +get news of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him +yesterday," said Diarmuid. And with that he put off his arms and his +clothes, all but the shirt that was next his skin, and he struck the +Crann Buidhe, the spear of Manannan, into the earth with the point +upwards. And then he rose with a leap and lit on the point of the spear +as light as a bird, and came down off it again without a wound on him. +Then a young man of the Green Champions said: "It is a man has never +seen feats that would call that a feat"; and he put off his clothing and +made a leap, and if he did he came down heavily on the point of the +spear, and it went through his heart, and he fell to the ground. The +next day Diarmuid came again, and he brought two forked poles out of the +wood and put them standing upright on the hill, and he put the sword of +Angus Og, the Mor-alltach, the Big-fierce one, between the two forks on +its edge. Then he raised himself lightly over it, and walked on the +sword three times from the hilt to the point, and he came down and asked +was there a man of them could do that feat. + +"That is a foolish question," said a man of them then, "for there was +never any feat done in Ireland but a man of our own would do it." And +with that he rose up to walk on the sword; but it is what happened, he +came down heavily on it the way he was cut in two halves. + +The rest of the champions bade him take away his sword then, before any +more of their people would fall by it; and they asked him had he any +word of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him to-day," said +Diarmuid, "and I will go ask news of him to-night." + +He went back then to where Grania was, and Muadhan killed three salmon +for their supper, and kept a watch for them through the night. And +Diarmuid rose up at the early break of day, and he put his battle +clothes on him, that no weapon could go through, and he took the sword +of Angus, that left no leavings after it, at his left side, and his two +thick-handled spears, the Gae Buidhe and the Gae Dearg, the Yellow and +the Red, that gave wounds there was no healing for. And then he wakened +Grania, and he bade her to keep watch for Muadhan, and he himself would +go out and take a look around. + +When Grania saw him looking so brave, and dressed in his clothes of +anger and of battle, great fear took hold of her, and she asked what was +he going to do. "It is for fear of meeting my enemies I am like this," +said he. That quieted Grania, and then Diarmuid went out to meet the +Green Champions. + +They came to land then, and they asked had he news of the grandson of +Duibhne. "I saw him not long ago," said Diarmuid. "If that is so, let us +know where is he," said they, "till we bring his head to Finn, son of +Cumhal." "I would be keeping bad watch for him if I did that," said +Diarmuid, "for his life and his body are under the protection of my +valour, and by reason of that I will do no treachery on him." "Is that +true?" said they. "It is true indeed," said Diarmuid. "Let you yourself +quit this place, so," they said, "or we will bring your head to Finn +since you are an enemy to him." "It is in bonds I would be," said +Diarmuid, "the time I would leave my head with you." And with that he +drew his sword the Mor-alltach out of its sheath, and he made a fierce +blow at the head nearest him that put it in two halves. Then he made an +attack on the whole host of the Green Champions, and began to destroy +them, cutting through the beautiful shining armour of the men of +Muir-na-locht till there was hardly a man but got shortening of life and +the sorrow of death, or that could go back to give news of the fight, +but only the three kings and a few of their people that made their +escape back to their ships. Diarmuid turned back then without wound or +hurt on him, and he went to where Crania and Muadhan were. They bade him +welcome, and Grania asked him did he hear any news of Finn and the +Fianna of Ireland, and he said he did not, and they ate their food and +spent the night there. + +He rose up again with the early light of the morrow and went back to the +hill, and when he got there he struck a great blow on his shield that +set the strand shaking with the sound. And Dubh-chosach heard it, and he +said he himself would go fight with Diarmuid, and he went on shore there +and then. + +And he and Diarmuid threw the arms out of their hands and rushed on one +another like wrestlers, straining their arms and their sinews, knotting +their hands on one another's backs, fighting like bulls in madness, or +like two daring hawks on the edge of a cliff. But at the last Diarmuid +raised up Dubh-chosach on his shoulder and threw his body to the ground, +and bound him fast and firm on the spot. And Fionn-chosach and +Treun-chosach came one after the other to fight with him then, and he +put the same binding on them; and he said he would strike the heads off +them, only he thought it a worse punishment to leave them in those +bonds. "For there is no one can free you," he said. And he left them +there, worn out and sorrowful. + +The next morning after that, Diarmuid told Grania the whole story of the +strangers from beginning to end, and of all he had done to them, and how +on the fifth day he had put their kings in bonds. "And they have three +fierce hounds in a chain ready to hunt me," he said. "Did you take the +heads off those three kings?" said Grania, "I did not," said Diarmuid, +"for there is no man of the heroes of Ireland can loosen those bonds but +four only, Oisin, son of Finn, and Osgar, son of Oisin, and Lugaidh's +Son of the Strong Hand, and Conan, son of Morna; and I know well," he +said, "none of those four will do it. But all the same, it is short till +Finn will get news of them, and it is best for us to be going from this +cave, or Finn and the three hounds might come on us." + +After that they left the cave, and they went on till they came to the +bog of Finnliath. Grania began to fall behind them, and Muadhan put her +on his back and carried her till they came to the great Slieve Luachra. +Then Diarmuid sat down on the brink of the stream that was flowing +through the heart of the mountain, and Grania was washing her hands, and +she asked his knife from him to cut her nails with. + +As to the strangers, as many of them as were alive yet, they came to the +hill where their three leaders were bound, and they thought to loose +them; but it is the way those bonds were, all they did by meddling with +them was to draw them tighter. + +And they were not long there till they saw a woman coming towards them +with the quickness of a swallow or a weasel or a blast of wind over bare +mountain-tops. And she asked them who was it had done that great +slaughter on them. "Who are you that is asking that?" said they. "I am +the Woman of the Black Mountain, the woman-messenger of Finn, son of +Cumhal," she said; "and it is looking for you Finn sent me." "Indeed we +do not know who it was did this slaughter," they said, "but we will tell +you his appearance. A young man he was, having dark curling hair and +ruddy cheeks. And it is worse again to us," they said, "our three +leaders to be bound this way, and we not able to loose them." "What way +did that young man go from you?" said the woman. "It was late last +night he left us," they said, "and we do not know where is he gone." "I +give you my word," she said, "it was Diarmuid himself that was in it; +and take your hounds now and lay them on his track, and I will send Finn +and the Fianna of Ireland to you." + +They left a woman-Druid then attending on the three champions that were +bound, and they brought their three hounds out of the ship and laid them +on Diarmuid's track, and followed them till they came to the opening of +the cave, and they went into the far part of it and found the beds where +Diarmuid and Crania had slept. Then they went on westward till they came +to the Carrthach river, and to the bog of Finnliath, and so on to the +great Slieve Luachra. + +But Diarmuid did not know they were after him till he got sight of them +with their banners of soft silk and their three wicked hounds in the +front of the troop and three strong champions holding them in chains. +And when he saw them coming like that he was filled with great hatred of +them. + +There was one of them had a well-coloured green cloak on him, and he +came out far beyond the others, and Grania gave the knife back to +Diarmuid. "I think you have not much love for that young man of the +green cloak, Grania," said Diarmuid. "I have not indeed," said Grania; +"and it would be better if I had never given love to any man at all to +this day." Diarmuid put the knife in the sheath then, and went on; and +Muadhan put Grania on his back and carried her on into the mountain. + +It was not long till a hound of the three hounds was loosed after +Diarmuid, and Muadhan said to him to follow Grania, and he himself would +check the hound. Then Muadhan turned back, and he took a whelp out of +his belt, and put it on the flat of his hand. And when the whelp saw the +hound rushing towards him, and its jaws open, he rose up and made a leap +from Muadhan's hand into the throat of the hound, and came out of its +side, bringing the heart with it, and he leaped back again to Muadhan's +hand, and left the hound dead after him. + +Muadhan went on then after Diarmuid and Grania, and he took up Grania +again and carried her a bit of the way into the mountain. Then another +hound was loosened after them, and Diarmuid said to Muadhan: "I often +heard there is nothing can stand against weapons of Druid wounding, and +the throat of no beast can be made safe from them. And will you stand +now," he said, "till I put the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, through that +hound." + +Then Muadhan and Grania stopped to see the cast. And Diarmuid made a +cast at the hound, and the spear went through its body and brought out +its bowels; and he took up the spear again, and they went forward. + +It was not long after that the third hound was loosed. And Grania said +then: "This is the one is fiercest of them, and there is great fear on +me, and mind yourself now, Diarmuid." + +It was not long till the hound overtook them, and the place he overtook +them was Lic Dhubhain, the flag-stone of Dubhan, on Slieve Luachra. He +rose with a light leap over Diarmuid, as if he had a mind to seize on +Grania, but Diarmuid took him by the two hind legs, and struck a blow of +his carcase against the side of the rock was nearest, till he had let +out his brains through the openings of his head and of his ears. And +then Diarmuid took up his arms and his battle clothes, and put his +narrow-topped finger into the silken string of the Gae Dearg, and he +made a good cast at the young man of the green cloak that was at the +head of the troop that killed him. Then he made another cast at the +second man and killed him, and the third man in the same way. And as it +is not the custom to stand after leaders are fallen, the strangers when +they saw what had happened took to flight. + +And Diarmuid followed after them, killing and scattering, so that unless +any man of them got away over the forests, or into the green earth, or +under the waters, there was not a man or messenger of them left to tell +the news, but only the Woman-messenger of the Black Mountain, that kept +moving around about when Diarmuid was putting down the strangers. + +And it was not long till Finn saw her coming towards him where he was, +her legs failing, and her tongue muttering, and her eyes drooping, and +he asked news of her. "It is very bad news I have to tell you," she +said; "and it is what I think, that it is a person without a lord I am." +Then she told Finn the whole story from beginning to end, of the +destruction Diarmuid had done, and how the three deadly hounds had +fallen by him. "And it is hardly I myself got away," she said. "What +place did the grandson of Duibhne go to?" said Finn. "I do not know +that," she said. + +And when Finn heard of the Kings of the Green Champions that were bound +by Diarmuid, he called his men to him, and they went by every short way +and every straight path till they reached the hill, and it was torment +to the heart of Finn to see the way they were. Then he said: "Oisin," he +said, "loosen those three kings for me." "I will not loosen them," said +Oisin, "for Diarmuid put bonds on me not to loosen any man he would +bind." "Loosen them, Osgar," said Finn then. "I give my word," said +Osgar, "it is more bonds I would wish to put on them sooner than to +loosen them." Neither would Conan help them, or Lugaidh's Son. And any +way, they were not long talking about it till the three kings died under +the hardness of the bonds that were on them. + +Then Finn made three wide-sodded graves for them, and a flag-stone was +put over them, and another stone raised over that again, and their names +were written in branching Ogham, and it is tired and heavy-hearted Finn +was after that; and he and his people went back to Almhuin of Leinster. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE WOOD OF DUBHROS + + +And as to Diarmuid and Grania and Muadhan, they went on through Ui +Chonaill Gabhra, and left-hand ways to Ros-da-Shoileach, and Diarmuid +killed a wild deer that night, and they had their fill of meat and of +pure water, and they slept till the morning of the morrow. And Muadhan +rose up early, and spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what he said, that he +himself was going away. "It is not right for you to do that," said +Diarmuid, "for everything I promised you I fulfilled it, without any +dispute." + +But he could not hinder him, and Muadhan said farewell to them and left +them there and then, and it is sorrowful and downhearted Diarmuid and +Grania were after him. + +After that they travelled on straight to the north, to Slieve Echtge, +and from that to the hundred of Ui Fiachrach; and when they got there +Grania was tired out, but she took courage and went on walking beside +Diarmuid till they came to the wood of Dubhros. + +Now, there was a wonderful quicken-tree in that wood, and the way it +came to be there is this: + +There rose a dispute one time between two women of the Tuatha de Danaan, +Aine and Aoife, daughters of Manannan, son of Lir, for Aoife had given +her love to Lugaidh's Son, and Aine had given her love to a man of her +own race, and each of them said her own man was a better hurler than the +other. And it came from that dispute that there was a great hurling +match settled between the Men of Dea and the Fianna of Ireland, and the +place it was to be played was on a beautiful plain near Loch Lein. + +They all came together there, and the highest men and the most daring of +the Tuatha de Danaan were there, the three Garbhs of Slieve Mis, and the +three Mases of Slieve Luachra, and the three yellow-haired Murchadhs, +and the three Eochaidhs of Aine, and the three Fionns of the White +House, and the three Sgals of Brugh na Boinne, and the three Ronans of +Ath na Riogh, and the Suirgheach Suairc, the Pleasant Wooer from Lionan, +and the Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn, and Ilbrec, the +Many-Coloured, son of Manannan, and Neamhanach, son of Angus Og, and +Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and Manannan, son of Lir. + +They themselves and the Fianna were playing the match through the length +of three days and three nights, from Leamhain to the valley of the +Fleisg, that is called the Crooked Valley of the Fianna, and neither of +them winning a goal. And when the Tuatha de Danaan that were watching +the game on each side of Leamhain saw it was so hard for their hurlers +to win a goal against the Fianna, they thought it as well to go away +again without playing out the game. + +Now the provision the Men of Dea had brought with them from the Land of +Promise was crimson nuts, and apples, and sweet-smelling rowan berries. +And as they were passing through the district of Ui Fiachrach by the +Muaidh, a berry of the rowan berries fell from them, and a tree grew up +from it. And there was virtue in its berries, and no sickness or disease +would ever come on any person that would eat them, and those that would +eat them would feel the liveliness of wine and the satisfaction of mead +in them, and any old person of a hundred years that would eat them would +go back to be young again, and any young girl that would eat them would +grow to be a flower of beauty. + +And it happened one time after the tree was grown, there were messengers +of the Tuatha de Danaan going through the wood of Dubhros. And they +heard a great noise of birds and of bees, and they went where the noise +was, and they saw the beautiful Druid tree. They went back then and told +what they had seen, and all the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan when +they heard it knew the tree must have grown from a berry of the Land of +the Ever-Living Living Ones. And they enquired among all their people, +till they knew it was a young man of them, that was a musician, had +dropped the berry. + +And it is what they agreed, to send him in search of a man of Lochlann +that would guard the tree by day and sleep in it by night. And the women +of the Sidhe were very downhearted to see him going from them, for there +was no harper could play half so sweetly on his harp as he could play on +an ivy leaf. + +He went on then till he came to Lochlann, and he sat down on a bank and +sleep came on him. And he slept till the rising of the sun on the +morrow; and when he awoke he saw a very big man coming towards him, that +asked him who was he. "I am a messenger from the Men of Dea," he said; +"and I am come looking for some very strong man that would be willing to +guard a Druid tree that is in the wood of Dubhros. And here are some of +the berries he will be eating from morning to night," he said. + +And when the big man had tasted the berries, he said: "I will go and +guard all the trees of the wood to get those berries." + +And his name was the Searbhan Lochlannach, the Surly One of Lochlann. +Very black and ugly he was, having crooked teeth, and one eye only in +the middle of his forehead. And he had a thick collar of iron around his +body, and it was in the prophecy that he would never die till there +would be three strokes of the iron club he had, struck upon himself. And +he slept in the tree by night and stopped near it in the daytime, and he +made a wilderness of the whole district about him, and none of the +Fianna dared go hunt there because of the dread of him that was on them. + +But when Diarmuid came to the wood of Dubhros, he went into it to where +the Surly One was, and he made bonds of agreement with him, and got +leave from him to go hunting in the wood, so long as he would not touch +the berries of the tree. And he made a cabin then for himself and for +Grania in the wood. + +As for Finn and his people, they were not long at Almhuin till they saw +fifty armed men coming towards them, and two that were taller and +handsomer than the rest in the front of them. Finn asked did any of his +people know them. "We do not know them," they said, "but maybe you +yourself know them, Finn." "I do not," he said; "but it seems to be they +are enemies to myself." The troop of armed men came up to them then and +they greeted him, and Finn asked news of them, and from what country +they came. "I am Aonghus, son of Art Og of the children of Morna," one +of them said, "and this is Aodh, son of Andela; and we are enemies of +your own, and our fathers were at the killing of your father, and they +themselves died for that deed. And it is to ask peace we are come now to +you," they said. "Where were you the time my father was killed?" "In our +mothers' wombs," said they; "and our mothers were two women of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and it is time for us now to get our father's place +among the Fianna." "I will give you that," said Finn, "but I must put a +fine on you first in satisfaction for my father's death." "We have +neither gold or silver or goods or cattle to give you, Finn," said they. +"Do not put a fine on them, Finn," said Oisin, "beyond the death of +their fathers for your father." "It is what I think," said Finn, "if any +one killed myself, Oisin, it would be easy to pay the fine you would +ask. And there will no one come among the Fianna," he said, "without +giving what I ask in satisfaction for my father's death." "What is it +you are asking of us?" said Aonghus, son of Art Og. "I am asking but the +head of a champion, or the full of a fist of the berries of the +quicken-tree at Dubhros." "I will give you a good advice, children of +Morna," said Oisin, "to go back to the place you were reared, and not to +ask peace of Finn through the length of your lives. For it is not an +easy thing Finn is asking of you; and do you know whose head he is +asking you to bring him?" "We do not," said they. "The head of Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne, is the head he is asking of you. And if you were +twenty hundred men in their full strength, Diarmuid would not let you +take that head." "And what are the berries Finn is asking of us?" they +said then. "There is nothing is harder for you to get than those +berries," said Oisin. + +He told them then the whole story of the tree, and of the Searbhan, the +Surly One of Lochlann, that was put to mind it by the Tuatha de Danaan. +But Aodh, son of Andela, spoke then, and it is what he said, that he +would sooner get his death looking for those berries than to go home +again to his mother's country. And he said to Oisin to care his people +till he would come back again, and if anything should happen himself and +his brother in their journey, to send them back again to the Land of +Promise. And the two said farewell then to Oisin and to the chief men of +the Fianna, and they went forward till they reached Dubhros. And they +went along the wood till they found a track, and they followed it to +the door of the hunting-cabin where Diarmuid and Grania were. + +Diarmuid heard them coming, and he put his hand on his weapons and asked +who was at the door. "We are of the children of Morna," they said, +"Aodh, son of Andela, and Aonghus, son of Art Og." "What brings you to +this wood?" said Diarmuid. "Finn, son of Cumhal, that put us looking for +your head, if you are Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said they. "I am +indeed," said Diarmuid. "If that is so," they said, "Finn will take +nothing from us but your head, or a fistful of the berries of the +quicken-tree of Dubhros as satisfaction for the death of his father." +"It is not easy for you to get either of those things," said Diarmuid, +"and it is a pity for any one to be under the power of that man. And +besides that," he said, "I know it was he himself made an end of your +fathers, and that was enough satisfaction for him to get; and if you do +bring him what he asks, it is likely he will not make peace with you in +the end." "Is it not enough for you," said Aodh, "to have brought his +wife away from Finn without speaking ill of him?" "It is not for the +sake of speaking ill of him I said that," said Diarmuid, "but to save +yourselves from the danger he has sent you into." + +"What are those berries Finn is asking?" said Grania, "that they cannot +be got for him?" + +Diarmuid told her then the whole story of the berry the Tuatha de Danaan +had lost, and of the tree that had sprung up from it, and of the man of +Lochlann that was keeping the tree. "And at the time Finn sent me hiding +here and became my enemy," he said, "I got leave from the Surly One to +hunt, but he bade me never to meddle with the berries. And now, sons of +Morna," he said, "there is your choice, to fight with me for my head, or +to go asking the berries of the Surly One." "I swear by the blood of my +people," said each of them, "I will fight with yourself first." + +With that the two young men made ready for the fight. And it is what +they chose, to fight with the strength of their hands alone. And +Diarmuid put them down and bound the two of them there and then. "That +is a good fight you made," said Grania. "But, by my word," she said, +"although the children of Morna do not go looking for those berries, I +will not lie in a bed for ever till I get a share of them; and I will +not live if I do not get them," she said. "Do not make me break my peace +with the Surly One," said Diarmuid, "for he will not let me take them." +"Loose these tyings from us," said the two young men, "and we will go +with you, and we will give ourselves for your sake." "You must not come +with me," said Diarmuid; "for if you got the full of your eyes of that +terrible one, you would be more likely to die than to live." "Well, do +us this kindness," they said then; "loosen these bonds on us, and give +us time to go by ourselves and see the fight before you strike off our +heads." So Diarmuid did that for them. + +Then Diarmuid went to the Surly One, and he chanced to be asleep before +him, and he gave him a stroke of his foot the way he lifted his head and +looked up at him, and he said: "Have you a mind to break our peace, +Grandson of Duibhne?" "That is not what I want," said Diarmuid; "but it +is Grania, daughter of the High King," he said, "has a desire to taste +those berries, and it is to ask a handful of them I am come." "I give my +word," said he, "if she is to die for it, she will never taste a berry +of those berries." "I would not do treachery on you," said Diarmuid; +"and so I tell you, willing or unwilling, I will take those berries from +you." + +When the Surly One heard that, he rose up on his feet and lifted his +club and struck three great blows on Diarmuid, that gave him some +little hurt in spite of his shield. But when Diarmuid saw him not +minding himself, he threw down his weapons, and made a great leap and +took hold of the club with his two hands. And when he had a hold of the +club he struck three great blows on him that put his brains out through +his head. And the two young men of the sons of Morna were looking at the +whole fight; and when they saw the Surly One was killed they came out. +And Diarmuid sat down, for he was spent with the dint of the fight, and +he bid the young men to bury the body under the thickets of the wood, +the way Grania would not see it. "And after that," he said, "let you go +back to her and bring her here." So they dragged away the body and +buried it, and they went then for Grania and brought her to Diarmuid. + +"There are the berries you were asking, Grania," he said, "and you may +take what you like of them now." "I give my word," said Grania, "I will +not taste a berry of those berries but the one your own hand will pluck, +Diarmuid." Diarmuid rose up then and plucked the berries for Grania, and +for the children of Morna, and they ate their fill of them. And he said +then to the young men: "Take all you can of these berries, and bring +them with you to Finn, and tell him it was yourselves made an end of the +Surly One of Lochlann." "We give you our word," said they, "we begrudge +giving any of them to Finn." + +But Diarmuid plucked a load of the berries for them, and they gave him +great thanks for all he had done; and they went back to where Finn was +with the Fianna. And Diarmuid and Grania went up into the top of the +tree where the bed of the Surly One was. And the berries below were but +bitter berries beside the ones above in the tree. And when the two young +men came to Finn, he asked news of them. "We have killed the Surly One +of Lochlann," they said; "and we have brought you berries from the +quicken-tree of Dubhros, in satisfaction for your father, that we may +get peace from you." They gave the berries then into Finn's hand, and he +knew them, and he said to the young men: "I give you my word," he said, +"it was Diarmuid himself plucked those berries, for I know the smell of +his hand on them; and I know well it was he killed the Surly One, and I +will go now and see is he himself alive at the quicken-tree." + +After that he called for the seven battalions of the Fianna, and he set +out and went forward to Dubhros. And they followed the track of Diarmuid +to the foot of the quicken-tree, and they found the berries without +protection, so they ate their fill of them. And the great heat of the +day came on them, and Finn said they would stop where they were till the +heat would be past; "for I know well," he said, "Diarmuid is up in the +quicken-tree." "It is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said +Oisin, "to think that Diarmuid would stop there up in the quicken-tree +and he knowing you are wanting to kill him." + +Finn asked for a chess-board after that, and he said to Oisin: "I will +play a game with you now on this." They sat down then, Oisin and Osgar +and Lugaidh's Son and Diorraing on the one side of the board, and Finn +on the other side. + +And they were playing that game with great skill and knowledge, and Finn +pressed Oisin so hard that he had no move to make but the one, and Finn +said: "There is one move would win the game for you, Oisin, and I defy +all that are with you to show you that move." Then Diarmuid said up in +the tree where he was, and no one heard him but Grania: "It is a pity +you be in straits, and without myself to show you that move." "It is +worse off you are yourself," said Grania, "to be in the bed of the +Surly One of Lochlann in the top of the quicken-tree, and the seven +battalions of the Fianna round about it to take your life." + +But Diarmuid took a berry of the tree, and aimed at the one of the +chessmen that ought to be moved, and Oisin moved it and turned the game +against Finn by that move. It was not long before the game was going +against Oisin the second time, and when Diarmuid saw that he threw +another berry at the chessman it was right to move, and Oisin moved it +and turned the game against Finn in the same way. And the third time +Finn was getting the game from Oisin, and Diarmuid threw the third berry +on the man that would give the game to Oisin, and the Fianna gave a +great shout when the game was won. Finn spoke then, and it is what he +said: "It is no wonder you to win the game, Oisin, and you having the +help of Osgar, and the watchfulness of Diorraing, and the skill of +Lugaidh's Son, and the teaching of the grandson of Duibhne with you." +"That is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said Osgar, "to think +Diarmuid would stop in this tree, and you so near him." "Which of us has +the truth, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," Finn said out then, "myself +or Osgar?" "You never lost your good judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid +then; "and I myself and Grania are here, in the bed of the Surly One of +Lochlann." Then Diarmuid rose up and gave three kisses to Grania in the +sight of Finn and the Fianna. And a scorching jealousy and a weakness +came on Finn when he saw that, and he said: "It was worse to me, +Diarmuid, the seven battalions of the Fianna to see what you did at +Teamhair, taking away Grania the night you were yourself my guard. But +for all that," he said, "you will give your head for the sake of those +three kisses." + +With that Finn called to the four hundred paid fighting men that were +with him that they might make an end of Diarmuid; and he put their +hands into one another's hands around that quicken-tree, and bade them, +if they would not lose their lives, not to let Diarmuid pass out through +them. And he said that to whatever man would take Diarmuid, he would +give his arms and his armour, and a place among the Fianna of Ireland. + +Then one of the Fianna, Garbh of Slieve Cua, said it was Diarmuid had +killed his own father, and he would avenge him now, and he went up the +quicken-tree to make an end of him. + +Now, about that time it was made known to Angus Og, in Brugh na Boinne, +the danger Diarmuid was in, and he came to his help, unknown to the +Fianna. And when Garbh of Slieve Cua was coming up the tree, Diarmuid +gave him a kick of his foot, and he fell down among the hired men, and +they struck off his head, for Angus Og had put the appearance of +Diarmuid on him. But after he was killed, his own shape came on him +again, and the Fianna knew that it was Garbh was killed. + +Then Garbh of Slieve Crot said it was Diarmuid had killed his father, +and he went up to avenge him, and the same thing happened. And in the +end all the nine Garbhs, of Slieve Guaire, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve +Mor, and Slieve Lugha, and Ath Fraoch, and Slieve Mis and Drom-mor, went +trying to take Diarmuid's life and lost their own lives, every one of +them having the shape and appearance of Diarmuid when he died. And Finn +was very sorry and discouraged when he saw that these nine men had come +to their death. + +Then Angus said he would bring away Grania with him. "Do so," said +Diarmuid; "and if I am living at evening I will follow you." Then Angus +said farewell to Diarmuid, and he put his Druid cloak about Grania and +about himself, and they went away in the safety of the cloak, unknown to +Finn and the Fianna, till they came to Brugh na Boinne. + +Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what he said: "I +will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna. And I will do death and +destruction on you and on your people, for I am certain your mind is +made up to give me no rest, but to bring me to my death in some place. +And I have nowhere to go from this danger," he said, "for I have no +friend or comrade under whose protection I could go in any far part of +the great world, for it is often I fought against the men of the great +world for love of you. For there never came battle or fight, danger or +trouble on you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the +Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after you. +And I give my word, Finn," he said, "you will pay hard for me, and you +will not get me as a free gift." "It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking," +said Osgar, "and give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do +that," said Finn, "to the end of life and time; and he will not get +peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every +reproach he has put on me." "It is a great shame and a great sign of +jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I give the word of a true +champion," he said, "that unless the skies come down upon me, or the +earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna +of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under +the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the +men of Ireland." "Those are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then, +"to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland." +"It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for +none of them would mind what you would say." "If that is what you are +saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now what +you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight you have taken +on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice. And Osgar +answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten your bones, and your +father's bones along with them. And come down now, Diarmuid," he said, +"since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body +and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day." + +Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he +rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass +far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and Osgar went towards +one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid +struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of +his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind +going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan, +that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one +another." But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them +put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin. + +And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing, +and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put +into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful +he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till +he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done. + + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE QUARREL + + +And as to Osgar and Diarmuid, they went on, and no cut or wound on them, +to where Angus and Grania were at Brugh na Boinne; and there was a good +welcome before them, and Diarmuid told them the whole story from +beginning to end, and it is much that Grania did not die then and there, +hearing all he had gone through. + +And then she and Diarmuid set out again, and they went and stopped for +a while in a cave that was near the sea. + +And one night while they were there a great storm came on, so that they +went into the far part of the cave. But bad as the night was, a man of +the Fomor, Ciach, the Fierce One, his name was, came over the western +ocean in a currach, with two oars, and he drew it into the cave for +shelter. And Diarmuid bade him welcome, and they sat down to play chess +together. And he got the best of the game, and what he asked as his +winnings was Grania to be his wife, and he put his arms about her as if +to bring her away. And Grania said: "I am this long time going with the +third best man of the Fianna, and he never came as near as that to me." + +And Diarmuid took his sword to kill Ciach, and there was anger on Grania +when she saw that, and she had a knife in her hand and she struck it +into Diarmuid's thigh. And Diarmuid made an end of the Fomor, and he +said no word to Grania, but ran out and away through the storm. + +And Grania went following after him, and calling to him, but there was +great anger on him and he would not answer her. And at last at the break +of day she overtook him, and after a while they heard the cry of a +heron, and she asked him what was it made the heron cry out. + +"Tell me that," she said, "Grandson of Duibhne, to whom I gave my love." +And Diarmuid said: "O Grania, daughter of the High King, woman who never +took a step aright, it is because she was frozen to the rocks she gave +that cry." And Grania was asking forgiveness of him, and he was +reproaching her, and it is what he said: "O Grania of the beautiful +hair, though you are more beautiful than the green tree under blossom, +your love passes away as quickly as the cold cloud at break of day. And +you are asking a hard thing of me now," he said, "and it is a pity what +you said to me, Grania, for it was you brought me away from the house of +my lord, that I am banished from it to this day; and now I am troubled +through the night, fretting after its delight in every place. + +"I am like a wild deer, or a beast that is astray, going ever and always +through the long valleys; there is great longing on me to see one of my +kindred from the host. + +"I left my own people that were brighter than lime or snow; their heart +was full of generosity to me, like the sun that is high above us; but +now they follow me angrily, to every harbour and every strand. + +"I lost my people by you, and my lord, and my large bright ships on +every sea; I lost my treasure and my gold; it is hunger you gave me +through your love. + +"I lost my country and my kindred; my men that were used to serve me; I +lost quietness and affection; I lost the men of Ireland and the Fianna +entirely. + +"I lost delight and music; I lost my own right doing and my honour; I +lost the Fianna of Ireland, my great kinsmen, for the sake of the love +you gave me. + +"O Grania, white as snow, it would have been a better choice for you to +have given hatred to me, or gentleness to the Head of the Fianna." + +And Grania said: "O Diarmuid of the face like snow, or like the down of +the mountains, the sound of your voice was dearer to me than all the +riches of the leader of the Fianna. + +"Your blue eye is dearer to me than his strength, and his gold and his +great hall; the love-spot on your forehead is better to me than honey in +streams; the time I first looked on it, it was more to me than the whole +host of the King of Ireland. + +"My heart fell down there and then before your high beauty; when you +came beside me, it was like the whole of life in one day. + +"O Diarmuid of the beautiful hands, take me now the same as before; it +was with me the fault was entirely; give me your promise not to leave +me." + +But Diarmuid said: "How can I take you again, you are a woman too fond +of words; one day you give up the Head of the Fianna, and the next day +myself, and no lie in it. + +"It is you parted me from Finn, the way I fell under sorrow and grief; +and then you left me yourself, the time I was full of affection." + +And Grania said: "Do not leave me now this way, and my love for you ever +growing like the fresh branches of the tree with the kind long heat of +the day." + +But Diarmuid would not give in to her, and he said: "You are a woman +full of words, and it is you have put me under sorrow. I took you with +myself, and you struck at me for the sake of the man of the Fomor." + +They came then to a place where there was a cave, and water running by +it, and they stopped to rest; and Grania said: "Have you a mind to eat +bread and meat now, Diarmuid?" + +"I would eat it indeed if I had it," said Diarmuid. + +"Give me a knife, so," she said, "till I cut it." "Look for the knife in +the sheath where you put it yourself," said Diarmuid. + +She saw then that the knife was in his thigh where she had struck it, +for he would not draw it out himself. So she drew it out then; and that +was the greatest shame that ever came upon her. + +They stopped then in the cave. And the next day when they went on again, +Diarmuid did not leave unbroken bread like he had left every other day +as a sign to Finn that he had kept his faith with him, but it was broken +bread he left after him. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE WANDERERS + + +And they went on wandering after that, all through Ireland, hiding from +Finn in every place, sleeping under the cromlechs, or with no shelter at +all, and there was no place they would dare to stop long in. And +wherever they went Finn would follow them, for he knew by his divination +where they went. But one time he made out they were on a mountain, for +he saw them with heather under them; and it was beside the sea they +were, asleep on heather that Diarmuid had brought down from the hills +for their bed; and so he went searching the hills and did not find them. + +And Grania would be watching over Diarmuid while he slept, and she would +make a sleepy song for him, and it is what she would be saying: + +"Sleep a little, a little little, for there is nothing at all to fear, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne; sleep here soundly, soundly, Diarmuid, to +whom I have given my love. + +"It is I will keep watch for you, grandchild of shapely Duibhne; sleep a +little, a blessing on you, beside the well of the strong field; my lamb +from above the lake, from the banks of the strong streams. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the South, of Dedidach of the high +poets, the time he took away old Morann's daughter, for all Conall could +do against him. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the North, of fair comely +Fionnchadh of Ess Ruadh, the time he took Slaine with bravery as we +think, in spite of Failbhe of the Hard Head. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the West, of Aine, daughter of +Gailian, the time she went on a journey in the night with Dubhthach from +Doirinis, by the light of torches. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the East, of Deaghadh the proud, +the brave fighter, the time he took Coincheann, daughter of Binn, in +spite of fierce Decheall of Duibhreann. + +"O heart of the valour of the lands to the west of Greece, my heart +will go near to breaking if I do not see you every day. The parting of +us two will be the parting of two children of the one house; it will be +the parting of life from the body, Diarmuid, hero of the bright lake of +Carman." + +And then to rouse him she would make another song, and it is what she +would say: "Caoinche will be loosed on your track; it is not slow the +running of Caoilte will be; do not let death reach to you, do not give +yourself to sleep for ever. + +"The stag to the east is not asleep, he does not cease from bellowing; +though he is in the woods of the blackbirds, sleep is not in his mind; +the hornless doe is not asleep, crying after her speckled fawn; she is +going over the bushes, she does not sleep in her home. + +"The cuckoo is not asleep, the thrush is not asleep, the tops of the +trees are a noisy place; the duck is not asleep, she is made ready for +good swimming; the bog lark is not asleep to-night on the high stormy +bogs; the sound of her clear voice is sweet; she is not sleeping between +the streams." + +One time they were in a cave of Beinn Edair, and there was an old woman +befriending them and helping them to keep a watch. And one day she +chanced to go up to the top of Beinn Edair, and she saw an armed man +coming towards her, and she did now know him to be Finn; and when he was +come near she asked what was he looking for. "It is looking for a woman +I am come," he said, "and for a woman's love. And will you do all I will +ask you?" he said. + +"I will do that," she said; for she thought it was her own love he was +asking. + +"Tell me then," he said, "where is Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne?" + +So she told him where he was hiding, and he bade her to keep him in the +cave till such time as he would come back with his men. + +The old woman went back then, and it is what she did, she dipped her +cloak in the sea-water before she went into the cave; and Diarmuid asked +her why was her cloak so wet. "It is," she said, "that I never saw or +never heard of the like of this day for cold and for storms. There is +frost on every hillside," she said, "and there is not a smooth plain in +all Elga where there is not a long rushing river between every two +ridges. And there is not a deer or a crow in the whole of Ireland can +find a shelter in any place." And she was shaking the wet off her cloak, +and she was making a complaint against the cold, and it is what she +said: + +"Cold, cold, cold to-night is the wide plain of Lurg; the snow is higher +than the mountains, the deer cannot get at their share of food. + +"Cold for ever; the storm is spread over all; every furrow on the +hillside is a river, every ford is a full pool, every full loch is a +great sea; every pool is a full loch; horses cannot go through the ford +of Ross any more than a man on his two feet. + +"The fishes of Inisfail are going astray; there is no strand or no pen +against the waves; there are no dwellings in the country, there is no +bell heard, no crane is calling. + +"The hounds of the wood of Cuan find no rest or no sleep in their +dwelling-place; the little wren cannot find shelter in her nest on the +slope of Lon. + +"A sharp wind and cold ice have come on the little company of birds; the +blackbird cannot get a ridge to her liking or shelter for her side in +the woods of Cuan. + +"It is steady our great pot hangs from its hook; it is broken the cabin +is on the slope of Lon; the snow has made the woods smooth, it is hard +to climb to the ridge of Bennait Bo. + +"The ancient bird of Glen Ride gets grief from the bitter wind; it is +great is her misery and her pain, the ice will be in her mouth. + +"Mind well not to rise up from coverings and from down, mind this well; +there would be no good sense in it. Ice is heaped up in every ford; it +is for that I am saying and ever saying 'Cold.'" + +The old woman went out after that, and when she was gone, Grania took +hold of the cloak she had left there and she put her tongue to it, and +found the taste of salt water on it. "My grief, Diarmuid," she said +then, "the old woman has betrayed us. And rise up now," she said, "and +put your fighting suit upon you." + +So Diarmuid did that, and he went out, and Grania along with him. And no +sooner were they outside than they saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland +coming towards them. Then Diarmuid looked around him and he saw a little +boat at hand in the shelter of the harbour, and he himself and Grania +went into it. And there was a man before them in the boat having +beautiful clothes on him, and a wide embroidered golden-yellow cloak +over his shoulders behind. And they knew it was Angus was in it, that +had come again to help them to escape from Finn, and they went back with +him for a while to Brugh na Boinne, and Osgar came to them there. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. FIGHTING AND PEACE + + +And after a while Finn bade his people to make his ship ready, and to +put a store of food and of drink in it. They did that, and he himself +and a thousand of his men went into the ship; and they were nine days +between sailing and rowing till they came to harbour in the north of +Alban. + +They bound the ship to the posts of the harbour then, and Finn with five +of his people went to the dun of the King of Alban, and Finn struck a +blow with the hand-wood on the door, and the door-keeper asked who was +in it, and they told him it was Finn, son of Cumhal. "Let him in," said +the king. + +Then Finn and his people went in, and the king made them welcome, and he +bade Finn to sit down in his own place, and they were given strong +pleasant drinks, and the king sent for the rest of Finn's people and +bade them welcome to the dun. + +Then Finn told what it was brought him there, and that it was to ask +help and advice against the grandson of Duibhne he was come. + +"And you have a right to give me your help," he said, "for it was he +that killed your father and your two brothers, and many of your best men +along with them." + +"That is true," said the king; "and I will give you my own two sons and +a thousand men with each of them." Finn was glad when he heard that, and +he and his men took leave of the king and of his household, and left +wishes for life and health with them, and the king did the same by them. + +And it was near Brugh na Boinne Finn and his people came to land, and +Finn sent messengers to the house of Angus to give out a challenge of +battle against Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne. + +"What should I do about this, Osgar?" said Diarmuid. + +"We will both go out and make a stand against them, and we will not let +a serving-man of them escape, but we will make an end of them all," said +Osgar. + +So they rose up on the morning of the morrow and they put their suits of +battle on their comely bodies; and it would be a pity for those, be they +many or few, that would meet those two men, and their anger on them. And +they bound the rims of their shields together the way they would not be +parted from one another in the right. And the sons of the King of Alban +said that they themselves and their people would go first to meet them. +So they came to shore, and made a rush to meet Diarmuid and Osgar. But +the two fought so well that they beat them back and scattered them, and +made a great slaughter, and put great terror on them, so that at the +last there was not a man left to stand against them. + +And after that, Finn went out again on the sea, and his people with him, +and there is no word of them till they came to the Land of Promise where +Finn's nurse was. And when she saw Finn coming she was very joyful +before him. And Finn told her the whole story from beginning to end, and +the cause of his quarrel with Diarmuid; and he said it was to ask an +advice from her he was come, and that it was not possible to put him +down by any strength of an army, unless enchantment would put him down. +"I will go with you," said the old woman, "and I will do enchantment on +him." Finn was very glad when he heard that, and he stopped there that +night, and they set out for Ireland on the morrow. + +And when they came to Brugh na Boinne, the nurse put a Druid mist around +Finn and the Fianna, the way no one could know they were there. Now the +day before that, Osgar had parted from Diarmuid, and Diarmuid was out +hunting by himself. That was shown to the hag, and she took a drowned +leaf having a hole in it, like the quern of a mill, and she rose with +that by her enchantments on a blast of Druid wind over Diarmuid, and +began to aim at him through the hole with deadly spears, till she had +done him great harm, for all his arms and his clothing, and he could not +make away he was so hard pressed. And every danger he was ever in was +little beside that danger. And it is what he thought, that unless he +could strike the old woman through the hole that was in the leaf, she +would give him his death there and then. And he lay down on his back, +and the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, in his hand, and he made a great cast +of the spear, that it went through the hole, and the hag fell dead on +the spot. And he struck off her head and brought it back with him to +Angus Og. + +And the next morning early, Angus rose up, and he went where Finn was, +and he asked would he make peace with Diarmuid, and Finn said he would. +And then he went to the King of Ireland to ask peace for Diarmuid, and +he said he would agree to it. + +And then he went back to where Diarmuid and Grania were, and asked him +would he make peace with the High King and with Finn. "I am willing," +said Diarmuid, "if they will give the conditions I will ask." "What +conditions are those?" said Angus. + +"The district my father had," said Diarmuid, "that is, the district of +Ui Duibhne, without right of hunting to Finn, and without rent or +tribute to the King of Ireland, and with that the district of Dumhais in +Leinster, for they are the best in Ireland, and the district of Ceis +Corainn from the King of Ireland as a marriage portion with his +daughter; and those are the conditions on which I will make peace with +them." "Would you be peaceable if you got those conditions?" said Angus. +"It would go easier with me to make peace if I got them," said Diarmuid. + +Then Angus went with that news to where the King of Ireland was with +Finn. And they gave him all those conditions, and they forgave him all +he had done through the whole of the time he had been in his hiding, +that was sixteen years. + +And the place Diarmuid and Grania settled in was Rath Grania, in the +district of Ceis Corainn, far away from Finn and from Teamhair. And +Grania bore him children there, four sons and one daughter. And they +lived there in peace, and the people used to be saying there was not a +man living at the same time was richer as to gold and to silver, as to +cattle and to sheep, than Diarmuid. + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE BOAR OF BEINN GULBAIN + + +But at last one day Grania spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what she said, +that it was a shame on them, with all the people and the household they +had, and all their riches, the two best men in Ireland never to have +come to the house, the High King, her father, and Finn, son of Cumhal. +"Why do you say that, Grania," said Diarmuid, "and they being enemies to +me?" + +"It is what I would wish," said Grania, "to give them a feast, the way +you would get their affection." "I give leave for that," said Diarmuid. + +So Grania was making ready a great feast through the length of a year, +and messengers were sent for the High King of Ireland, and for Finn and +the seven battalions of the Fianna; and they came, and they were using +the feast from day to day through the length of a year. + +And on the last night of the year, Diarmuid was in his sleep at Rath +Grania; and in the night he heard the voice of hounds through his sleep, +and he started up, and Grania caught him and put her two arms about him, +and asked what had startled him. "The voice of a hound I heard," said +he; "and it is a wonder to me to hear that in the night." "Safe keeping +on you," said Grania, "for it is the Tuatha de Danaan are doing that on +you, on account of Angus of Brugh na Boinn, and lie down on the bed +again." But for all that no sleep came to him, and he heard the voice of +the hound again, and he started up a second time to follow after it. But +Grania caught hold of him the second time and bade him to lie down, and +she said it was no fitting thing to go after the voice of a hound in the +night. So he lay down again, and he fell asleep, but the voice of the +hound awakened him the third time. And the day was come with its full +light that time, and he said: "I will go after the voice of the hound +now, since the day is here." "If that is so," said Grania, "bring the +Mor-alltach, the Great Fierce One, the sword of Manannan, with you, and +the Gae Dearg." "I will not," he said; "but I will take the +Beag-alltach, the Little Fierce One, and the Gae Buidhe in the one hand, +and the hound Mac an Chuill, the Son of the Hazel, in the other hand." + +Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to +the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without +any one at all in his company. Diarmuid gave him no greeting, but asked +him was it he was making that hunt. Finn said it was not a hunt he was +making, but that he and some of the Fianna had gone out after midnight; +"and one of our hounds that was loose beside us, came on the track of a +wild boar," he said, "and they were not able to bring him back yet. And +there is no use following that boar he is after," he said, "for it is +many a time the Fianna hunted him, and he went away from them every time +till now, and he has killed thirty of them this morning. And he is +coming up the mountain towards us," he said, "and let us leave this hill +to him now." + +"I will not leave the hill through fear of him," said Diarmuid. "It +would be best for you, Diarmuid," said Finn, "for it is the earless +Green Boar of Beinn Gulbain is in it, and it is by him you will come to +your death, and Angus knew that well when he put bonds on you not to go +hunting pigs." "I never knew of those bonds," said Diarmuid; "but +however it is, I will not quit this through fear of him. And let you +leave Bran with me now," he said, "along with Mac an Chuill." "I will +not," said Finn, "for it is often he met this boar before and could do +nothing against him." He went away then and left Diarmuid alone on the +top of the hill. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "you made this hunt +for my death, Finn; and if it is here I am to find my death," he said, +"I have no use in going aside from it now." + +The boar came up the face of the mountain then, and the Fianna after +him. Diarmuid loosed Mac an Chuill from his leash then, but that did not +serve him, for he did not wait for the boar, but ran from him. "It is a +pity not to follow the advice of a good woman," said Diarmuid, "for +Grania bade me this morning to bring the Mor-alltach and the Gae Dearg +with me." Then he put his finger into the silken string of the Gae +Buidhe, and took a straight aim at the boar and hit him full in the +face; but if he did, the spear did not so much as give him a scratch. +Diarmuid was discouraged by that, but he drew the Beag-alltach, and made +a full stroke at the back of the boar, but neither did that make a wound +on him, but it made two halves of the sword. Then the boar made a brave +charge at Diarmuid, that cut the sod from under his feet and brought him +down; but Diarmuid caught hold of the boar on rising, and held on to +him, having one of his legs on each side of him, and his face to his +hinder parts. And the boar made away headlong down the hill, but he +could not rid himself of Diarmuid; and he went on after that to Ess +Ruadh, and when he came to the red stream he gave three high leaps over +it, backwards and forwards, but he could not put him from his back, and +he went back by the same path till he went up the height of the +mountain again. And at last on the top of the mountain he freed himself, +and Diarmuid fell on the ground. And then the boar made a rush at him, +and ripped him open, that his bowels came out about his feet. But if he +did, Diarmuid made a cast at him with the hilt of his sword that was in +his hand yet, and dashed out his brains, so that he fell dead there and +then. And Rath na h-Amhrann, the Rath of the Sword Hilt, is the name of +that place to this day. + +It was not long till Finn and the Fianna of Ireland came to the place, +and the pains of death were coming on Diarmuid at that time. "It is well +pleased I am to see you that way, Diarmuid," said Finn; "and it is a +pity all the women of Ireland not to be looking at you now, for your +great beauty is turned to ugliness, and your comely shape to +uncomeliness." "For all that, you have power to heal me, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "if you had a mind to do it." "What way could I heal you?" +said Finn. "Easy enough," said Diarmuid, "for the time you were given +the great gift of knowledge at the Boinn, you got this gift with it, +that any one you would give a drink to out of the palms of your hands +would be young and well again from any sickness after it." "You are not +deserving of that drink from me," said Finn. "That is not true," said +Diarmuid; "it is well I deserve it from you; for the time you went to +the house of Dearc, son of Donnarthadh, and your chief men with you for +a feast, your enemies came round the house, and gave out three great +shouts against you, and threw fire and firebrands into it. And you rose +up and would have gone out, but I bade you to stop there at drinking and +pleasure, for that I myself would go out and put them down. And I went +out, and put out the flames, and made three red rushes round the house, +and I killed fifty in every rush, and I came in again without a wound. +And it is glad and merry and in good courage you were that night, +Finn," he said, "and if it was that night I had asked a drink of you, +you would have given it; and it would be right for you to give it to me +now." "That is not so," said Finn; "it is badly you have earned a drink +or any good thing from me; for the night you went to Teamhair with me, +you took Grania away from me in the presence of all the men of Ireland, +and you being my own guard over her that night." + +"Do not blame me for that, Finn," said Diarmuid, "for what did I ever do +against you, east or west, but that one thing; and you know well Grania +put bonds on me, and I would not fail in my bonds for the gold of the +whole world. And you will know it is well I have earned a drink from +you, if you bring to mind the night the feast was made in the House of +the Quicken Tree, and how you and all your men were bound there till I +heard of it, and came fighting and joyful, and loosed you with my own +blood, and with the blood of the Three Kings of the Island of the +Floods; and if I had asked a drink of you that night, Finn, you would +not have refused it. And I was with you in the smiting of Lon, son of +Liobhan, and you are the man that should not forsake me beyond any other +man. And many is the strait has overtaken yourself and the Fianna of +Ireland since I came among you, and I was ready every time to put my +body and my life in danger for your sake, and you ought not to do this +unkindness on me now. And besides that," he said, "there has many a good +champion fallen through the things you yourself have done, and there is +not an end of them yet; and there will soon come great misfortunes on +the Fianna, and it is few of their seed will be left after them. And it +is not for yourself I am fretting, Finn," he said, "but for Oisin and +Osgar, and the rest of my dear comrades, and as for you, Oisin, you will +be left lamenting after the Fianna. And it is greatly you will feel the +want of me yet, Finn," he said; "and if the women of the Fianna knew I +was lying in my wounds on this ridge, it is sorrowful their faces would +be at this time." + +And Osgar said then: "Although I am nearer in blood to you, Finn, than +to Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, I will not let you refuse him this +drink; and by my word," he said, "if any prince in the world would do +the same unkindness to Diarmuid that you have done, it is only the one +of us that has the strongest hand would escape alive. And give him a +drink now without delay," he said. + +"I do not know of any well at all on this mountain," said Finn. "That is +not so," said Diarmuid, "for there is not nine footsteps from you the +well that has the best fresh water that can be found in the world." + +Then Finn went to the well, and he took the full of his two hands of the +water. But when he was no more than half-way back, the thought of Grania +came on him, and he let the water slip through his hands, and he said he +was not able to bring it. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "it was of +your own will you let it from you." Then Finn went back the second time +to get the water, but coming back he let it through his hands again at +the thought of Grania. And Diarmuid gave a pitiful sigh of anguish when +he saw that. "I swear by my sword and by my spear," said Osgar, "that if +you do not bring the water without any more delay, Finn, there will not +leave this hill but yourself or myself." Finn went back the third time +to the well after what Osgar said, and he brought the water to Diarmuid, +but as he reached him the life went out of his body. Then the whole +company of the Fianna that were there gave three great heavy shouts, +keening for Diarmuid. + +And Osgar looked very fiercely at Finn, and it is what he said, that it +was a greater pity Diarmuid to be dead than if he himself had died. And +the Fianna of Ireland had lost their yoke of battle by him, he said. +"Let us leave this hill," said Finn then, "before Angus and the Tuatha +de Danaan come upon us, for although we have no share in the death of +Diarmuid, he would not believe the truth from us." "I give my word," +said Osgar, "if I had thought it was against Diarmuid you made the hunt +of Beinn Gulbain, you would never have made it" + +Then Finn and the Fianna went away from the hill, and Finn leading +Diarmuid's hound Mac an Chuill. But Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son turned back again and put their four cloaks over Diarmuid, +and then they went after the rest of the Fianna. + +And when they came to the Rath, Grania was out on the wall looking for +news of Diarmuid; and she saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland coming +towards her. Then she said: "If Diarmuid was living, it is not led by +Finn that Mac an Chuill would be coming home." And she was at that time +heavy with child, and her strength went from her and she fell down from +the wall. And when Oisin saw the way she was he bade Finn and the others +to go on from her, but she lifted up her head and she asked Finn to +leave Mac an Chuill with her. And he said he would not, and that he did +not think it too much for him to inherit from Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne. + +When Oisin heard that, he snatched the hound out of Finn's hand and gave +it to Grania, and then he followed after his people. + +Then when Grania was certain of Diarmuid's death she gave out a long +very pitiful cry that was heard through the whole place, and her women +and her people came to her, and asked what ailed her to give a cry like +that. And she told them how Diarmuid had come to his death by the Boar +of Beinn Gulbain in the hunt Finn had made. "And there is grief in my +very heart," she said, "I not to be able to fight myself with Finn, and +I would not have let him go safe out of this place." + +When her people heard of the death of Diarmuid they gave three great +heavy cries in the same way, that were heard in the clouds and the waste +places of the sky. And then Grania bade the five hundred that she had +for household to go to Beinn Gulbain for the body of Diarmuid. + +And when they were bringing it back, she went out to meet them, and they +put down the body of Diarmuid, and it is what she said: + +"I am your wife, beautiful Diarmuid, the man I would do no hurt to; it +is sorrowful I am after you to-night. + +"I am looking at the hawk and the hound my secret love used to be +hunting with; she that loved the three, let her be put in the grave with +Diarmuid. + +"Let us be glad to-night, let us make all welcome to-night, let us be +open-handed to-night, since we are sitting by the body of a king. + +"And O Diarmuid," she said, "it is a hard bed Finn has given you, to be +lying on the stones and to be wet with the rain. Ochone!" she said, +"your blue eyes to be without sight, you that were friendly and generous +and pursuing. O love! O Diarmuid! it is a pity it is he sent you to your +death. + +"You were a champion of the men of Ireland, their prop in the middle of +the fight; you were the head of every battle; your ways were glad and +pleasant. + +"It is sorrowful I am, without mirth, without light, but only sadness +and grief and long dying; your harp used to be sweet to me, it wakened +my heart to gladness. Now my courage is fallen down, I not to hear you +but to be always remembering your ways. Och! my grief is going through +me. + +"A thousand curses on the day when Grania gave you her love, that put +Finn of the princes from his wits; it is a sorrowful story your death is +to-day. + +"Many heroes were great and strong about me in the beautiful plain; +their hands were good at wrestling and at battle; Ochone! that I did not +follow them. + +"You were the man was best of the Fianna, beautiful Diarmuid, that +women loved. It is dark your dwelling-place is under the sod, it is +mournful and cold your bed is; it is pleasant your laugh was to-day; you +were my happiness, Diarmuid." + +And she went back then into the Rath, and bade her people to bring the +body to her there. + +Now just at this time, it was showed to Angus at Brugh na Boinne that +Diarmuid was dead on Beinn Gulbain, for he had kept no watch over him +the night before. + +And he went on the cold wind towards Beinn Gulbain, and his people with +him, and on the way they met with Grania's people that were bringing the +body to the Rath. + +And when they saw him they held out the wrong sides of their shields as +a sign of peace, and Angus knew them; and he and his people gave three +great terrible cries over the body of Diarmuid. + +And Angus spoke then, and it is what he said: "I was never one night +since the time I brought you to Brugh na Boinne, being nine months old, +without keeping watch and protection over you till last night, Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne; and now your blood has been shed and you have been +cut off sharply, and the Boar of Beinn Gulbain has put you down, +Diarmuid of the bright face and the bright sword. And it is a pity Finn +to have done this treachery," he said, "and you at peace with him. + +"And lift up his body now," he said, "and bring it to the Brugh in the +lasting rocks. And if I cannot bring him back to life," he said, "I will +put life into him the way he can be talking with me every day." + +Then they put his body on a golden bier, and his spears over it pointed +upwards, and they went on till they came to Brugh na Boinne. + +And Grania's people went to her and told her how Angus would not let +them bring the body into the Rath, but brought it away himself to Brugh +na Boinne. And Grania said she had no power over him. + +And she sent out then for her four sons that were being reared in the +district of Corca Ui Duibhne. And when they came she gave them a loving +welcome, and they came into the Rath and sat down there according to +their age. And Grania spoke to them with a very loud, clear voice, and +it is what she said: "My dear children, your father has been killed by +Finn, son of Cumhal, against his own bond and agreement of peace, and +let you avenge it well upon him. And here is your share of the +inheritance of your father," she said, "his arms and his armour, and his +feats of valour and power; and I will share these arms among you +myself," she said, "and that they may bring you victory in every battle. +Here is the sword for Donnchadh," she said, "the best son Diarmuid had; +and the Gae Dearg for Eochaidh; and here is the armour for Ollann, for +it will keep the body it is put on in safety; and the shield for Connla. +And make no delay now," she said, "but go and learn every sort of skill +in fighting, till such time as you will come to your full strength to +avenge your father." + +So they took leave of her then, and of their household. + +And some of their people said: "What must we do now, since our lords +will be going into danger against Finn and the Fianna of Ireland?" And +Donnchadh, son of Diarmuid, bade them stop in their own places; "for if +we make peace with Finn," he said, "there need be no fear on you, and if +not, you can make your choice between ourselves and him." And with that +they set out on their journey. + +But after a while Finn went secretly and unknown to the Fianna to the +place where Grania was, and he got to see her in spite of all her high +talk, and he spoke gently to her. And she would not listen to him, but +bade him to get out of her sight, and whatever hard thing her tongue +could say, she said it. But all the same, he went on giving her gentle +talk and loving words, till in the end he brought her to his own will. + +And there is no news told of them, until such time as they came to where +the seven battalions of the Fianna were waiting for Finn. And when they +saw him coming, and Grania with him, like any new wife with her husband, +they gave a great shout of laughter and of mockery, and Grania bowed +down her head with shame, "By my word, Finn," said Oisin, "you will keep +a good watch on Grania from this out." + +And some said the change had come on her because the mind of a woman +changes like the water of a running stream; but some said it was Finn +that had put enchantment on her. + +And as to the sons of Diarmuid, they came back at the end of seven +years, after learning all that was to be learned of valour in the far +countries of the world. And when they came back to Rath Grania they were +told their mother was gone away with Finn, son of Cumhal, without +leaving any word for themselves or for the King of Ireland. And they +said if that was so, there was nothing for them to do. But after that +they said they would make an attack on Finn, and they went forward to +Almhuin, and they would take no offers, but made a great slaughter of +every troop that came out against them. + +But at last Grania made an agreement of peace between themselves and +Finn, and they got their father's place among the Fianna; and that was +little good to them, for they lost their lives with the rest in the +battle of Gabhra. And as to Finn and Grania, they stopped with one +another to the end. + + + + +BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR. + +CHAPTER I. TAILC, SON OF TREON + + +One time the Fianna were all gathered together doing feats and casting +stones. And after a while the Druid of Teamhair that was with them said: +"I am in dread, Finn of the Fianna, that there is some trouble near at +hand; and look now at those dark clouds of blood," he said, "that are +threatening us side by side overhead. And there is fear on me," he said, +"that there is some destruction coming on the Fianna." + +Finn looked up then, and he saw the great cloud of blood, and he called +Osgar to look at it. "That need not knock a start from you," said Osgar, +"with all the strength there is in your arms, and in the men that are +with you." Then all the Fianna looked up at the cloud, and some of them +were glad and cheerful and some were downhearted. + +Then the Druid bade Finn to call all his battalions together and to +divide them into two halves, that they could be watching for the coming +of the enemy. + +So Finn sounded the Dord Fiann, and they answered with a shout, every +one hurrying to be the first. And Finn bade Osgar and Goll and Faolan to +keep watch through the night, and he bade Conan the Bald to stop in the +darkness of the cave of Liath Ard. "For it is you can shout loudest," he +said, "to warn us if you see the enemy coming." "That I may be pierced +through the middle of my body," said Conan, "if I will go watching for +troubles or for armies alone, without some more of the Fianna being with +me." "It is not fitting for you to refuse Finn," said Lugaidh's Son; +"and it is you can shout the loudest," he said, "if the enemies come +near the height." "Do not be speaking to me any more," said Conan, "for +I will not go there alone, through the length of my days, for Finn and +the whole of the Fianna." "Go then, Conan," said Osgar, "and Aodh Beag +will go with you, and you can bring dogs with you, Bran and Sceolan and +Fuaim and Fearagan; and let you go now without begrudging it," he said. + +So Conan went then to Liath Ard, and Aodh Beag and Finn's hounds along +with him. And as to Finn, he lay down to sleep, and it was not long till +he saw through his sleep Aodh Beag his son, and he without his head. And +after that he saw Goll fighting with a very strong man. And he awoke +from his sleep, and called the Druid of the Fianna to him, and asked him +the meaning of what he saw. "I am in dread there is some destruction +coming on the Fianna," said the Druid; "but Aodh Beag will not be +wounded in the fight, or Goll," he said. + +And it was not long till Finn heard a great shout, and he sounded the +Dord Fiann, and then he saw Conan running, and the hounds after him. And +Finn sounded the Dord Fiann again before Conan came up, and when he +came, Osgar asked him where was Aodh Beag. "He was at the door of the +cave when I left it," said Conan, "but I did not look behind me since +then," he said; "and it was not Aodh Beag was troubling me." "What was +troubling you then?" said Osgar. "Nothing troubles me but myself," said +Conan; "although I am well pleased at any good that comes to you," he +said. + +Osgar went then running hard, till he came to the cave, and there he +found Aodh Beag with no fear or trouble on him at all, stopping there +till he would hear the noise of the shields. And Osgar brought him back +to where the Fianna were, and they saw a great army coming as if in +search of them. + +And a beautiful woman, having a crimson cloak, came to them over the +plain, and she spoke to Finn, and her voice was as sweet as music. And +Finn asked her who was she, and who did she come looking for. "I am the +daughter of Garraidh, son of Dolar Dian, the Fierce," she said; "and my +curse upon the King of Greece that bound me to the man that is +following after me, and that I am going from, Tailc, son of Treon." +"Tell me why are you shunning him, and I will protect you in spite of +him," said Finn. "It is not without reason I hate him," said she, "for +he has no good appearance, and his skin is of the colour of coal, and he +has the head and the tail of a cat. And I have walked the world three +times," she said, "and I did not leave a king or a great man without +asking help from him, and I never got it yet." "I will give you +protection," said Finn, "or the seven battalions of the Fianna will fall +for your sake." + +With that they saw the big strange man, Tailc, son of Treon, coming +towards them, and he said no word at all of greeting to Finn, but he +called for a battle on account of his wife. + +So a thousand of the Fianna went out to meet him and his men; and if +they did they all fell, and not one of them came back again. And then +another thousand of the best men of the Fianna, having blue and green +shields, went out under Caoilte, son of Ronan, and they were worsted by +Tailc and his people. And then Osgar asked leave of Finn to go out and +fight the big man. "I will give you leave," said Finn, "although I am +sure you will fall by him." So Osgar went out, and he himself and Tailc, +son of Treon, were fighting through the length of five days and five +nights without food or drink or sleep. And at the end of that time, +Osgar made an end of Tailc, and struck his head off. And when the Fianna +saw that, they gave a shout of lamentation for those they had lost of +the Fianna, and two shouts of joy for the death of Tailc. + +And as to the young woman, when she saw all the slaughter that had been +done on account of her, shame reddened her face, and she fell dead there +and then. And to see her die like that, after all she had gone through, +preyed more on the Fianna than any other thing. + + + + +CHAPTER II. MEARGACH'S WIFE + + +And while the Fianna were gathered yet on the hill where Tailc, son of +Treon, had been put down, they saw a very great champion coming towards +them, having an army behind him. He took no notice of any one more than +another, but he asked in a very rough voice where was Finn, the Head of +the Fianna. And Aodh Beag, that had a quiet heart, asked him who was he, +and what was he come for. "I will tell you nothing at all, child," said +the big man, "for it is short your years are, and I will tell nothing at +all to any one but Finn." So Aodh Beag brought him to where Finn was, +and Finn asked him his name. "Meargach of the Green Spears is my name," +he said; "and arms were never reddened yet on my body, and no one ever +boasted of driving me backwards. And was it you, Finn," he said, "put +down Tailc, son of Treon?" "It was not by me he fell," said Finn, "but +by Osgar of the strong hand." "Was it not a great shame for you, Finn," +said Meargach then, "to let the queen-woman that had such a great name +come to her death by the Fianna?" "It was not by myself or by any of the +Fianna she got her death," said Finn; "it was seeing the army lost that +brought her to her death. But if it is satisfaction for her death or the +death of Tailc you want," he said, "You can get it from a man of the +Fianna, or you can go quietly from this place." Then Meargach said he +would fight with any man they would bring against him, to avenge Tailc, +son of Treon. + +And it was Osgar stood up against him, and they fought a very hard fight +through the length of three days, and at one time the Fianna thought it +was Osgar was worsted, and they gave a great sorrowful shout. But in the +end Osgar put down Meargach and struck his head off, and at that the +seven battalions of the Fianna gave a shout of victory, and the army of +Meargach keened him very sorrowfully. And after that, the two sons of +Meargach, Ciardan the Swift and Liagan the Nimble, came up and asked +who would come against them, hand to hand, that they might get +satisfaction for their father. + +And it was Goll stood up against Ciardan, and it was not long till he +put him down; and Conan came out against Liagan, and Liagan mocked at +him and said: "It is foolishness your coming is, bald man!" But Conan +made a quick blow and struck his head off before the fight was begun at +all. + +And Faolan said that was a shameful thing to do, not to stand his ground +and make a fair fight. But Conan said: "If I could make an end of the +whole army by one blow, I would do it, and I would not be ashamed, and +the whole of the Fianna could not shelter them from me." + +Then the two armies came towards each other, and they were making ready +for the attack. And they saw a beautiful golden-haired woman coming +towards them, and she crying and ever crying, and the battle was given +up on both sides, waiting for her to come; and the army of Meargach knew +it was their queen, Ailne of the Bright Face, and they raised a great +cry of grief; and the Fianna were looking at her, and said no word. + +And she asked where was her husband, and where were her two sons. "High +Queen," said Finn then, "for all they were so complete and quick and +strong, the three you are asking for fell in fight." + +And when the queen-woman heard that, she cried out aloud, and she went +to the place where her husband and her two sons were lying, and she +stood over their bodies, and her golden hair hanging, and she keened +them there. And her own people raised a sharp lamentation listening to +her, and the Fianna themselves were under grief. + +And it is what she said: "O Meargach," she said, "of the sharp green +spears, it is many a fight and many a heavy battle your hard hand fought +in the gathering of the armies or alone. + +"I never knew any wound to be on your body after them; and it is full +sure I am, it was not strength but treachery got the upper hand of you +now. + +"It is long your journey was from far off, from your own kind country to +Inisfail, to come to Finn and the Fianna, that put my three to death +through treachery. + +"My grief! to have lost my husband, my head, by the treachery of the +Fianna; my two sons, my two men that were rough in the fight. + +"My grief! my food and my drink; my grief! my teaching everywhere; my +grief! my journey from far off, and I to have lost my high heroes. + +"My grief! my house thrown down; my grief! my shelter and my shield; my +grief! Meargach and Ciardan; my grief! Liagan of the wide chest. + +"My grief! my protection and my shelter; my grief! my strength and my +power; my grief! there is darkness come from this thing; my grief +to-night you to be in your weakness. + +"My grief! my gladness and my pleasure; my grief! my desire in every +place; my grief! my courage is gone and my strength; my grief from this +night out for ever. + +"My grief! my guide and my going; my grief! my desire to the day of my +death; my grief! my store and my sway; my grief! my heroes that were +open-handed. + +"My grief! my bed and my sleep; my grief! my journey and my coming; my +grief! my teacher and my share; my sorrowful grief! my three men. + +"My grief! my beauty and my ornaments; my grief! my jewels and my +riches; my grief! my treasures and my goods; my grief! my three Candles +of Valour. + +"My grief! my friends and my kindred; my grief! my people and my +friends. My grief! my father and my mother; my grief and my trouble! you +to be dead. + +"My grief my portion and my welcome; my grief! my health at every time; +my grief! my increase and my light; my sore trouble, you to be without +strength. + +"My grief! your spear and your sword; my grief! your gentleness and your +love; my grief! your country and your home; my grief! you to be parted +from my reach. + +"My grief! my coasts and my harbours; my grief! my wealth and my +prosperity; my grief! my greatness and my kingdom; my grief and my +crying are until death. + +"My grief! my luck altogether; my grief for you in time of battle; my +grief! my gathering of armies; my grief! my three proud lions. + +"My grief! my games and my drinking; my grief! my music and my delight; +my grief! my sunny house and my women; my crying grief, you to be under +defeat. + +"My grief! my lands and my hunting; my grief! my three sure fighters; +Och! my grief! they are my sorrow, to fall far off by the Fianna. + +"I knew by the great host of the Sidhe that were fighting over the dun, +giving battle to one another in the valleys of the air, that destruction +would put down my three. + +"I knew by the noise of the voices of the Sidhe coming into my ears, +that a story of new sorrow was not far from me; it is your death it was +foretelling. + +"I knew at the beginning of the day when my three good men went from me, +when I saw tears of blood on their cheeks, that they would not come back +to me as winners. + +"I knew by the voice of the battle-crow over your dun every evening, +since you went from me comely and terrible, that misfortune and grief +were at hand. + +"It is well I remember, my three strong ones, how often I used to be +telling you that if you would go to Ireland, I would not see the joy of +victory on your faces. + +"I knew by the voice of the raven every morning since you went from me, +that your fall was sure and certain; that you would never come back to +your own country. + +"I knew, my three great ones, by your forgetting the thongs of your +hounds, that you would not gain the day or escape from the treachery of +the Fianna. + +"I knew, Candles of Valour, by the stream near the dun turning to blood +when you set out, that there would be treachery in Finn. + +"I knew by the eagle coming every evening over the dun, that it would +not be long till I would hear a story of bad news of my three. + +"I knew by the withering of the tree before the dun, that you would +never come back as conquerors from the treachery of Finn, son of +Cumhal." + +When Grania, now, heard what the woman was saying, there was anger on +her, and she said: "Do not be speaking against Finn or the Fianna, +Queen, for it was not by any treachery or any deceit your three men were +brought to their end." + +But Ailne made her no answer and gave no heed to her, but she went on +with her complaint, and she crying and ever crying. + +"I knew, looking after you the day you went out from the dun, by the +flight of the raven before you, there was no good sign of your coming +back again. + +"I knew by Ciardan's hounds that were howling mournfully every evening, +that it would not be long till I would have bad news of you. + +"I knew by my sleep that went from me, by my tears through every lasting +night, that there was no luck before you. + +"I knew by the sorrowful vision that showed myself in danger, my head +and my hands cut off, that it was yourselves were without sway. + +"I knew by the voice of Uaithnin, the hound that is dearest to Liagan, +howling early every morning, that death was certain for my three. + +"I knew when I saw in a vision a lake of blood in the place of the dun, +that my three were put down by the deceit that was always with Finn." + +"Do not be faulting Finn," said Grania then, "however vexed your heart +may be. And leave off now," she said, "speaking against the Fianna and +against himself; for if your men had stopped in their own country," she +said, "without coming to avenge the son of Treon, there would no harm +have happened them." "I would not put any reproach on the Fianna, +Grania," said Ailne, "if my three men had been put down in fair battle, +but they are not living to bear witness to me," she said; "and it is +likely they were put under Druid spells at the first, or they would +never have given in." "If they were living, Queen," said Grania, "they +would not be running down the Fianna, but they would tell you it was by +bravery and the strong hand they fell." "I do not believe you or the +Fianna when you say that," said Ailne; "for no one that came to meet +them ever got the sway over them by the right of the sword." "If you do +not believe what I am saying, beautiful Ailne," said Grania, "I tell +you more of your great army will fall by the Fianna, and that not by +treachery." "That is not so," said Ailne, "but I have good hopes that my +own army will do destruction on the Fianna, for the sake of the men that +are dead." "Well, Ailne," said Grania, "I know it is a far journey you +have come. And come now and eat and drink," she said, "with myself and +with the Fianna." + +But Ailne would not do that, but she said it would not be fitting for +her to take food from people that did such deeds, and what she wanted +was satisfaction for the death of her husband and her two sons. + +And first it was settled for two men of each side to go out against one +another; and then Ailne said that there should be thirty men on each +side, and then she said she would not be satisfied to go back to her own +country till she brought the head of Finn with her, or till the last of +his men had fallen. And there was a great battle fought in the end, and +it is seldom the Fianna fought so hard a battle as that. + +And it would be too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +many good men were killed on each side. But in the end Ailne of the +Bright Face was worsted, and she went back with what were left of her +men to their own country, and no one knew where they went. + +And the hill in the west those battles were fought on got the name of +Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter. + + + + +CHAPTER III. AILNE'S REVENGE + + +One day Finn and his people were hunting on Slieve Fuad, and a stag +stood against them for a while and fought with his great rough horns, +and then he turned and ran, and the Fianna followed after him till they +came to the green hill of Liadhas, and from that to rocky Cairgin. And +there they lost him again for a while, till Sceolan started him again, +and he went back towards Slieve Fuad, and the Fianna after him. + +But Finn and Daire of the Songs, that were together, went astray and +lost the rest of their people, and they did not know was it east or west +they were going. + +Finn sounded the Dord Fiann then, and Daire played some sorrowful music +to let their people know where they were. But when the Fianna heard the +music, it seemed to be a long way off; and sometimes they thought it was +in the north it was, and sometimes in the east, and then it changed to +the west, the way they did not know in the wide world where was it +coming from. + +And as to Finn and Daire, a Druid mist came about them, and they did not +know what way they were going. + +And after a while they met with a young woman, comely and pleasant, and +they asked who was she, and what brought her there. "Glanluadh is my +name," she said, "and my husband is Lobharan; and we were travelling +over the plain together a while ago, and we heard the cry of hounds, and +he left me and went after the hunt, and I do not know where is he, or +what way did he go." "Come on then with us," said Finn, "and we will +take care of you, for we ourselves do not know what way the hunt is +gone, east or west." So they went on, and before long they came to a +hill, and they heard sleepy music of the Sidhe beside them. And after +that there came shouts and noises, and then the music began again, and +heavy sleep came on Finn and Daire. And when they awoke from their sleep +they saw a very large lighted house before them, and a stormy blue sea +around it. Then they saw a very big grey man coming through the waves, +and he took hold of Finn and of Daire, and all their strength went from +them, and he brought them across the waves and into the house, and he +shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My welcome to you, Finn of +the great name," he said then in a very harsh voice; "it is long we are +waiting here for you." + +They sat down then on the hard side of a bed, and the woman of the house +came to them, and they knew her to be Ailne, wife of Meargach. "It is +long I am looking for you, Finn," she said, "to get satisfaction for the +treachery you did on Meargach and on my two comely young sons, and on +Tailc, son of Treon, and all his people. And do you remember that, +Finn?" she said. "I remember well," said Finn, "that they fell by the +swords of the Fianna, not by treachery but in fighting." "It was by +treachery they fell," said the Grey Man then; "and it is our witness to +it, pleasant Ailne to be the way she is, and many a strong army under +grief on account of her." "What is Ailne to you, man of the rough +voice?" said Finn. "I am her own brother," said the man. + +With that he put bonds on the three, Finn and Daire and Glanluadh, and +he put them down into some deep shut place. + +They were very sorrowful then, and they stopped there to the end of five +days and five nights, without food, without drink, without music. + +And Ailne went to see them then, and Finn said to her: "O Ailne," he +said, "bring to mind the time you come to Cnoc-an-Air, and the way the +Fianna treated you with generosity; and it is not fitting for you," he +said, "to keep us now under shame and weakness and in danger of death." +"I know well I got kind treatment from Grania," said Ailne in a +sorrowful voice; "but for all that, Finn," she said, "if all the Fianna +were in that prison along with you under hard bonds, it would please me +well, and I would not pity their case. And what is it set you following +after Finn," she said then to Glanluadh, "for that is not a fitting +thing for you to do, and his own kind wife living yet." + +Then Glanluadh told her the whole story, and how she was walking the +plain with Lobharan her husband, and he followed the hunt, and the mist +came about her that she did not know east from west, and how she met +then with Finn that she never saw before that time. "If that is so," +said Ailne, "it is not right for you to be under punishment without +cause." + +She called then to her brother the Grey Man, and bade him take the +spells off Glanluadh. And when she was set free it is sorry she was to +leave Daire in bonds, and Finn. And when she had bidden them farewell +she went out with Ailne, and there was food brought to her, but a cloud +of weakness came on her of a sudden, that it was a pity to see the way +she was. + +And when Ailne saw that, she brought out an enchanted cup of the Sidhe +and gave her a drink from it. And no sooner did Glanluadh drink from the +cup than her strength and her own appearance came back to her again; but +for all that, she was fretting after Finn and Daire in their bonds. "It +seems to me, Glanluadh, you are fretting after those two men," said +Ailne. "I am sorry indeed," said Glanluadh, "the like of those men to be +shut up without food or drink." "If it is pleasing to you to give them +food you may give it," said Ailne, "for I will not make an end of them +till I see can I get the rest of the Fianna into bonds along with them." +The two women brought food and drink then to Finn, and to Daire; and +Glanluadh gave her blessing to Finn, and she cried when she saw the way +he was; but as to Ailne, she had no pity at all for the King of the +Fianna. + +Now as to the Grey Man, he heard them talking of the Fianna, and they +were saying that Daire had a great name for the sweetness of his music. +"I have a mind to hear that sweet music," said he. So he went to the +place where they were, and he bade Daire to let him hear what sort of +music he could make. "My music pleased the Fianna well," said Daire; +"but I think it likely it would not please you." "Play it for me now, +till I know if the report I heard of you is true," said the Grey Man. +"Indeed, I have no mind for music," said Daire, "being weak and +downhearted the way I am, through your spells that put down my courage." +"I will take my spells off you for so long as you play for me," said the +Grey Man. "I could never make music seeing Finn in bonds the way he is," +said Daire; "for it is worse to me, he to be under trouble than myself." +"I will take the power of my spells off Finn till you play for me," said +the Grey Man. + +He weakened the spells then, and gave them food and drink, and it +pleased him greatly the way Daire played the music, and he called to +Glanluadh and to Ailne to come and to listen to the sweetness of it. And +they were well pleased with it, and it is glad Glanluadh was, seeing +them not so discouraged as they were. + +Now as to the Fianna, they were searching for Finn and for Daire in +every place they had ever stopped in. And when they came to this place +they could hear Daire's sweet music; and at first they were glad when +they heard it, and then when they knew the way he himself and Finn were, +they made an attack on Ailne's dun to release them. + +But the Grey Man heard their shouts, and he put the full power of his +spells again on Finn and on Daire. And the Fianna heard the music as if +stammering, and then they heard a great noise like the loud roaring of +waves, and when they heard that, there was not one of them but fell into +a sleep and clouds of death, under those sorrowful spells. + +And then the Grey Man and Ailne came out quietly from where they were, +and they brought the whole of the men of the Fianna that were there into +the dun. And they put hard bonds on them, and put them where Finn and +Daire were. And there was great grief on Finn and Daire when they saw +them, and they were all left there together for a while. + +Then Glanluadh said to the Grey Man: "If Daire's music is pleasing to +you, let him play it to us now." "If you have a mind for music," said +the Grey Man, "Daire must play it for us, and for Finn and his army as +well." + +They went then to where they were, and bade Daire to play. "I could +never play sweet music," said Daire, "the time the Fianna are in any +trouble; for when they are in trouble, I myself am in trouble, and I +could not sound any sweet string," he said, "while there is trouble on +any man of them." The Grey Man weakened the spells then on them all, and +Daire played first the strings of sweetness, and of the noise of +shouting, and then he sang his own grief and the grief of all the +Fianna. And at that the Grey Man said it would not be long before he +would put the whole of the Fianna to death; and then Daire played a tune +of heavy shouts of lamentation. And then at Finn's bidding he played the +music of sweet strings for the Fianna. + +They were kept, now, a long time in that prison, and they got very hard +treatment; and sometimes Ailne's brother would come in and strike the +heads off some of them, for none of them could rise up from the seats +they were sitting on through his enchantments. But one time he was going +to strike the bald head off Conan, and Conan made a great leap from the +seat; but if he did, he left strips of his skin hanging to it, that his +back was left bare. And then he came round the Grey Man with his pitiful +words: "Stop your hand now," he said, "for that is enough for this time; +and do not send me to my death yet awhile, and heal me of my wounds +first," he said, "before you make an end of me." And the reason he said +that was because he knew Ailne to have an enchanted cup in the dun, that +had cured Glanluadh. + +And the Grey Man took pity on his case, and he brought him out and bade +Ailne to bring the cup to him and to cure his wounds. "I will not bring +it," said Ailne, "for it would be best give no time at all to him or to +the Fianna, but to make an end of them." "It is not to be saved from +death I am asking, bright-faced Ailne," said Conan, "but only not to go +to my death stripped bare the way I am." When Ailne heard that, she +brought a sheepskin and she put it on Conan's back, and it fitted and +grew to him, and covered his wounds. "I will not put you to death, +Conan," said the Grey Man then, "but you can stop with myself to the end +of your life." "You will never be without grief and danger and the fear +of treachery if you keep him with you," said Ailne; "for there is +treachery in his heart the same as there is in the rest of them." "There +is no fear of that," said her brother, "or I will make no delay until I +put the whole of the Fianna to death." And with that he brought Conan to +where the enchanted cup was, and he put it in his hand. And just at that +moment they heard Daire playing very sweet sorrowful music, and the Grey +Man went to listen to it, very quick and proud. And Conan followed him +there, and after a while the Grey Man asked him what did he do with the +enchanted cup. "I left it where I found it, full of power," said Conan. + +The Grey Man hurried back then to the place where the treasures of the +dun were. But no sooner was he gone than Conan took out the cup that he +had hidden, and he gave a drink from it to Finn and to Osgar and to the +rest of the Fianna. And they that were withered and shaking, without +strength, without courage, got back their own appearance and their +strength again on the moment. + +And when the Grey Man came back from looking for the cup, and saw what +had happened, he took his sword and made a stroke at Conan. But Conan +called to Osgar to defend him, and Osgar attacked the Grey Man, and it +was not long till he made him acquainted with death. + +And when Ailne saw that, with the grief and the dread that came on her, +she fell dead then and there. + +Then all the Fianna made a feast with what they found of food and of +drink, and they were very joyful and merry. But when they rose up in the +morning, there was no trace or tidings of the dun, but it was on the +bare grass they were lying. + +But as to Conan, the sheepskin never left him; and the wool used to grow +on it every year, the same as it would on any other skin. + + + + +BOOK NINE: THE WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA. + +CHAPTER I. THE QUARREL WITH THE SONS OF MORNA + + +One time when the Fianna were gone here and there hunting, Black +Garraidh and Caoilte were sitting beside Finn, and they were talking of +the battle where Finn's father was killed. And Finn said then to +Garraidh: "Tell me now, since you were there yourself, what way was it +you brought my father Cumhal to his death?" "I will tell you that since +you ask me," said Garraidh; "it was my own hand and the hands of the +rest of the sons of Morna that made an end of him." "That is cold +friendship from my followers the sons of Morna," said Finn. "If it is +cold friendship," said Garraidh, "put away the liking you are letting on +to have for us, and show us the hatred you have for us all the while." +"If I were to lift my hand against you now, sons of Morna," said Finn, +"I would be well able for you all without the help of any man." "It was +by his arts Cumhal got the upper hand of us," said Garraidh; "and when +he got power over us," he said, "he banished us to every far country; a +share of us he sent to Alban, and a share of us to dark Lochlann, and a +share of us to bright Greece, parting us from one another; and for +sixteen years we were away from Ireland, and it was no small thing to us +to be without seeing one another through that time. And the first day we +came back to Ireland," he said, "we killed sixteen hundred men, and no +lie in it, and not a man of them but would be keened by a hundred. And +we took their duns after that," he said, "and we went on till we were +all around one house in Munster of the red walls. But so great was the +bravery of the man in that house, that was your father, that it was +easier to find him than to kill him. And we killed all that were of his +race out on the hill, and then we made a quick rush at the house where +Cumhal was, and every man of us made a wound on his body with his spear. +And I myself was in it, and it was I gave him the first wound. And +avenge it on me now, Finn, if you have a mind to," he said. + + * * * * * + +It was not long after that, Finn gave a feast at Almhuin for all his +chief men, and there came to it two sons of the King of Alban, and sons +of the kings of the great world. And when they were all sitting at the +feast, the serving-men rose up and took drinking-horns worked by skilled +men, and having shining stones in them, and they poured out strong drink +for the champions; and it is then mirth rose up in their young men, and +courage in their fighting men, and kindness and gentleness in their +women, and knowledge and foreknowledge in their poets. + +And then a crier rose up and shook a rough iron chain to silence the +clowns and the common lads and idlers, and then he shook a chain of old +silver to silence the high lords and chief men of the Fianna, and the +learned men, and they all listened and were silent. + +And Fergus of the True Lips rose up and sang before Finn the songs and +the good poems of his forefathers; and Finn and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son +rewarded him with every good thing. And then he went on to Goll, son of +Morna, and told the fights and the destructions and the cattle-drivings +and the courtings of his fathers; and it is well-pleased and high-minded +the sons of Morna were, listening to that. + +And Goll said then: "Where is my woman-messenger?" "I am here, King of +the Fianna," said she. "Have you brought me my hand-tribute from the men +of Lochlann?" "I have brought it surely," said she. And with that she +rose up and laid on the floor of the hall before Goll a load of pure +gold, the size of a good pig, and that would be a heavy load for a +strong man. And Goll loosened the covering that was about it, and he +gave Fergus a good reward from it as he was used to do; for there never +was a wise, sharp-worded poet, or a sweet harp-player, or any learned +man of Ireland or of Alban, but Goll would give him gold or silver or +some good thing. + +And when Finn saw that, he said: "How long is it, Goll, you have this +rent on the men of Lochlann, and my own rent being on them always with +it, and one of my own men, Ciaran son of Latharne, and ten hundred men +of his household, guarding it and guarding my right of hunting?" And +Goll saw there was anger on Finn, and he said: "It is a long time, Finn, +I have that rent on the men of Lochlann, from the time your father put +war and quarrels on me, and the King of Ireland joined with him, and I +was made to quit Ireland by them. And I went into Britain," he said, +"and I took the country and killed the king himself and did destruction +on his people, but Cumhal put me out of it; and from that I went to +Fionnlochlann, and the king fell by me, and his household, and Cumhal +put me out of it; and I went from that to the country of the Saxons, and +the king and his household fell by me, and Cumhal put me out of it. But +I came back then to Ireland, and I fought a battle against your father, +and he fell by me there. And it was at that time I put this rent upon +the men of Lochlann. And, Finn," he said, "it is not a rent of the +strong hand you have put on them, but it is a tribute for having the +protection of the Fianna of Ireland, and I do not lessen that. And you +need not begrudge that tribute to me," he said, "for if I had more than +that again, it is to you and to the men of Ireland I would give it." + +There was great anger on Finn then, and he said: "You tell me, Goll," he +said, "by your own story, that you came from the city of Beirbhe to +fight against my father, and that you killed him in the battle; and it +is a bold thing you to tell that to me." "By your own hand," said Goll, +"if you were to give me the same treatment your father gave me, I would +pay you the same way as I paid him." "It would be hard for you to do +that," said Finn, "for there are a hundred men in my household against +every man there is in your household." "That was the same with your +father," said Goll, "and I avenged my disgrace on him; and I would do +the same on yourself if you earned it," he said. + +Then Cairell of the White Skin, son of Finn, said: "It is many a man of +Finn's household you have put down, Goll!" And Bald Conan when he heard +that said: "I swear by my arms, Goll was never without having a hundred +men in his household, every one of them able to get the better of +yourself." "And is it to them you belong, crooked-speaking, bare-headed +Conan?" said Cairell. "It is to them I belong, you black, feeble, +nail-scratching, rough-skinned Cairell; and I will make you know it was +Finn was in the wrong," said Conan. + +With that Cairell rose up and gave a furious blow of his fist to Conan, +and Conan took it with no great patience, but gave him back a blow in +his teeth, and from that they went on to worse blows again. And the two +sons of Goll rose up to help Conan, and Osgar went to the help of +Cairell, and it was not long till many of the chief men of the Fianna +were fighting on the one side or the other, on the side of Finn or on +the side of the sons of Morna. + +But then Fergus of the True Lips rose up, and the rest of the poets of +the Fianna along with him, and they sang their songs and their poems to +check and to quiet them. And they left off their fighting at the sound +of the poets' songs, and they let their weapons fall on the floor, and +the poets took them up, and made peace between the fighters; and they +put bonds on Finn and on Goll to keep the peace for a while, till they +could ask for a judgment from the High King of Ireland. And that was the +end for that time of the little quarrel at Almhuin. + +But it broke out again, one time there was a falling out between Finn +and Goll as to the dividing of a pig of the pigs of Manannan. And at +Daire Tardha, the Oak Wood of Bulls, in the province of Connacht, there +was a great fight between Finn's men and the sons of Morna. And the sons +of Morna were worsted, and fifteen of their men were killed; and they +made their mind up that from that time they would set themselves against +any friends of Finn or of his people. And it was Conan the Bald gave +them that advice, for he was always bitter, and a maker of quarrels and +of mischief in every place. + +And they kept to their word, and spared no one. There was a +yellow-haired queen that Finn loved, Berach Brec her name was, and she +was wise and comely and worthy of any good man, and she had her house +full of treasures, and never refused the asking of any. And any one that +came to her house at Samhain time might stay till Beltaine, and have his +choice then to go or to stay. And the sons of Morna had fostered her, +and they went where she was and bade her to give up Finn and she need be +in no dread of them. But she said she would not give up her kind lover +to please them; and she was going away from them to her ship, and Art, +son of Morna, made a cast of his spear that went through her body, that +she died, and her people brought her up from the strand and buried her. + +And as to Goll, he took a little hound that Finn thought a great deal +of, Conbeg its name was, and he drowned it in the sea; and its body was +brought up to shore by a wave afterwards, and it was buried under a +little green hill by the Fianna. And Caoilte made a complaint over it, +and he said how swift the little hound was after deer, or wild pigs, and +how good at killing them, and that it was a pity it to have died, out on +the cold green waves. And about that time, nine women of the Tuatha de +Danaan came to meet with nine men of the Fianna, and the sons of Morna +saw them coming and made an end of them. + +And when Caoilte met with Goll, he made a cast of his spear at him that +struck the golden helmet off his head and a piece of his flesh along +with it. But Goll took it very proudly, and put on the helmet again and +took up his weapons, and called out to his brothers that he was no way +ashamed. + +And Finn went looking for the sons of Morna in every place to do +vengeance on them. They were doing robbery and destruction one time in +Slieve Echtge, that got its name from Echtge, daughter of Nuada of the +Silver Hand, and Finn and the Fianna were to the west, at Slieve Cairn +in the district of Corcomruadh. And Finn was in doubt if the sons of +Morna were gone southward into Munster or north into Connacht. So he +sent Aedan and Cahal, two sons of the King of Ulster, and two hundred +righting men with them, into the beautiful pleasant province of +Connacht, and every day they used to go looking for the sons of Morna +from place to place. But after a while the three battalions of the +Fianna that were in Corcomruadh saw the track of a troop of men, and +they thought it to be the track of the sons of Morna; and they closed +round them at night, and made an end of them all. But when the full +light came on the morrow, they knew them to be their own people, that +were with the King of Ulster's sons, and they gave three great heavy +cries, keening the friends they had killed in mistake. + +And Caoilte and Oisin went to Rath Medba and brought a great stone and +put it over the king's sons, and it was called Lia an Imracail, the +Stone of the Mistake. And the place where Goll brought his men the time +he parted from Finn in anger got the name of Druimscarha, the Parting +Hill of Heroes. + + + + +CHAPTER II. DEATH OF GOLL + + +And at last it chanced that Goll and Cairell, son of Finn, met with one +another, and said sharp words, and they fought in the sea near the +strand, and Cairell got his death by Goll. And there was great anger and +great grief on Finn, seeing his son, that was so strong and comely, +lying dead and grey, like a blighted branch. + +And as to Goll, he went away to a cave that was in a point stretching +out into the sea; and he thought to stop there till Finn's anger would +have passed. + +And Osgar knew where he was, and he went to see him, that had been his +comrade in so many battles. But Goll thought it was as an enemy he came, +and he made a cast of his spear at him, and though Osgar got no wound by +it, it struck his shield and crushed it. And Finn took notice of the way +the shield was, and when he knew that Goll had made a cast at Osgar +there was greater anger again on him. And he sent out his men and bade +them to watch every path and every gap that led to the cave where Goll +was, the way they would make an end of him. + +And when Goll knew Finn to be watching for his life that way, he made no +attempt to escape, but stopped where he was, without food, without +drink, and he blinded with the sand that was blowing into his eyes. + +And his wife came to a rock where she could speak with him, and she +called to him to come to her. "Come over to me," she said; "and it is a +pity you to be blinded where you are, on the rocks of the waste sea, +with no drink but the salt water, a man that was first in every fight. +And come now to be sleeping beside me," she said; "and in place of the +hard sea-water I will nourish you from my own breast, and it is I will +do your healing. And the gold of your hair is my desire for ever," she +said, "and do not stop withering there like an herb in the winter-time, +and my heart black with grief within me." + +But Goll would not leave the spot where he was for all she could say. +"It is best as it is," he said, "and I never took the advice of a woman +east or west, and I never will take it. And O sweet-voiced queen," he +said, "what ails you to be fretting after me; and remember now your +silver and your gold, and your silks and stuffs, and remember the seven +hounds I gave you at Cruadh Ceirrge, and every one of them without +slackness till he has killed the deer. And do not be crying tears after +me, queen with the white hands," he said; "but remember your constant +lover, Aodh, the son of the best woman of the world, that came out from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought at Corcar-an-Deirg; and go to +him now," he said, "for it is bad when a woman is in want of a good +man." + +And he lay down on the rocks, and at the end of twelve days he died. And +his wife keened him there, and made a great lamentation for her husband +that had such a great name, and that was the second best of the Fianna +of Ireland. + +And when Conan heard of the death of Goll his brother, there was great +anger on him, and he went to Garraidh, and asked him to go with him to +Finn to ask satisfaction for Goll. "I am not willing to go," said +Garraidh, "since we could get no satisfaction for the great son of +Morna." "Whether you have a mind to go or not, I will go," said Conan; +"and I will make an end of every man I meet with, for the sake of +yellow-haired Goll; I will have the life of Oisin, Finn's great son, and +of Osgar and of Caoilte and of Daire of the Songs; I will have no +forgiveness for them; we must show no respect for Finn, although we may +die in the fight, having no help from Goll. And let us take that work in +hand, and make no delay," he said; "for if Finn is there, his strength +will be there, until we put him under his flag-stone." + +But it is not likely Garraidh went with him, and he after speaking such +foolish words. + +And what happened Conan in the end is not known. But there is a cairn of +stones on a hill of Burren, near to Corcomruadh, and the people of +Connacht say it is there he is buried, and that there was a stone found +there one time, having on it in the old writing: "Conan the +swift-footed, the bare-footed." But the Munster people say it is on +their own side of Burren he is buried. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF GABHRA + + +Now, with one thing and another, the High King of Ireland had got to be +someway bitter against Finn and the Fianna; and one time that he had a +gathering of his people he spoke out to them, and he bade them to +remember all the harm that had been done them through the Fianna, and +all their pride, and the tribute they asked. "And as to myself," he +said, "I would sooner die fighting the Fianna, if I could bring them +down along with me, than live with Ireland under them the way it is +now." + +All his people were of the same mind, and they said they would make no +delay, but would attack the Fianna and make an end of them. "And we will +have good days of joy and of feasting," they said, "when once Almhuin is +clear of them." + +And the High King began to make plans against Finn; and he sent to all +the men of Ireland to come and help him. And when all was ready, he sent +and bade Osgar to come to a feast he was making at Teamhair. + +And Osgar, that never was afraid before any enemy, set out for Teamhair, +and three hundred of his men with him. And on the way they saw a woman +of the Sidhe washing clothes at a river, and there was the colour of +blood on the water where she was washing them. And Osgar said to her: +"There is red on the clothes you are washing; and it is for the dead you +are washing them." And the woman answered him, and it is what she said: +"It is not long till the ravens will be croaking over your own head +after the battle." "Is there any weakness in our eyes," said Osgar, +"that a little story like that would set us crying? And do another +foretelling for us now," he said, "and tell us will any man of our +enemies fall by us before we ourselves are made an end of?" + +"There will nine hundred fall by yourself," she said; "and the High +King himself will get his death-wound from you." + +Osgar and his men went on then to the king's house at Teamhair, and they +got good treatment, and the feast was made ready, and they were three +days at pleasure and at drinking. + +And on the last day of the drinking, the High King called out with a +loud voice, and he asked Osgar would he make an exchange of spears with +him. "Why do you ask that exchange," said Osgar, "when I myself and my +spear were often with yourself in time of battle? And you would not ask +it of me," he said, "if Finn and the Fianna were with me now." "I would +ask it from any fighting man among you," said the king, "and for rent +and tribute along with it." "Any gold or any treasure you might ask of +us, we would give it to you," said Osgar, "but it is not right for you +to ask my spear." There were very high words between them then, and they +threatened one another, and at the last the High King said: "I will put +my spear of the seven spells out through your body." "And I give my word +against that," said Osgar, "I will put my spear of the nine spells +between the meeting of your hair and your beard." + +With that he and his men rose up and went out of Teamhair, and they +stopped to rest beside a river, and there they heard the sound of a very +sorrowful tune, that was like keening, played on a harp. And there was +great anger on Osgar when he heard that, and he rose up and took his +arms and roused his people, and they went on again to where Finn was. +And there came after them a messenger from the High King, and the +message he brought was this, that he never would pay tribute to the +Fianna or bear with them at all from that time. + +And when Finn heard that, he sent a challenge of battle, and he gathered +together all the Fianna that were left to him. But as to the sons of +Morna, it was to the High King of Ireland they gathered. + +And it was at the hill of Gabhra the two armies met, and there were +twenty men with the King of Ireland for every man that was with Finn. + +And it is a very hard battle was fought that day, and there were great +deeds done on both sides; and there never was a greater battle fought in +Ireland than that one. + +And as to Osgar, it would be hard to tell all he killed on that day; +five score of the Sons of the Gael, and five score fighting men from the +Country of Snow, and seven score of the Men of Green Swords that never +went a step backward, and four hundred from the Country of the Lion, and +five score of the sons of kings; and the shame was for the King of +Ireland. + +But as to Osgar himself, that began the day so swift and so strong, at +the last he was like leaves on a strong wind, or like an aspen-tree that +is falling. But when he saw the High King near him, he made for him like +a wave breaking on the strand; and the king saw him coming, and shook +his greedy spear, and made a cast of it, and it went through his body +and brought him down on his right knee, and that was the first grief of +the Fianna. But Osgar himself was no way daunted, but he made a cast of +his spear of the nine spells that went into the High King at the meeting +of the hair and the beard, and gave him his death. And when the men +nearest to the High King saw that, they put the king's helmet up on a +pillar, the way his people would think he was living yet. But Osgar saw +it, and he lifted a thin bit of a slab-stone that was on the ground +beside him, and he made a cast of it that broke the helmet where it was; +and then he himself fell like a king. + +And there fell in that battle the seven sons of Caoilte, and the son of +the King of Lochlann that had come to give them his help, and it would +be hard to count the number of the Fianna that fell in that battle. + +And when it was ended, those that were left of them went looking for +their dead. And Caoilte stooped down over his seven brave sons, and +every living man of the Fianna stooped over his own dear friends. And it +was a lasting grief to see all that were stretched in that place, but +the Fianna would not have taken it to heart the way they did, but for +being as they were, a beaten race. + +And as to Oisin, he went looking for Osgar, and it is the way he found +him, lying stretched, and resting on his left arm and his broken shield +beside him, and his sword in his hand yet, and his blood about him on +every side. And he put out his hand to Oisin, and Oisin took it and gave +out a very hard cry. And Osgar said: "It is glad I am to see you safe, +my father." And Oisin had no answer to give him. And just then Caoilte +came where they were, and he looked at Osgar. "What way are you now, my +darling?" he said. "The way you would like me to be," said Osgar. + +Then Caoilte searched the wound, and when he saw how the spear had torn +its way through to the back, he cried out, and a cloud came over him and +his strength failed him. "O Osgar," he said, "you are parted from the +Fianna, and they themselves must be parted from battle from this out," +he said, "and they must pay their tribute to the King of Ireland." + +Then Caoilte and Oisin raised up Osgar on their shields and brought him +to a smooth green hill till they would take his dress off. And there was +not a hands-breadth of his white body that was without a wound. + +And when the rest of the Fianna saw what way Osgar was, there was not a +man of them that keened his own son or his brother, but every one of +them came keening Osgar. + +And after a while, at noonday, they saw Finn coming towards them, and +what was left of the Sun-banner raised on a spear-shaft. All of them +saluted Finn then, but he made no answer, and he came up to the hill +where Osgar was. And when Osgar saw him coming he saluted him, and he +said: "I have got my desire in death, Finn of the sharp arms." And Finn +said: "It is worse the way you were, my son, on the day of the battle at +Beinn Edair when the wild geese could swim on your breast, and it was my +hand that gave you healing." "There can no healing be done for me now +for ever," said Osgar, "since the King of Ireland put the spear of seven +spells through my body." And Finn said: "It is a pity it was not I +myself fell in sunny scarce Gabhra, and you going east and west at the +head of the Fianna." "And if it was yourself fell in the battle," said +Osgar, "you would not hear me keening after you; for no man ever knew +any heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered +with iron. But the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the +keening of the old righting men, and the crying of the women one after +another, those are the things that are vexing me." And Finn said: "Child +of my child, calf of my calf, white and slender, it is a pity the way +you are. And my heart is starting like a deer," he said, "and I am weak +after you and after the Fianna of Ireland. And misfortune has followed +us," he said; "and farewell now to battles and to a great name, and +farewell to taking tributes; for every good thing I ever had is gone +from me now," he said. + +And when Osgar heard those words he stretched out his hands, and his +eyelids closed. And Finn turned away from the rest, and he cried tears +down; and he never shed a tear through the whole length of his lifetime +but only for Osgar and for Bran. + +And all that were left of the Fianna gave three gorrowful cries after +Osgar, for there was not one of the Fianna beyond him, unless it might +be Finn or Oisin. + +And it is many of the Fianna were left dead in Gabhra, and graves were +made for them. And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was so tall a man and so +good a fighter, they made a very wide grave for him, as was fitting for +a king. And the whole length of the rath at Gabhra, from end to end, it +is that was the grave of Osgar, son of Oisin, son of Finn. + +And as to Finn himself, he never had peace or pleasure again from that +day. + + + + + +BOOK TEN: THE END OF THE FIANNA. + +CHAPTER I. DEATH OF BRAN + + +One day Finn was hunting, and Bran went following after a fawn. And they +were coming towards Finn, and the fawn called out, and it said: "If I go +into the sea below I will never come back again; and if I go up into the +air above me, it will not save me from Bran." For Bran would overtake +the wild geese, she was that swift. + +"Go out through my legs," said Finn then. So the fawn did that, and Bran +followed her; and as Bran went under him, Finn squeezed his two knees on +her, that she died on the moment. + +And there was great grief on him after that, and he cried tears down the +same as he did when Osgar died. + +And some said it was Finn's mother the fawn was, and that it was to save +his mother he killed Bran. But that is not likely, for his mother was +beautiful Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of the Tuatha de +Danaan, and it was never heard that she was changed into a fawn. It is +more likely it was Oisin's mother was in it. + +But some say Bran and Sceolan are still seen to start at night out of +the thicket on the hill of Almhuin. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE CALL OF OISIN + + +One misty morning, what were left of the Fianna were gathered together +to Finn, and it is sorrowful and downhearted they were after the loss of +so many of their comrades. + +And they went hunting near the borders of Loch Lein, where the bushes +were in blossom and the birds were singing; and they were waking up the +deer that were as joyful as the leaves of a tree in summer-time. + +And it was not long till they saw coming towards them from the west a +beautiful young woman, riding on a very fast slender white horse. A +queen's crown she had on her head, and a dark cloak of silk down to the +ground, having stars of red gold on it; and her eyes were blue and as +clear as the dew on the grass, and a gold ring hanging down from every +golden lock of her hair; and her cheeks redder than the rose, and her +skin whiter than the swan upon the wave, and her lips as sweet as honey +that is mixed through red wine. + +And in her hand she was holding a bridle having a golden bit, and there +was a saddle worked with red gold under her. And as to the horse, he had +a wide smooth cloak over him, and a silver crown on the back of his +head, and he was shod with shining gold. + +She came to where Finn was, and she spoke with a very kind, gentle +voice, and she said: "It is long my journey was, King of the Fianna." +And Finn asked who was she, and what was her country and the cause of +her coming. "Niamh of the Golden Head is my name," she said; "and I have +a name beyond all the women of the world, for I am the daughter of the +King of the Country of the Young." "What was it brought you to us from +over the sea, Queen?" said Finn then. "Is it that your husband is gone +from you, or what is the trouble that is on you?" "My husband is not gone +from me," she said, "for I never went yet to any man. But O King of the +Fianna," she said, "I have given my love and my affection to your own +son, Oisin of the strong hands." "Why did you give your love to him +beyond all the troops of high princes that are under the sun?" said +Finn. "It was by reason of his great name, and of the report I heard of +his bravery and of his comeliness," she said. "And though there is many +a king's son and high prince gave me his love, I never consented to any +till I set my love on Oisin." + +When Oisin heard what she was saying, there was not a limb of his body +that was not in love with beautiful Niamh; and he took her hand in his +hand, and he said: "A true welcome before you to this country, young +queen. It is you are the shining one," he said; "it is you are the +nicest and the comeliest; it is you are better to me than any other +woman; it is you are my star and my choice beyond the women of the +entire world." "I put on you the bonds of a true hero," said Niamh then, +"you to come away with me now to the Country of the Young." And it is +what she said: + +"It is the country is most delightful of all that are under the sun; the +trees are stooping down with fruit and with leaves and with blossom. + +"Honey and wine are plentiful there, and everything the eye has ever +seen; no wasting will come on you with the wasting away of time; you +will never see death or lessening. + +"You will get feasts, playing and drinking; you will get sweet music on +the strings; you will get silver and gold and many jewels. + +"You will get, and no lie in it, a hundred swords; a hundred cloaks of +the dearest silk; a hundred horses, the quickest in battle; a hundred +willing hounds. + +"You will get the royal crown of the King of the Young that he never +gave to any one under the sun. It will be a shelter to you night and +day in every rough fight and in every battle. + +"You will get a right suit of armour; a sword, gold-hilted, apt for +striking; no one that ever saw it got away alive from it. + +"A hundred coats of armour and shirts of satin; a hundred cows and a +hundred calves; a hundred sheep having golden fleeces; a hundred jewels +that are not of this world. + +"A hundred glad young girls shining like the sun, their voices sweeter +than the music of birds; a hundred armed men strong in battle, apt at +feats, waiting on you, if you will come with me to the Country of the +Young. + +"You will get everything I have said to you, and delights beyond them, +that I have no leave to tell; you will get beauty, strength and power, +and I myself will be with you as a wife." + +And after she had made that song, Oisin said: "O pleasant golden-haired +queen, you are my choice beyond the women of the world; and I will go +with you willingly," he said. + +And with that he kissed Finn his father and bade him farewell, and he +bade farewell to the rest of the Fianna, and he went up then on the +horse with Niamh. + +And the horse set out gladly, and when he came to the strand he shook +himself and he neighed three times, and then he made for the sea. And +when Finn and the Fianna saw Oisin facing the wide sea, they gave three +great sorrowful shouts. And as to Finn, he said: "It is my grief to see +you going from me; and I am without a hope," he said, "ever to see you +coming back to me again." + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN + + +And indeed that was the last time Finn and Oisin and the rest of the +Fianna of Ireland were gathered together, for hunting, for battle, for +chess-playing, for drinking or for music; for they all wore away after +that, one after another. + +As to Caoilte, that was old and had lost his sons, he used to be +fretting and lonesome after the old times. And one day that there was +very heavy snow on the ground, he made this complaint:-- + +"It is cold the winter is; the wind is risen; the fierce high-couraged +stag rises up; it is cold the whole mountain is to-night, yet the fierce +stag is calling. The deer of Slievecarn of the gatherings does not lay +his side to the ground; he no less than the stag of the top of cold +Echtge hears the music of the wolves. + +"I, Caoilte, and brown-haired Diarmuid and pleasant light-footed Osgar, +we used to be listening to the music of the wolves through the end of +the cold night. It is well the brown deer sleeps with its hide to the +hollow, hidden as if in the earth, through the end of the cold night. + +"To-day I am in my age, and I know but a few men; I used to shake my +spear bravely in the ice-cold morning. It is often I put silence on a +great army that is very cold to-night." + +And after a while he went into a hill of the Sidhe to be healed of his +old wounds. And whether he came back from there or not is not known; and +there are some that say he used to be talking with Patrick of the Bells +the same time Oisin was with him. But that is not likely, or Oisin would +not have made complaints about his loneliness the way he did. + +But a long time after that again, there was a king of Ireland making a +journey. And he and his people missed their way, and when night-time +came on, they were in a dark wood, and no path before them. + +And there came to them a very tall man, that was shining like a burning +flame, and he took hold of the bridle of the king's horse, and led him +through the wood till they came to the right road. And the King of +Ireland asked him who was he, and first he said: "I am your +candlestick"; and then he said: "I was with Finn one time." And the king +knew it was Caoilte, son of Ronan, was in it. + +And three times nine of the rest of the Fianna came out of the west one +time to Teamhair. And they took notice that now they were wanting their +full strength and their great name, no one took notice of them or came +to speak with them at all. And when they saw that, they lay down on the +side of the hill at Teamhair, and put their lips to the earth and died. + +And for three days and a month and a year from the time of the +destruction of the Fianna of Ireland, Loch Dearg was under mists. + + * * * * * + +And as to Finn, there are some say he died by the hand of a fisherman; +but it is likely that is not true, for that would be no death for so +great a man as Finn, son of Cumhal. And there are some say he never +died, but is alive in some place yet. + +And one time a smith made his way into a cave he saw, that had a door to +it, and he made a key that opened it. And when he went in he saw a very +wide place, and very big men lying on the floor. And one that was bigger +than the rest was lying in the middle, and the Dord Fiann beside him; +and he knew it was Finn and the Fianna were in it. + +And the smith took hold of the Dord Fiann, and it is hardly he could +lift it to his mouth, and he blew a very strong blast on it, and the +sound it made was so great, it is much the rocks did not come down on +him. And at the sound, the big men lying on the ground shook from head +to foot. He gave another blast then, and they all turned on their +elbows. + +And great dread came on him when he saw that, and he threw down the Dord +Fiann and ran from the caye and locked the door after him, and threw the +key into the lake. And he heard them crying after him, "You left us +worse than you found us." And the cave was not found again since that +time. + +But some say the day will come when the Dord Fiann will be sounded three +times, and that at the sound of it the Fianna will rise up as strong and +as well as ever they were. And there are some say Finn, son of Cumhal, +has been on the earth now and again since the old times, in the shape of +one of the heroes of Ireland. + +And as to the great things he and his men did when they were together, +it is well they have been kept in mind through the poets of Ireland and +of Alban. And one night there were two men minding sheep in a valley, +and they were saying the poems of the Fianna while they were there. And +they saw two very tall shapes on the two hills on each side of the +valley, and one of the tall shapes said to the other: "Do you hear that +man down below? I was the second doorpost of battle at Gabhra, and that +man knows all about it better than myself." + + + + + +BOOK ELEVEN: OISIN AND PATRICK. + +CHAPTER I. OISIN'S STORY + + +As to Oisin, it was a long time after he was brought away by Niamh that +he came back again to Ireland. Some say it was hundreds of years he was +in the Country of the Young, and some say it was thousands of years he +was in it; but whatever time it was, it seemed short to him. + +And whatever happened him through the time he was away, it is a withered +old man he was found after coming back to Ireland, and his white horse +going away from him, and he lying on the ground. + +And it was S. Patrick had power at that time, and it was to him Oisin +was brought; and he kept him in his house, and used to be teaching him +and questioning him. And Oisin was no way pleased with the way Ireland +was then, but he used to be talking of the old times, and fretting after +the Fianna. + +And Patrick bade him to tell what happened him the time he left Finn and +the Fianna and went away with Niamh. And it is the story Oisin +told:--"The time I went away with golden-haired Niamh, we turned our +backs to the land, and our faces westward, and the sea was going away +before us, and filling up in waves after us. And we saw wonderful things +on our journey," he said, "cities and courts and duns and lime-white +houses, and shining sunny-houses and palaces. And one time we saw beside +us a hornless deer running hard, and an eager white red-eared hound +following after it. And another time we saw a young girl on a horse and +having a golden apple in her right hand, and she going over the tops of +the waves; and there was following after her a young man riding a white +horse, and having a crimson cloak and a gold-hilted sword in his right +hand." + +"Follow on with your story, pleasant Oisin," said Patrick, "for you did +not tell us yet what was the country you went to." + +"The Country of the Young, the Country of Victory, it was," said Oisin. +"And O Patrick," he said, "there is no lie in that name; and if there +are grandeurs in your Heaven the same as there are there, I would give +my friendship to God. + +"We turned our backs then to the dun," he said, "and the horse under us +was quicker than the spring wind on the backs of the mountains. And it +was not long till the sky darkened, and the wind rose in every part, and +the sea was as if on fire, and there was nothing to be seen of the sun. + +"But after we were looking at the clouds and the stars for a while the +wind went down, and the storm, and the sun brightened. And we saw before +us a very delightful country under full blossom, and smooth plains in +it, and a king's dun that was very grand, and that had every colour in +it, and sunny-houses beside it, and palaces of shining stones, made by +skilled men. And we saw coming out to meet us three fifties of armed +men, very lively and handsome. And I asked Niamh was this the Country of +the Young, and she said it was. 'And indeed, Oisin,' she said, 'I told +you no lie about it, and you will see all I promised you before you for +ever.' + +"And there came out after that a hundred beautiful young girls, having +cloaks of silk worked with gold, and they gave me a welcome to their own +country. And after that there came a great shining army, and with it a +strong beautiful king, having a shirt of yellow silk and a golden cloak +over it, and a very bright crown on his head. And there was following +after him a young queen, and fifty young girls along with her. + +"And when all were come to the one spot, the king took me by the hand, +and he said out before them all: 'A hundred thousand welcomes before +you, Oisin, son of Finn. And as to this country you are come to,' he +said, 'I will tell you news of it without a lie. It is long and lasting +your life will be in it, and you yourself will be young for ever. And +there is no delight the heart ever thought of,' he said, 'but it is +here against your coming. And you can believe my words, Oisin,' he said, +'for I myself am the King of the Country of the Young, and this is its +comely queen, and it was golden-headed Niamh our daughter that went over +the sea looking for you to be her husband for ever.' I gave thanks to +him then, and I stooped myself down before the queen, and we went +forward to the royal house, and all the high nobles came out to meet us, +both men and women, and there was a great feast made there through the +length of ten days and ten nights. + +"And that is the way I married Niamh of the Golden Hair, and that is the +way I went to the Country of the Young, although it is sorrowful to me +to be telling it now, O Patrick from Rome," said Oisin. + +"Follow on with your story, Oisin of the destroying arms," said Patrick, +"and tell me what way did you leave the Country of the Young, for it is +long to me till I hear that; and tell us now had you any children by +Niamh, and was it long you were in that place." + +"Two beautiful children I had by Niamh," said Oisin, "two young sons and +a comely daughter. And Niamh gave the two sons the name of Finn and of +Osgar, and the name I gave to the daughter was The Flower. + +"And I did not feel the time passing, and it was a long time I stopped +there," he said, "till the desire came on me to see Finn and my comrades +again. And I asked leave of the king and of Niamh to go back to Ireland. +'You will get leave from me,' said Niamh; 'but for all that,' she said, +'it is bad news you are giving me, for I am in dread you will never come +back here again through the length of your days.' But I bade her have no +fear, since the white horse would bring me safe back again from Ireland. +'Bear this in mind, Oisin,' she said then, 'if you once get off the +horse while you are away, or if you once put your foot to ground, you +will never come back here again. And O Oisin,' she said, 'I tell it to +you now for the third time, if you once get down from the horse, you +will be an old man, blind and withered, without liveliness, without +mirth, without running, without leaping. And it is a grief to me, +Oisin,' she said, 'you ever to go back to green Ireland; and it is not +now as it used to be, and you will not see Finn and his people, for +there is not now in the whole of Ireland but a Father of Orders and +armies of saints; and here is my kiss for you, pleasant Oisin,' she +said, 'for you will never come back any more to the Country of the +Young.' + +"And that is my story, Patrick, and I have told you no lie in it," said +Oisin. "And O Patrick," he said, "if I was the same the day I came here +as I was that day, I would have made an end of all your clerks, and +there would not be a head left on a neck after me." + +"Go on with your story," said Patrick, "and you will get the same good +treatment from me you got from Finn, for the sound of your voice is +pleasing to me." + +So Oisin went on with his story, and it is what he said: "I have nothing +to tell of my journey till I came back into green Ireland, and I looked +about me then on all sides, but there were no tidings to be got of Finn. +And it was not long till I saw a great troop of riders, men and women, +coming towards me from the west. And when they came near they wished me +good health; and there was wonder on them all when they looked at me, +seeing me so unlike themselves, and so big and so tall. + +"I asked them then did they hear if Finn was still living, or any other +one of the Fianna, or what had happened them. 'We often heard of Finn +that lived long ago,' said they, 'and that there never was his equal for +strength or bravery or a great name; and there is many a book written +down,' they said, 'by the sweet poets of the Gael, about his doings and +the doings of the Fianna, and it would be hard for us to tell you all +of them. And we heard Finn had a son,' they said, 'that was beautiful +and shining, and that there came a young girl looking for him, and he +went away with her to the Country of the Young.' + +"And when I knew by their talk that Finn was not living or any of the +Fianna, it is downhearted I was, and tired, and very sorrowful after +them. And I made no delay, but I turned my face and went on to Almhuin +of Leinster. And there was great wonder on me when I came there to see +no sign at all of Finn's great dun, and his great hall, and nothing in +the place where it was but weeds and nettles." + +And there was grief on Oisin then, and he said: "Och, Patrick! Och, +ochone, my grief! It is a bad journey that was to me; and to be without +tidings of Finn or the Fianna has left me under pain through my +lifetime." + +"Leave off fretting, Oisin," said Patrick, "and shed your tears to the +God of grace. Finn and the Fianna are slack enough now, and they will +get no help for ever." "It is a great pity that would be," said Oisin, +"Finn to be in pain for ever; and who was it gained the victory over +him, when his own hand had made an end of so many a hard fighter?" + +"It is God gained the victory over Finn," said Patrick, "and not the +strong hand of an enemy; and as to the Fianna, they are condemned to +hell along with him, and tormented for ever." + +"O Patrick," said Oisin, "show me the place where Finn and his people +are, and there is not a hell or a heaven there but I will put it down. +And if Osgar, my own son, is there," he said, "the hero that was bravest +in heavy battles, there is not in hell or in the Heaven of God a troop +so great that he could not destroy it." + +"Let us leave off quarrelling on each side now," said Patrick; "and go +on, Oisin, with your story. What happened you after you knew the Fianna +to be at an end?" + +"I will tell you that, Patrick," said Oisin. "I was turning to go away, +and I saw the stone trough that the Fianna used to be putting their +hands in, and it full of water. And when I saw it I had such a wish and +such a feeling for it that I forgot what I was told, and I got off the +horse. And in the minute all the years came on me, and I was lying on +the ground, and the horse took fright and went away and left me there, +an old man, weak and spent, without sight, without shape, without +comeliness, without strength or understanding, without respect. + +"There, Patrick, is my story for you now," said Oisin, "and no lie in +it, of all that happened me going away and coming back again from the +Country of the Young." + + + + +CHAPTER II. OISIN IN PATRICK'S HOUSE + + +And Oisin stopped on with S. Patrick, but he was not very well content +with the way he was treated. And one time he said: "They say I am +getting food, but God knows I am not, or drink; and I Oisin, son of +Finn, under a yoke, drawing stones." "It is my opinion you are getting +enough," said S. Patrick then, "and you getting a quarter of beef and a +churn of butter and a griddle of bread every day." "I often saw a +quarter of a blackbird bigger than your quarter of beef," said Oisin, +"and a rowan berry as big as your churn of butter, and an ivy leaf as +big as your griddle of bread." S, Patrick was vexed when he heard that, +and he said to Oisin that he had told a lie. + +There was great anger on Oisin then, and he went where there was a +litter of pups, and he bade a serving-boy to nail up the hide of a +freshly killed bullock to the wall, and to throw the pups against it one +by one. And every one that he threw fell down from the hide till it came +to the last, and he held on to it with his teeth and his nails. "Rear +that one," said Oisin, "and drown all the rest." + +Then he bade the boy to keep the pup in a dark place, and to care it +well, and never to let it taste blood or see the daylight. And at the +end of a year, Oisin was so well pleased with the pup, that he gave it +the name of Bran Og, young Bran. + +And one day he called to the serving-boy to come on a journey with him, +and to bring the pup in a chain. And they set out and passed by +Slieve-nam-ban, where the witches of the Sidhe do be spinning with their +spinning-wheels; and then they turned eastward into Gleann-na-Smol. And +Oisin raised a rock that was there, and he bade the lad take from under +it three things, a great sounding horn of the Fianna, and a ball of iron +they had for throwing, and a very sharp sword. And when Oisin saw those +things, he took them in his hands, and he said: "My thousand farewells +to the day when you were put here!" He bade the lad to clean them well +then; and when he had done that, he bade him to sound a blast on the +horn. So the boy did that, and Oisin asked him did he see anything +strange. "I did not," said the boy. "Sound it again as loud as you can," +said Oisin. "That is as hard as I can sound it, and I can see nothing +yet," said the boy when he had done that. Then Oisin took the horn +himself, and he put it to his mouth, and blew three great blasts on it. +"What do you see now?" he said. "I see three great clouds coming," he +said, "and they are settling down in the valley; and the first cloud is +a flight of very big birds, and the second cloud is a flight of birds +that are bigger again, and the third flight is of the biggest and the +blackest birds the world ever saw." + +"What is the dog doing?" said Oisin. "The eyes are starting from his +head, and there is not a rib of hair on him but is standing up." "Let +him loose now," said Oisin. + +The dog rushed down to the valley then, and he made an attack on one of +the birds, that was the biggest of all, and that had a shadow like a +cloud. And they fought a very fierce fight, but at last Bran Og made an +end of the big bird, and lapped its blood. But if he did, madness came +on him, and he came rushing back towards Oisin, his jaws open and his +eyes like fire. "There is dread on me, Oisin," said the boy, "for the +dog is making for us, mad and raging." "Take this iron ball and make a +cast at him when he comes near," said Oisin. "I am in dread to do that," +said the boy. "Put it in my hand, and turn it towards him," said Oisin. +The boy did that, and Oisin made a cast of the ball that went into the +mouth and the throat of the dog, and choked him, and he fell down the +slope, twisting and foaming. + +Then they went where the great bird was left dead, and Oisin bade the +lad to cut a quarter off it with the sword, and he did so. And then he +bade him cut open the body, and in it he found a rowan berry, the +biggest he had ever seen, and an ivy leaf that was bigger than the +biggest griddle. + +So Oisin turned back then, and went to where S. Patrick was, and he +showed him the quarter of the bird that was bigger than any quarter of a +bullock, and the rowan berry that was bigger than a churning of butter, +and the leaf. "And you know now, Patrick of the Bells," he said, "that I +told no lie; and it is what kept us all through our lifetime," he said, +"truth that was in our hearts, and strength in our arms, and fulfilment +in our tongues." + +"You told no lie indeed," said Patrick. + +And when Oisin had no sight left at all, he used every night to put up +one of the serving-men on his shoulders, and to bring him out to see how +were the cattle doing. And one night the servants had no mind to go, and +they agreed together to tell him it was a very bad night. + +And it is what the first of them said; "It is outside there is a heavy +sound with the heavy water dropping from the tops of trees; the sound of +the waves is not to be heard for the loud splashing of the rain." And +then the next one said: "The trees of the wood are shivering, and the +birch is turning black; the snow is killing the birds; that is the story +outside." And the third said: "It is to the east they have turned their +face, the white snow and the dark rain; it is what is making the plain +so cold is the snow that is dripping and getting hard." + +But there was a serving-girl in the house, and she said: "Rise up, +Oisin, and go out to the white-headed cows, since the cold wind is +plucking the trees from the hills." + +Oisin went out then, and the serving-man on his shoulders; but it is +what the serving-man did, he brought a vessel of water and a birch broom +with him, and he was dashing water in Oisin's face, the way he would +think it was rain. But when they came to the pen where the cattle were, +Oisin found the night was quiet, and after that he asked no more news of +the weather from the servants. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE ARGUMENTS + + +And S. Patrick took in hand to convert Oisin, and to bring him to +baptism; but it was no easy work he had to do, and everything he would +say, Oisin would have an answer for it. And it is the way they used to +be talking and arguing with one another, as it was put down afterwards +by the poets of Ireland:-- + +PATRICK. "Oisin, it is long your sleep is. Rise up and listen to the +Psalm. Your strength and your readiness are gone from you, though you +used to be going into rough fights and battles." + +OLSIN. "My readiness and my strength are gone from me since Finn has no +armies living; I have no liking for clerks, their music is not sweet to +me after his." + +PATRICK. "You never heard music so good from the beginning of the world +to this day; it is well you would serve an army on a hill, you that are +old and silly and grey." + +OLSIN. "I used to serve an army on a hill, Patrick of the closed-up +mind; it is a pity you to be faulting me; there was never shame put on +me till now. + +"I have heard music was sweeter than your music, however much you are +praising your clerks: the song of the blackbird in Leiter Laoi, and the +sound of the Dord Fiann; the very sweet thrush of the Valley of the +Shadow, or the sound of the boats striking the strand. The cry of the +hounds was better to me than the noise of your schools, Patrick. + +"Little Nut, little Nut of my heart, the little dwarf that was with +Finn, when he would make tunes and songs he would put us all into deep +sleep. + +"The twelve hounds that belonged to Finn, the time they would be let +loose facing out from the Siuir, their cry was sweeter than harps and +than pipes. + +"I have a little story about Finn; we were but fifteen men; we took the +King of the Saxons of the feats, and we won a battle against the King of +Greece. + +"We fought nine battles in Spain, and nine times twenty battles in +Ireland; from Lochlann and from the eastern world there was a share of +gold coming to Finn. + +"My grief! I to be stopping after him, and without delight in games or +in music; to be withering away after my comrades; my grief it is to be +living. I and the clerks of the Mass books are two that can never agree. + +"If Finn and the Fianna were living, I would leave the clerks and the +bells; I would follow the deer through the valleys, I would like to be +close on his track. + +"Ask Heaven of God, Patrick, for Finn of the Fianna and his race; make +prayers for the great man; you never heard of his like." + +PATRICK. "I will not ask Heaven for Finn, man of good wit that my anger +is rising against, since his delight was to be living in valleys with +the noise of hunts." + +OISIN. "If you had been in company with the Fianna, Patrick of the +joyless clerks and of the bells, you would not be attending on schools +or giving heed to God." + +PATRICK. "I would not part from the Son of God for all that have lived +east or west; O Oisin, O shaking poet, there will harm come on you in +satisfaction for the priests." + +OISIN. "It was a delight to Finn the cry of his hounds on the mountains, +the wild dogs leaving their harbours, the pride of his armies, those +were his delights." + +PATRICK. "There was many a thing Finn took delight in, and there is not +much heed given to it after him; Finn and his hounds are not living now, +and you yourself will not always be living, Oisin." + +OISIN. "There is a greater story of Finn than of us, or of any that have +lived in our time; all that are gone and all that are living, Finn was +better to give out gold than themselves." + +PATRICK. "All the gold you and Finn used to be giving out, it is little +it does for you now; he is in Hell in bonds because he did treachery and +oppression." + +OISIN. "It is little I believe of your truth, man from Rome with the +white books, Finn the open-handed head of the Fianna to be in the hands +of devils or demons." + +PATRICK. "Finn is in bonds in Hell, the pleasant man that gave out +gold; in satisfaction for his disrespect to God, he is under grief in +the house of pain." + +OISIN. "If the sons of Morna were within it, or the strong men of the +sons of Baiscne, they would take Finn out of it, or they would have the +house for themselves." + +PATRICK. "If the five provinces of Ireland were within it, or the strong +seven battalions of the Fianna, they would not be able to bring Finn out +of it, however great their strength might be." + +OISIN. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and brown-haired Diarmuid and +brave Osgar, Finn of the Fianna could not be held in any house that was +made by God or devils." + +PATRICK. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and all the Fianna that ever +were, they could not bring out Finn from the house where he is in pain." + +OISIN. "What did Finn do against God but to be attending on schools and +on armies? Giving gold through a great part of his time, and for another +while trying his hounds." + +PATRICK. "In payment for thinking of his hounds and for serving the +schools of the poets, and because he gave no heed to God, Finn of the +Fianna is held down." + +OISIN. "You say, Patrick of the Psalms, that the Fianna could not take +out Finn, or the five provinces of Ireland along with them. + +"I have a little story about Finn. We were but fifteen men when we took +the King of Britain of the feasts by the strength of our spears and our +own strength. + +"We took Magnus the great, the son of the King of Lochlann of the +speckled ships; we came back no way sorry or tired, we put our rent on +far places. + +"O Patrick, the story is pitiful, the King of the Fianna to be under +locks; a heart without envy, without hatred, a heart hard in earning +victory. + +"It is an injustice, God to be unwilling to give food and riches; Finn +never refused strong or poor, although cold Hell is now his +dwelling-place. + +"It is what Finn had a mind for, to be listening to the sound of Druim +Dearg; to sleep at the stream of Ess Ruadh, to be hunting the deer of +Gallimh of the bays. + +"The cries of the blackbird of Leiter Laoi, the wave of Rudraighe +beating the strand, the bellowing of the ox of Magh Maoin, the lowing of +the calf of Gleann da Mhail. + +"The noise of the hunt on Slieve Crot, the sound of the fawns round +Slieve Cua, the scream of the sea-gulls there beyond on Iorrus, the +screech of the crows over the battle. + +"The waves vexing the breasts of the boats, the howling of the hounds at +Druim Lis; the voice of Bran on Cnoc-an-Air, the outcry of the streams +about Slieve Mis. + +"The call of Osgar going to the hunt; the voice of the hounds on the +road of the Fianna, to be listening to them and to the poets, that was +always his desire. + +"A desire of the desires of Osgar was to listen to the striking of +shields; to be hacking at bones in a battle, it is what he had a mind +for always. + +"We went westward one time to hunt at Formaid of the Fianna, to see the +first running of our hounds. + +"It was Finn was holding Bran, and it is with myself Sceolan was; +Diarmuid of the Women had Fearan, and Osgar had lucky Adhnuall. + +"Conan the Bald had Searc; Caoilte, son of Ronan, had Daol; Lugaidh's +Son and Goll were holding Fuaim and Fothran. + +"That was the first day we loosed out a share of our hounds to a +hunting; and Och! Patrick, of all that were in it, there is not one left +living but myself. + +"O Patrick, it is a pity the way I am now, a spent old man without +sway, without quickness, without strength, going to Mass at the altar. + +"Without the great deer of Slieve Luchra; without the hares of Slieve +Cuilinn; without going into fights with Finn; without listening to the +poets. + +"Without battles, without taking of spoils; without playing at nimble +feats; without going courting or hunting, two trades that were my +delight." + +PATRICK. "Leave off, old man, leave your foolishness; let what you have +done be enough for you from this out. Think on the pains that are before +you; the Fianna are gone, and you yourself will be going." + +OISIN. "If I go, may yourself not be left after me, Patrick of the +hindering heart; if Conan, the least of the Fianna, were living, your +buzzing would not be left long to you." + +"Or if this was the day I gave ten hundred cows to the headless woman +that came to the Valley of the Two Oxen; the birds of the air brought +away the ring I gave her, I never knew where she went herself from me." + +PATRICK. "That is little to trouble you, Oisin; it was but for a while +she was with you; it is better for you to be as you are than to be among +them again." + +OISIN. "O Son of Calphurn of the friendly talk, it is a pity for him +that gives respect to clerks and bells; I and Caoilte my friend, we were +not poor when we were together. + +"The music that put Finn to his sleep was the cackling of the ducks from +the lake of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of +Doire an Cairn, the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries. + +"The whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories, or from the +rough branches of the ridge by the stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim-re-Coir. + +"The song of the blackbird of Doire an Cairn indeed I never heard +sweeter music, if I could be under its nest. + +"My grief that I ever took baptism; it is little credit I got by it, +being without food, without drink, doing fasting and praying." + +PATRICK. "In my opinion it did not harm you, old man; you will get nine +score cakes of bread, wine and meat to put a taste on it; it is bad talk +you are giving." + +OISIN. "This mouth that is talking with you, may it never confess to a +priest, if I would not sooner have the leavings of Finn's house than a +share of your own meals." + +PATRICK. "He got but what he gathered from the banks, or whatever he +could kill on the rough hills; he got hell at the last because of his +unbelief." + +OISIN. "That was not the way with us at all, but our fill of wine and of +meat; justice and a right beginning at the feasts, sweet drinks and +every one drinking them. + +"It is fretting after Diarmuid and Goll I am, and after Fergus of the +True Lips, the time you will not let me be speaking of them, O new +Patrick from Rome." + +PATRICK. "We would give you leave to be speaking of them, but first you +should give heed to God. Since you are now at the end of your days, +leave your foolishness, weak old man." + +OISIN. "O Patrick, tell me as a secret, since it is you have the best +knowledge, will my dog or my hound be let in with me to the court of the +King of Grace?" + +PATRICK. "Old man in your foolishness that I cannot put any bounds to, +your dog or your hound will not be let in with you to the court of the +King of Power." + +OISIN. "If I had acquaintance with God, and my hound to be at hand, I +would make whoever gave food to myself give a share to my hound as well. + +"One strong champion that was with the Fianna of Ireland would be better +than the Lord of Piety, and than you yourself, Patrick." + +PATRICK. "O Oisin of the sharp blades, it is mad words you are saying. +God is better for one day than the whole of the Fianna of Ireland." + +OISIN. "Though I am now without sway and my life is spent to the end, do +not put abuse, Patrick, on the great men of the sons of Baiscne. + +"If I had Conan with me, the man that used to be running down the +Fianna, it is he would break your head within among your clerks and your +priests." + +PATRICK. "It is a silly thing, old man, to be talking always of the +Fianna; remember your end is come, and take the Son of God to help you." + +OISIN. "I used to sleep out on the mountain under the grey dew; I was +never used to go to bed without food, while there was a deer on the hill +beyond." + +PATRICK. "You are astray at the end of your life between the straight +way and the crooked. Keep out from the crooked path of pains, and the +angels of God will come beneath your head." + +OISIN. "If myself and open-handed Fergus and Diarmuid were together now +on this spot, we would go in every path we ever went in, and ask no +leave of the priests." + +PATRICK. "Leave off, Oisin; do not be speaking against the priests that +are telling the word of God in every place. Unless you leave off your +daring talk, it is great pain you will have in the end." + +OISIN. "When myself and the leader of the Fianna were looking for a boar +in a valley, it was worse to me not to see it than all your clerks to be +without their heads." + +PATRICK. "It is pitiful seeing you without sense; that is worse to you +than your blindness; if you were to get sight within you, it is great +your desire would be for Heaven." + +OISIN. "It is little good it would be to me to be sitting in that city, +without Caoilte, without Osgar, without my father being with me. + +"The leap of the buck would be better to me, or the sight of badgers +between two valleys, than all your mouth is promising me, and all the +delights I could get in Heaven." + +PATRICK. "Your thoughts are foolish, they will come to nothing; your +pleasure and your mirth are gone. Unless you will take my advice +to-night, you will not get leave on this side or that." + +OISIN. "If myself and the Fianna were on the top of a hill to-day +drawing our spear-heads, we would have our choice of being here or there +in spite of books and priests and bells." + +PATRICK. "You were like the smoke of a wisp, or like a stream in a +valley, or like a whirling wind on the top of a hill, every tribe of you +that ever lived." + +OISIN. "If I was in company with the people of strong arms, the way I +was at Bearna da Coill, I would sooner be looking at them than at this +troop of the crooked croziers. + +"If I had Scolb Sceine with me, or Osgar, that was smart in battles, I +would not be without meat to-night at the sound of the bell of the seven +tolls." + +PATRICK. "Oisin, since your wits are gone from you be glad at what I +say; it is certain to me you will leave the Fianna and that you will +receive the God of the stars." + +OISIN. "There is wonder on me at your hasty talk, priest that has +travelled in every part, to say that I would part from the Fianna, a +generous people, never niggardly." + +PATRICK. "If you saw the people of God, the way they are settled at +feasts, every good thing is more plentiful with them than with Finn's +people, however great their name was. + +"Finn and the Fianna are lying now very sorrowful on the flag-stone of +pain; take the Son of God in their place; make your repentance and do +not lose Heaven." + +OISIN. "I do not believe your talk now. O Patrick of the crooked staves, +Finn and the Fianna to be there within, unless they find pleasure being +in it." + +PATRICK. "Make right repentance now, before you know when your end is +coming; God is better for one hour than the whole of the Fianna of +Ireland." + +OISIN. "That is a daring answer to make to me, Patrick of the crooked +crozier; your crozier would be in little bits if I had Osgar with me +now. + +"If my son Osgar and God were hand to hand on the Hill of the Fianna, if +I saw my son put down, I would say that God was a strong man. + +"How could it be that God or his priests could be better men than Finn, +the King of the Fianna, a generous man without crookedness. + +"If there was a place above or below better than the Heaven of God, it +is there Finn would go, and all that are with him of his people. + +"You say that a generous man never goes to the hell of pain; there was +not one among the Fianna that was not generous to all. + +"Ask of God, Patrick, does He remember when the Fianna were alive, or +has He seen east or west any man better than themselves in their +fighting. + +"The Fianna used not to be saying treachery; we never had the name of +telling lies. By truth and the strength of our hands we came safe out of +every battle. + +"There never sat a priest in a church, though you think it sweet to be +singing psalms, was better to his word than the Fianna, or more generous +than Finn himself. + +"If my comrades were living to-night, I would take no pleasure in your +crooning in the church; as they are not living now, the rough voice of +the bells has deafened me. + +"Och! in the place of battles and heavy fights, where I used to have my +place and to take my pleasure, the crozier of Patrick being carried, and +his clerks at their quarrelling. + +"Och! slothful, cheerless Conan, it is great abuse I used to be giving +you; why do you not come to see me now? you would get leave for making +fun and reviling through the whole of the niggardly clerks. + +"Och! where are the strong men gone that they do not come together to +help me! O Osgar of the sharp sword of victory, come and free your +father from his bonds! + +"Where is the strong son of Lugaidh? Och! Diarmuid of all the women! +Och! Caoilte, son of Ronan, think of our love, and travel to me!" + +PATRICK. "Stop your talk, you withered, witless old man; it is my King +that made the Heavens, it is He that gives blossom to the trees, it is +He made the moon and the sun, the fields and the grass." + +OISIN. "It was not in shaping fields and grass that my king took his +delight, but in overthrowing fighting men, and defending countries, and +bringing his name into every part. + +"In courting, in playing, in hunting, in baring his banner at the first +of a fight; in playing at chess, at swimming, in looking around him at +the drinking-hall. + +"O Patrick, where was your God when the two came over the sea that +brought away the queen of Lochlann of the Ships? Where was He when Dearg +came, the son of the King of Lochlann of the golden shields? Why did not +the King of Heaven protect them from the blows of the big man? + +"Or when Tailc, son of Treon, came, the man that did great slaughter on +the Fianna; it was not by God that champion fell, but by Osgar, in the +sight of all. + +"Many a battle and many a victory was gained by the Fianna of Ireland; I +never heard any great deed was done by the King of Saints, or that He +ever reddened His hand. + +"It would be a great shame for God not to take the locks of pain off +Finn; if God Himself were in bonds, my king would fight for His sake. + +"Finn left no one in pain or in danger without freeing him by silver or +gold, or by fighting till he got the victory. + +"For the strength of your love, Patrick, do not forsake the great men; +bring in the Fianna unknown to the King of Heaven. + +"It is a good claim I have on your God, to be among his clerks the way I +am; without food, without clothing, without music, without giving +rewards to poets. + +"Without the cry of the hounds or the horns, without guarding coasts, +without courting generous women; for all that I have suffered by the +want of food, I forgive the King of Heaven in my will." + +Oisin said: "My story is sorrowful. The sound of your voice is not +pleasant to me. I will cry my fill, but not for God, but because Finn +and the Fianna are not living." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S LAMENTS + + +And Oisin used to be making laments, and sometimes he would be making +praises of the old times and of Finn; and these are some of them that +are remembered yet:-- + + I saw the household of Finn; it was not the household of a soft + race; I had a vision of that man yesterday. + + I saw the household of the High King, he with the brown, + sweet-voiced son; I never saw a better man. + + I saw the household of Finn; no one saw it as I saw it; I saw Finn + with the sword, Mac an Luin. Och! it was sorrowful to see it. + + I cannot tell out every harm that is on my head; free us from our + trouble for ever; I have seen the household of Finn. + +It is a week from yesterday I last saw Finn; I never saw a braver man. A +king of heavy blows; my law, my adviser, my sense and my wisdom, prince +and poet, braver than kings, King of the Fianna, brave in all countries; +golden salmon of the sea, clean hawk of the air, rightly taught, +avoiding lies; strong in his doings, a right judge, ready in courage, a +high messenger in bravery and in music. + +His skin lime-white, his hair golden; ready to work, gentle to women. +His great green vessels full of rough sharp wine, it is rich the king +was, the head of his people. + +Seven sides Finn's house had, and seven score shields on every side. +Fifty fighting men he had about him having woollen cloaks; ten bright +drinking-cups in his hall; ten blue vessels, ten golden horns. + +It is a good household Finn had, without grudging, without lust, without +vain boasting, without chattering, without any slur on any one of the +Fianna. + +Finn never refused any man; he never put away any one that came to his +house. If the brown leaves falling in the woods were gold, if the white +waves were silver, Finn would have given away the whole of it. + +Blackbird of Doire an Chairn, your voice is sweet; I never heard on any +height of the world music was sweeter than your voice, and you at the +foot of your nest. + +The music is sweetest in the world, it is a pity not to be listening to +it for a while, O son of Calphurn of the sweet bells, and you would +overtake your nones again. + +If you knew the story of the bird the way I know it, you would be crying +lasting tears, and you would give no heed to your God for a while. + +In the country of Lochlann of the blue streams, Finn, son of Cumhal, of +the red-gold cups, found that bird you hear now; I will tell you its +story truly. + +Doire an Chairn, that wood there to the west, where the Fianna used to +be delaying, it is there they put the blackbird, in the beauty of the +pleasant trees. + +The stag of the heather of quiet Cruachan, the sorrowful croak from the +ridge of the Two Lakes; the voice of the eagle of the Valley of the +Shapes, the voice of the cuckoo on the Hill of Brambles. + +The voice of the hounds in the pleasant valley; the scream of the eagle +on the edge of the wood; the early outcry of the hounds going over the +Strand of the Red Stones. + +The time Finn lived and the Fianna, it was sweet to them to be listening +to the whistle of the blackbird; the voice of the bells would not have +been sweet to them. + + +There was no one of the Fianna without his fine silken shirt and his +soft coat, without bright armour, without shining stones on his head, +two spears in his hand, and a shield that brought victory. + +If you were to search the world you would not find a harder man, best of +blood, best in battle; no one got the upper hand of him. When he went +out trying his white hound, which of us could be put beside Finn? + +One time we went hunting on Slieve-nam-ban; the sun was beautiful +overhead, the voice of the hounds went east and west, from hill to hill. +Finn and Bran sat for a while on the hill, every man was jealous for the +hunt. We let out three thousand hounds from their golden chains; every +hound of them brought down two deer. + +Patrick of the true crozier, did you ever see, east or west, a greater +hunt than that hunt of Finn and the Fianna? O son of Calphurn of the +bells, that day was better to me than to be listening to your +lamentations in the church. + + * * * * * + +There is no strength in my hands to-night, there is no power within me; +it is no wonder I to be sorowful, being thrown down in the sorrow of old +age. + +Everything is a grief to me beyond any other man on the face of the +earth, to be dragging stones along to the church and the hill of the +priests. + +I have a little story of our people. One time Finn had a mind to make a +dun on the bald hill of Cuailgne, and he put it on the Fianna of Ireland +to bring stones for building it; a third on the sons of Morna, a third +on myself, and a third on the sons of Baiscne. + +I gave an answer to Finn, son of Cumhal; I said I would be under his +sway no longer, and that I would obey him no more. + +When Finn heard that, he was silent a long time, the man without a He, +without fear. And he said to me then: "You yourself will be dragging +stones before your death comes to you." + +I rose up then with anger on me, and there followed me the fourth of the +brave battalions of the Fianna. I gave my own judgments, there were many +of the Fianna with me. + +Now my strength is gone from me, I that was adviser to the Fianna; my +whole body is tired to-night, my hands, my feet, and my head, tired, +tired, tired. + +It is bad the way I am after Finn of the Fianna; since he is gone away, +every good is behind me. + +Without great people, without mannerly ways; it is sorrowful I am after +our king that is gone. + +I am a shaking tree, my leaves gone from me; an empty nut, a horse +without a bridle; a people without a dwelling-place, I Oisin, son of +Finn. + + * * * * * + +It is long the clouds are over me to-night! it is long last night was; +although this day is long, yesterday was longer again to me; every day +that comes is long to me! + +That is not the way I used to be, without fighting, without battles, +without learning feats, without young girls, without music, without +harps, without bruising bones, without great deeds; without increase of +learning, without generosity, without drinking at feasts, without +courting, without hunting, the two trades I was used to; without going +out to battle, Ochone! the want of them is sorrowful to me. + +No hunting of deer or stag, it is not like that I would wish to be; no +leashes for our hounds, no hounds; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night! + +Without rising up to do bravery as we were used, without playing as we +had a mind; without swimming of our fighting men in the lake; it is long +the clouds are over me to-night! + +There is no one at all in the world the way I am; it is a pity the way I +am; an old man dragging stones; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night! + +I am the last of the Fianna, great Oisin, son of Finn, listening to the +voice of bells; it is long the clouds are over me to-night! + + + + +NOTES + +I. THE APOLOGY + + +The Irish text of the greater number of the stories in this book has +been published, and from this text I have worked, making my own +translation as far as my scholarship goes, and when it fails, taking the +meaning given by better scholars. In some cases the Irish text has not +been printed, and I have had to work by comparing and piecing together +various translations. I have had to put a connecting sentence of my own +here and there, and I have fused different versions together, and +condensed many passages, and I have left out many, using the choice that +is a perpetual refusing, in trying to get some clear outline of the +doings of the heroes. + +I have found it more natural to tell the stories in the manner of the +thatched houses, where I have heard so many legends of Finn and his +friends, and Oisin and Patrick, and the Ever-Living Ones, and the +Country of the Young, rather than in the manner of the slated houses, +where I have not heard them. + +Four years ago, Dr Atkinson, a Professor of Trinity College, Dublin, in +his evidence before the Commission of Intermediate Education, said of +the old literature of Ireland:--"It has scarcely been touched by the +movements of the great literatures; it is the untrained popular feeling. +Therefore it is almost intolerably low in tone--I do not mean naughty, +but low; and every now and then, when the circumstance occasions it, it +goes down lower than low ... If I read the books in the Greek, the Latin +or the French course, in almost every one of them there is something +with an ideal ring about it--something that I can read with positive +pleasure--something that has what the child might take with him as a +[Greek: ktêma eis dei]--a perpetual treasure; but if I read the Irish +books, I see nothing ideal in them, and my astonishment is that through +the whole range of Irish literature that I have read (and I have read +an enormous range of it), the smallness of the element of idealism is +most noticeable ... And as there is very little idealism there is very +little imagination ... The Irish tales as a rule are devoid of it +fundamentally." + +Dr Atkinson is an Englishman, but unfortunately not only +fellow-professors in Trinity but undergraduates there have been +influenced by his opinion, that Irish literature is a thing to be +despised. I do not quote his words to draw attention to a battle that is +still being fought, but to explain my own object in working, as I have +worked ever since that evidence was given, to make a part of Irish +literature accessible to many, especially among my young countrymen, who +have not opportunity to read the translations of the chief scholars, +scattered here and there in learned periodicals, or patience and time to +disentangle overlapping and contradictory versions, that they may judge +for themselves as to its "lowness" and "want of imagination," and the +other well-known charges brought against it before the same Commission. + +I believe that those who have once learned to care for the story of +Cuchulain of Muirthemne, and of Finn and Lugh and Etain, and to +recognise the enduring belief in an invisible world and an immortal life +behind the visible and the mortal, will not be content with my +redaction, but will go, first to the fuller versions of the best +scholars, and then to the manuscripts themselves. I believe the forty +students of old Irish lately called together by Professor Kuno Meyer +will not rest satisfied until they have explored the scores and scores +of uncatalogued and untranslated manuscripts in Trinity College Library, +and that the enthusiasm which the Gaelic League has given birth to will +lead to much fine scholarship. + +A day or two ago I had a letter from one of the best Greek scholars and +translators in England, who says of my "Cuchulain": "It opened up a +great world of beautiful legend which, though accounting myself as an +Irishman, I had never known at all. I am sending out copies to Irish +friends in Australia who, I am sure, will receive the same sort of +impression, almost an impression of pride in the beauty of the Irish +mind, as I received myself." And President Roosevelt wrote to me a +little time ago that after he had read "Cuchulain of Muirthemne," he had +sent for all the other translations from the Irish he could get, to take +on his journey to the Western States. + +I give these appreciative words not, I think, from vanity, for they are +not for me but for my material, to show the effect our old literature +has on those who come fresh to it, and that they do not complain of its +"want of imagination." I am, of course, very proud and glad in having +had the opportunity of helping to make it known, and the task has been +pleasant, although toil-some. Just now, indeed, on the 6th October, I am +tired enough, and I think with sympathy of the old Highland piper, who +complained that he was "withered with yelping the seven Fenian +battalions." + + + + +II. THE AGE AND ORIGIN OF THE STORIES OF THE FIANNA + + +Mr Alfred Nutt says in _Ossian and the Ossianic Literature,_ No. 3 of +his excellent series of sixpenny pamphlets, _Popular Studies in +Mythology, Romance, and Folklore_:-- + +"The body of Gaelic literature connected with the name of Ossian is of +very considerable extent and of respectable antiquity. The oldest texts, +prose for the most part, but also in verse, are preserved in Irish MSS. +of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and go back to a period from one +hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty years older at least. The +bulk of Ossianic literature is, however, of later date as far as the +form under which it has come down to us is concerned. A number of +important texts, prose for the most part, are preserved in MSS. of the +fourteenth century, but were probably redacted in the thirteenth and +twelfth centuries. But by far the largest mass consists of narrative +poems, as a rule dramatic in structure. These have come down to us in +MSS. written in Scotland from the end of the fifteenth to the middle of +the seventeenth century, in Ireland from the sixteenth down to the +middle of the nineteenth century. The Gaelic-speaking peasantry, alike +in Ireland and Scotland, have preserved orally a large number of these +ballads, as also a great mass of prose narratives, the heroes of which +are Ossian and his comrades. + +"Were all Ossianic texts preserved in MSS. older than the present +century to be printed, they would fill some eight to ten thousand octavo +pages. The mere bulk of the literature, even if we allow for +considerable repetition of incident, arrests attention. If we further +recall that for the last five hundred years this body of romance has +formed the chief imaginative recreation of Gaeldom, alike in Ireland and +Scotland, and that a peasantry unable to read or write has yet preserved +it almost entire, its claims to consideration and study will appear +manifest." + +He then goes on to discuss how far the incidents in the stories can be +accepted as they were accepted by Irish historical writers of the +eleventh century as authentic history:-- + +"Fortunately there is little need for me to discuss the credibility or +otherwise of the historic records concerning Finn, his family, and his +band of warriors. They may be accepted or rejected according to +individual bent of mind without really modifying our view of the +literature. For when we turn to the romances, whether in prose or verse, +we find that, although the history is professedly the same as that of +the Annals, firstly, we are transported to a world entirely romantic, in +which divine and semi-divine beings, ungainly monsters and giants, play a +prominent part, in which men and women change shapes with animals, in +which the lives of the heroes are miraculously prolonged--in short, we +find ourselves in a land of Faery; secondly, we find that the historic +conditions in which the heroes are represented as living do not, for the +most part, answer to anything we know or can surmise of the third +century. For Finn and his warriors are perpetually on the watch to guard +Ireland against the attacks of over-sea raiders, styled Lochlannac by +the narrators, and by them undoubtedly thought of as Norsemen. But the +latter, as is well known, only came to Ireland at the close of the +eighth century, and the heroic period of their invasions extended for +about a century, from 825 to 925; to be followed by a period of +comparative settlement during the tenth century, until at the opening of +the eleventh century the battle of Clontarf, fought by Brian, the great +South Irish chieftain, marked the break-up of the separate Teutonic +organisations and the absorption of the Teutons into the fabric of Irish +life. In these pages then we may disregard the otherwise interesting +question of historic credibility in the Ossianic romances: firstly, +because they have their being in a land unaffected by fact; secondly, +because if they ever did reflect the history of the third century the +reflection was distorted in after-times, and a pseudo-history based upon +events of the ninth and tenth centuries was substituted for it. What the +historian seeks for in legend is far more a picture of the society in +which it took rise than a record of the events which it commemorates." + +In a later part of the pamphlet Mr Nutt discusses such questions as +whether we may look for examples of third-century customs in the +stories, what part of the stories first found their way into writing, +whether the Oisin and Patrick dialogues were written under the influence +of actual Pagan feeling persisting from Pagan times, or whether "a +change came over the feeling of Gaeldom during the fourteenth and +fifteenth centuries," when the Oisin and Patrick dialogues in their +present form began to be written. His final summing-up is that +"well-nigh the same stories that were told of Finn and his warrior +braves by the Gael of the eleventh century are told in well-nigh the +same way by his descendant to-day." Mr Nutt does not enquire how long +the stories may have been told before the first story was written down. +Larminie, however, whose early death was the first great loss of our +intellectual movement, pushes them backward for untold ages in the +introduction to his _West Irish Folk Tales and Romances_. He builds up a +detailed and careful argument, for which I must refer readers to his +book, to prove that the Scottish Highlands and Ireland have received +their folk-lore both from "Aryan and Non-Aryan sources," and that in the +Highlands there is more non-Aryan influence and more non-Aryan blood +than in Ireland. He argues that nothing is more improbable than that all +folk-tales are Aryan, as has sometimes been supposed, and sums up as +follows:-- + +"They bear the stamp of the genius of more than one race. The pure and +placid but often cold imagination of the Aryan has been at work on some. +In others we trace the more picturesque fancy, the fierceness and +sensuality, the greater sense of artistic elegance belonging to races +whom the Aryan, in spite of his occasional faults of hardness and +coarseness, has, on the whole, left behind him. But as the greatest +results in the realm of the highest art have always been achieved in the +case of certain blends of Aryan with other blood, I should hardly deem +it extravagant if it were asserted that in the humbler regions of the +folk-tale we might trace the working of the same law. The process which +has gone on may in part have been as follows:--Every race which has +acquired very definite characteristics must have been for a long time +isolated. The Aryans during their period of isolation probably developed +many of their folk-germs into their larger myths, owing to the greater +constructiveness of their imagination, and thus, in a way, they used up +part of their material. Afterwards, when they became blended with other +races less advanced, they acquired fresh material to work on. We have in +Ireland an instance to hand, of which a brief discussion may help to +illustrate the whole race theory. + +"The larger Irish legendary literature divides itself into three +cycles--the divine, the heroic, the Fenian. Of these three the last is +so well-known orally in Scotland that it has been a matter of dispute to +which country it really belongs. It belongs, in fact, to both. Here, +however, comes in a strange contrast with the other cycles. The first +is, so far as I am aware, wholly unknown in Scotland, the second +comparatively unknown. What is the explanation? Professor Zimmer not +having established his late-historical view as regards Finn, and the +general opinion among scholars having tended of recent years towards the +mythical view, we want to know why there is so much more community in +one case than in the other. Mr O'Grady long since seeing this +difficulty, and then believing Finn to be historical, was induced to +place the latter in point of time before Cuchulain and his compeers. But +this view is of course inadmissible when Finn is seen not to be +historical at all. There remains but one explanation. The various bodies +of legend in question are, so far as Ireland is concerned, only earlier +or later, as they came into the island with the various races to which +they belonged. The wider prevalence, then, of the Finn Saga would +indicate that it belonged to an early race occupying both Ireland and +Scotland. Then entered the Aryan Gael, and for him henceforth, as the +ruler of the island, his own gods and heroes were sung by his own bards. +His legends became the subject of what I may call the court poetry, the +aristocratic literature. When he conquered Scotland, he took with him +his own gods and heroes; but in the latter country the bardic system +never became established, and hence we find but feeble echoes of the +heroic cycle among the mountains of the North. That this is the +explanation is shown by what took place in Ireland. Here the heroic +cycle has been handed down in remembrance almost solely by the bardic +literature. The popular memory retains but few traces of it. Its +essentially aristocratic character is shown by the fact that the people +have all but forgotten it, if they ever knew it. But the Fenian cycle +has not been forgotten. Prevailing everywhere, still cherished by the +conquered peoples, it held its ground in Scotland and Ireland alike, +forcing its way in the latter country even into the written literature, +and so securing a twofold lease of existence ... The Fenian cycle, in a +word, is non-Aryan folk-literature partially subjected to Aryan +treatment." + +The whole problem is extremely complex, and several other writers have +written upon it. Mr Borlase, for instance, has argued in his big book on +the Dolmens that the cromlechs, and presumably the Diarmuid and Crania +legend, is connected with old religious rites of an erotic nature coming +down from a very primitive state of society. + +I have come to my own conclusion not so much because of any weight of +argument, as because I found it impossible to arrange the stories in a +coherent form so long as I considered them a part of history. I tried to +work on the foundation of the Annalists, and fit the Fianna into a +definite historical epoch, but the whole story seemed trivial and +incoherent until I began to think of them as almost contemporaneous with +the battle of Magh Tuireadh, which even the Annalists put back into +mythical ages. In this I have only followed some of the story-tellers, +who have made the mother of Lugh of the Long Hand the grandmother of +Finn, and given him a shield soaked with the blood of Balor. I cannot +think of any of the stories as having had a modern origin, or that the +century in which each was written down gives any evidence as to its age. +"How Diarmuid got his Love-Spot," for instance, which was taken down +only a few years ago from some old man's recitation by Dr Hyde, may well +be as old as "Finn and the Phantoms," which is in one of the earliest +manuscripts. It seems to me that one cannot choose any definite period +either from the vast living mass of folk-lore in the country or from the +written text, and that there is as good evidence of Finn being of the +blood of the gods as of his being, as some of the people tell me, "the +son of an O'Shaughnessy who lived at Kiltartan Cross." + +Dr Douglas Hyde, although he placed the Fenian after the Cuchulain cycle +in his _History of Irish Literature_, has allowed me to print this +note:-- + +"While believing in the real objective existence of the Fenians as a +body of Janissaries who actually lived, ruled, and hunted in King +Cormac's time, I think it equally certain that hundreds of stories, +traits, and legends far older and more primitive than any to which they +themselves could have given rise, have clustered about them. There is +probably as large a bulk of primitive mythology to be found in the Finn +legend as in that of the Red Branch itself. The story of the Fenians was +a kind of nucleus to which a vast amount of the flotsam and jetsam of a +far older period attached itself, and has thus been preserved." + +As I found it impossible to give that historical date to the stories, I, +while not adding in anything to support my theory, left out such names +as those of Cormac and Art, and such more or less historical personages, +substituting "the High King." And in the "Battle of the White Strand," I +left out the name of Caelur, Tadg's wife, because I had already followed +another chronicler in giving him Ethlinn for a wife. In the earlier part +I have given back to Angus Og the name of "The Disturber," which had, as +I believe, strayed from him to the Saint of the same name. + + + + +III. THE AUTHORITIES + + +The following is a list of the authorities I have been chiefly helped by +in putting these stories together and in translation of the text. But I +cannot make it quite accurate, for I have sometimes transferred a mere +phrase, sometimes a whole passage from one story to another, where it +seemed to fit better. I have sometimes, in the second part of the book, +used stories preserved in the Scottish Gaelic, as will be seen by my +references. I am obliged to write these notes away from libraries, and +cannot verify them, but I think they are fairly correct. + + + + +PART ONE. BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE + + +THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN, AND LUGH OF +THE LONG HAND, AND THE COMING OF THE GAEL.-- + O'Curry, _Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish_; + _MSS. Materials_; + _Atlantis_; + De Jubainville, _Cycle Mythologique_; + Hennessy, _Chronicum Scotorum_; + Atkinson, _Book of Leinster_; + _Annals of the Four Masters_; + Nennius, _Hist, Brit._ (Irish Version); + Zimmer, _Glossae Hibernacae_; + Whitley Stokes, _Three Irish Glossaries_; + _Revue Celtique_ and _Irische Texte_; + _Gaedelica_; + Nutt, _Voyage of Bran_; + _Proceedings Ossianic Societ_; + O'Beirne Crowe, _Amra Columcille_; + Dean of Lismore's Book; + Windisch, _Irische Texte_; + Hennessy and others in _Revue Celtique_; + _Kilkenny Archaeological Journal_; + Keatinge's _History_; + _Ogyia_; + Curtin's _Folk Tales_; + _Proceedings Royal Irish Academy_, MSS. Series; + Dr Sigerson, _Bards of Gael and Gall_; + Miscellanies, _Celtic Society_. + + +BOOK FOUR + +THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES + +I have used many of the above, and for separate stories, I may +give these authorities:-- + +MIDHIR AND ETAIN.-- + O'Curry, _Manners and Customs_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_; + Müller, _Revue Celtique_; + Nutt, _Voyage of Bran_; + De Jubainville, _Epopée Celtique_; + Standish Hayes O'Grady, MS. lent me by him. + +MANANNAN AT PLAY.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HIS CALL TO BRAN.-- + Professor Kuno Meyer in Nutt's _Voyage of Bran_; + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + De Jubainville, _Cycle Mythologique_. + +HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC.-- + Whitley Stokes, _Irische Texte_. + +CLIODNA'S WAVE.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_. + +HIS CALL TO CONNLA.-- + O'Beirne Crowe, _Kilkenny Arch. Journal_; + Windisch, _Irische Texte_. + +TADG IN THE ISLANDS.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_. + +LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN.-- + S.H. O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Kuno Meyer in Nutt's _Voyage of Bran_. + +FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR.-- + O'Curry, _Atlantis_. + + +PART TWO. THE FIANNA + +THE COMING OF FINN, AND FINN'S HOUSEHOLD.-- + _Proceedings Ossianic Society_; + Kuno Meyer, _Four Songs of Summer and Winter_; + _Revue Celtique_; + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Curtin's _Folk Tales_. + +BIRTH OF BRAN.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +OISIN'S MOTHER.-- + Kennedy, _Legendary Fictions Irish Celts_; + Mac Innis; + _Leabhar na Feinne_. + +BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA.-- + Dean of Lismore's Book; + _Silva Gaedelica; + Leabhar na Feinne_. + +LAD OF THE SKINS.-- + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_; + Larminie's _Folk Tales_; + Curtin's _Tales_. + +THE HOUND.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_. + +RED RIDGE.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND.-- + Kuno Meyer, _Anec. Oxonienses_; + Hanmer's _Chronicle_; + Dean of Lismore; + Curtin's _Tales_; + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +KING OF BRITAIN'S SON.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +DONN, SON OF MIDHIR.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS.-- + Dean of Lismore; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales of the Western Highlands_. + +LOMNA'S HEAD.-- + O'Curry, _Orc. Treith_, O'Donovan, ed. Stokes. + +ILBREC OF ESS RUADH.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +CAVE OF CRUACHAN.-- + Stokes, _Irische Texts._ + +WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +THE SHADOWY ONE.-- + O'Curry. + +FINN'S MADNESS.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +THE RED WOMAN.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_. + +FINN AND THE PHANTOMS.-- + Kuno Meyer, _Revue Celtique_. + +THE PIGS OF ANGUS.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +OISIN'S CHILDREN.-- + O'Curry; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales of the Western Highlands_; + Stokes, _Irische Texte_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Celtic Magazine_; + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_. + +BIRTH OF DIARMUID.-- + _Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grania_ + (Society for Preservation of the Irish Language); + Campbell's _Popular Tales_. + +HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_. + +DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE.-- + Campbell's _Popular Tales_. + +THE HARD SERVANT.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES.-- + MSS. in Royal Irish Academy, and in Dr Hyde's possession. + +DIARMUID AND GRANIA.-- + Text Published by S. Hayes O'Grady, + _Proc. Ossianic Society_, + and re-edited by N. O'Duffey for + Society for Preservation of the Irish Language; + Kuno Meyer, _Revue Celtique_, and _Four Songs_; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales_; + _Kilkenny Arch. Journal_; + _Folk Lore_, vol. vii., 1896; + Dean of Lismore; + Nutt, _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_. + +CNOC-AN-AIR, ETC.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales_; + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + O'Curry; + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_; + Stokes, _Irische Texte_. + +THE END OF THE FIANNA.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_; + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Miss Brooke's _Reliques_; + _Annals of the Four Masters_; + _Celtic Magazine_. + +OISIN AND PATRICK, AND OISIN'S LAMENTS.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Kilkenny Arch, fournal_; + Curtin's _Tales_. + +I have taken Grania's sleepy song, and the description of Finn's shield +and of Cumhal's treasure-bag, and the fact of Finn's descent from +Ethlinn, from _Duanaire Finn_, now being edited for the Irish Texts +Society by Mr John MacNeill, the proofs of which I have been kindly +allowed to see. And I have used sometimes parts of stories, or comments +on them gathered directly from the people, who have kept these heroes so +much in mind. The story of Caoilte coming to the help of the King of +Ireland in a dark wood is the only one I have given without either a +literary or a folk ancestry. It was heard or read by Mr Yeats, he cannot +remember where, but he had, with it in his mind, written of "Caoilte's +burning hair" in one of his poems. + +I and my readers owe special thanks to those good workers in the +discovery of Irish literature, Professor Kuno Meyer and Mr Whitley +Stokes, translators of so many manuscripts; and to my friend and kinsman +Standish Hayes O'Grady, for what I have taken from that wonderful +treasure-house, his _Silva Gaedelica_. + + + + +IV. THE PRONUNCIATION + + +This is the approximate pronunciation of some of the more difficult +names: + +Adhnuall Ai-noo-al. +Ailbhe. Alva. +Almhuin All-oon, _or_ Alvin. +Aobh Aev, _or_ Eev. +Aodh Ae (rhyming to "day"). +Aoibhill Evill. +Aoife Eefa. + +Badb Bibe. +Beltaine, + or Bealtaine Bal-tinna. +Bladhma Bly-ma. +Bodb Dearg Bove Darrig. + +Caoilte Cweeltia. +Cam Ruidhe Corn Rwee. +Ciabhan Kee-a-van. +Cliodna Cleevna. +Coincheann Kun-Kann. +Crann Buidhe Cran bwee. +Credhe Crae-a. +Cumhal Coo-al. + +Deaghadh D'ya-a. +Dubhthach Duffach. +Duibhreann Dhiv-ran. +Duibhrium Dhiv-rinn. +Dun Doon. + +Eimher Aevir. +Emhain Avvin. +Eochaid Eohee. +Eoghan Owen. + +Fionnchad Finn-ach-a. +Fodhla Fóla. +Fodla Fola. + +Gallimh Gol-yiv. +Glas Gaibhnenn Glos Gov-nan. + +Leith Laeig Leh Laeg. +Loch Dairbhreach Loch Darvragh. +Lugaidh Loo-ee, _or_ Lewy. +Lugh Loo. + +Magh an Ionganaidh Moy-in-eean-ee. +Magh Cuillean Moy Cullin. +Magh Feabhail Moy Fowl. +Magh Macraimhe Moy Mucrivva. +Magh Mell Moy Mal. +Magh Rein Moy Raen. +Magh Tuireadh Moytirra. +Manannan Mananaun. +Midhe Mee. +Midhna Mec-na. +Mochaomhog Mo-cwecv-og. +Muadhan Moo-aun. +Murchadh Murachu. + +Nemhnain Now-nin. +Niamh Nee-av. + +Og Og. + +Rath Medba, + or Meadhbha Ra Maev-a. +Rudraighe Rury. + +Samhain Sow-in. +Scathniamh Scau-nee-av. +Sceolan Skolaun. +Searbhan Sharavaun. +Sidhe Shee. +Slieve Echtge Sleev Acht-ga. + +Tadg Teig. +Teamhair T'yower, _or_ Tavvir. +Tuatha de Danaan Too-a-ha dae Donnan. +Tuathmumhain Too-moon. + +I have not followed a fixed rule as to the spelling of Irish names; I +have taken the spelling I give from various good authorities, but they +vary so much that, complete accuracy not being easy, I sometimes look to +custom and convenience. I use, for instance, "Slieve" for "Sliabh," +because it comes so often, and a mispronunciation would spoil so many +names. I have treated "Inbhir" (a river mouth) in the same way, spelling +it "Inver," and even adopting it as an English word, because it is so +useful. The forty scholars of the New School of Old Irish will do us +good service if they work at the question both of spelling and of +pronunciation of the old names and settle them as far as is possible. + + +V. THE PLACE NAMES + +Accuill Achill, Co. Mayo. +Aine Cliach Cnoc Aine, Co. Limerick. +Almhuin Near Kildare. +Ath Cliath Dublin. +Athluain Athlone. +Ath na Riogh Athenry. +Badhamain Cahir, Co. Tipperary. +Baile Cronin Barony of Imokilty, Co. Cork. +Banna The Bann. +Beare Berehaven. +Bearna na Eadargana Roscommon. +Bearnas Mor Co. Donegal. +Beinn Gulbain Benbulban, Co. Sligo. +Beire do Bhunadas Berehaven. +Bel-atha Senaig Ballyshannon. +Belgata In Connemara. +Benna Boirde Source of the Bann and Mourne Mountains. +Berramain Near Tralee. +Bhas River Bush. +Boinn River Boyne. +Bri Leith Co. Longford. + +Cairbre Carbury. +Cairgin Three miles south of Londonderry. +Carrthach River River Carra, near Dunkerrin Mountains. +Ceanntaile Kinsale. +Ceiscorainn Co. Sligo. +Cill Dolun Killaloe, Co. Clare. +Cliodna's Wave At Glandore, Co. Cork. +Cluantarbh Clontarf. +Cnoc Aine Co. Limerick. +Cnoc-an-Air Co. Kerry. +Cnoc na righ Co. Sligo. +Corca Duibhne Corcaguiny, Co. Kerry. +Corrslieve Carlow Mountains. +Crotta Cliach Galtee Mountains. +Cruachan Co. Roscommon. +Cruachan Aigle Croagh Patrick. + +Doire a Cairn Derrycarn, Co. Meath. +Doire-da-Bhoth In Slieve Echtge. +Druim Cleibh Co. Sligo. +Druim Lis Near Loch Gill. +Druimscarha Near River Arighis, Co. Cork. +Dun Sobairce Dunsevenh, Co. Antrim. +Durlas Thurles. + +Ess Dara Near Sligo. +Ess Ruadh Assaroe, Co. Donegal. +Fidh Gaible Fergill, Co. Sligo. +Finntraighe Ventry. +Fionn The Finn. +Fionnabraic Kilfenna, Co. Clare. +Fionntutach Co. Limerick. +Fleisge Co. Kerry. + +Gabhra Near Tara. +Gaibh atha na Fiann River Leamhar, flows from Killarney. +Gairech and Ilgairech Hills near Mullingar. +Gallimh Galway. +Gleann na Caor Co. Cork. +Gullach Dollairb Barony of Rathconrath. + +Hill of Bairnech Near Killarney. +Hill of Uisnech Co. Westmeath. + +Inver Cechmaine East coast of Ulster. +Inver Colpa Drogheda. +Inver Slane N.E. of Leinster. +Irrus Domnann Erris, Co. Mayo. +Island of Toraig Tory Island, Co. Donegal. + +Laoi River Lee. +Leith Laoi Leitrim. +Linn Feic Near Slaney. +Loch Bel Sead Co. Tipperary. +Loch Cé Co. Roscommon. +Loch Dairbhreach Loch Derryvaragh, Co. Westmeath. +Loch Deirg Dheirc Loch Derg on the Shannon. +Loch Eirne Loch Erne. +Loch Feabhail Loch Foyle. +Loch Lein Killarney. +Loch Orbson Loch Corrib. +Loch na-n Ean In Co. Roscommon. +Lough Neatach Loch Neagh. +Luimneach Limerick. + +Maev Mhagh Plain about Loughrea. +Magh Cobha Iveagh, Co. Down. +Magh Cuilenn Moycullen, Co. Galway. +Magh Femen Co. Tipperary. +Magh Larg Co. Roscommon. +Magh Leine King's County. +Magh Luirg Co. Roscommon. +Magh Maini Co. Wexford. +Magh Mucraimhe Near Athenry. +Magh Nia Same as Magh Tuireadh. +Magh Rein Co. Leitrim. +Magh Tuireadh Moytura near Sligo, scene of great + battle, and Moytura, near + Cong, scene of first battle. +March of Finnliath River Lee, near Tralee. +Midhe Meath, west of Ardagh. +Mis Geadh In Bay of Erris. +Muaid River Moy. +Muc-inis Muckinish, off Connemara. + +Nas Naas. +Nem The Nem. + +Oenach Clochan Morristown, Co. Limerick. +Osraige Ossory. + +Paps of Dana Co. Kerry. +Portlairge Waterford. + +River Maigh Co. Limerick. +Ros da Shioleach Limerick. +Ruirlech Liffey. + +Samair R. Cumhair, runs through Bruff. +Sionnan River Shannon. +Siuir River Suir, Co. Tipperary. +Siuir and Beoir Suir and Nore and Barrow. + and Berba +Slieve Baisne Co. Roscommon. +Slieve Bladmai Slieve Bloom. +Slieve Buane Slieve Banne, Co. Roscommon. +Slieve Conaill Border of Leitrim and Donegal. +Slieve Crot Co. Tipperary. +Slieve Cua Co. Waterford. +Slieve Cua + and Slieve Crot In Galtee Mountains. +Slieve Cuailgne Co. Louth. +Slieve Echtge Co. Galway. +Slieve Fuad Co. Armagh. +Slieve Guaire Co. Cavan. +Slieve Luchra Co. Kerry. +Slieve Lugha Co. Mayo. +Slieve Mis Co. Kerry. +Slieve Muice Co. Tipperary. +Slieve-nam-Ban Co. Tipperary +Sligach Sligo. +Srub Bruin In West Kerry. +Sruth na Maoile Mull of Cantire. + +Tailltin Telltown. +Teamhair Tara, Co. Meath. +Teunhair Luchra Near Castle Island, Co. Kerry. +The Beith River Behy, Barony of Dunkerrin. +The Beoir The Berba. +The Islands of Mod In Clew Bay. +The Lemain River Laune, Co. Kerry. +The Muaidh River Moy, Co. Sligo. +Tonn Toime Toines, near Killarney. +Traigh Eothaile Near Ballisodare. +Tuathmumain Thomond. + +Ui Chonaill Gabhra Co. Limerick. +Ui Fiachraih, Fiachraig Co. Mayo. + +Wave of Rudraighe Bay of Dundrum. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Gods and Fighting Men, by Lady I. A. Gregory + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GODS AND FIGHTING MEN *** + +***** This file should be named 14465-8.txt or 14465-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/4/6/14465/ + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Robert Ledger and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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A. Gregory + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Gods and Fighting Men + +Author: Lady I. A. Gregory + +Release Date: December 25, 2004 [EBook #14465] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GODS AND FIGHTING MEN *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Robert Ledger and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<h1><a name="home" id="home" />GODS AND FIGHTING MEN:</h1> + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN +AND OF THE FIANNA OF IRELAND,</h3> + +<h3>ARRANGED AND PUT INTO ENGLISH BY LADY GREGORY.</h3> + +<h3>WITH A PREFACE BY W.B. YEATS</h3> + +<h1>1905</h1> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L1" id="L1" />DEDICATION TO THE MEMBERS OF THE IRISH LITERARY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK</h2> + + +<p>My Friends, those I know and those I do not know, I am glad in the year +of the birth of your Society to have this book to offer you.</p> + +<p>It has given great courage to many workers here—working to build up +broken walls—to know you have such friendly thoughts of them in your +minds. A few of you have already come to see us, and we begin to hope +that one day the steamers across the Atlantic will not go out full, but +come back full, until some of you find your real home is here, and say +as some of us say, like Finn to the woman of enchantments—</p> + +<p><img src="images/gaelic.png" + alt="Irish Gaelic." + title="Irish Gaelic." style="width: 100%"/></p> + +<p>"We would not give up our own country—Ireland—if we were to get the +whole world as an estate, and the Country of the Young along with it." + +<span class="author">AUGUSTA GREGORY.</span></p> + + + +<hr /> +<a name="L2" id="L2" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> +<ul class="TOC"> +<li><a href="#L1">DEDICATION</a></li> +<li><a href="#L2">CONTENTS</a></li> +<li><a href="#L3">PREFACE</a></li> + +<li class="part"><a href="#L4">PART ONE: THE GODS.</a></li> + +<li class="book"><a href="#L4">BOOK ONE: THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN.</a> + <ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L4">CHAPTER I. THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRBOLGS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L5">CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF BRES</a></li> + </ul> +</li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L6">BOOK TWO: LUGH OF THE LONG HAND.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L6">CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF LUGH</a></li> + <li><a href="#L7">CHAPTER II. THE SONS OF TUIREANN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L8">CHAPTER III. THE GREAT BATTLE OF MAGH TUIREADH</a></li> + <li><a href="#L9">CHAPTER IV. THE HIDDEN HOUSE OF LUGH</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L10">BOOK THREE: THE COMING OF THE GAEL.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L10">CHAPTER I. THE LANDING</a></li> + <li><a href="#L11">CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF TAILLTIN</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L12">BOOK FOUR: THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L12">CHAPTER I. BODB DEARG.</a></li> + <li><a href="#L13">CHAPTER II. THE DAGDA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L14">CHAPTER III. ANGUS OG</a></li> + <li><a href="#L15">CHAPTER IV. THE MORRIGU</a></li> + <li><a href="#L16">CHAPTER V. AINE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L17">CHAPTER VI. AOIBHELL</a></li> + <li><a href="#L18">CHAPTER VII. MIDHIR AND ETAIN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L19">CHAPTER VIII. MANANNAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L20">CHAPTER IX. MANANNAN AT PLAY</a></li> + <li><a href="#L21">CHAPTER X. HIS CALL TO BRAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L22">CHAPTER XI. HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC</a></li> + <li><a href="#L23">CHAPTER XII. CLIODNA'S WAVE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L24">CHAPTER XIII. HIS CALL TO CONNLA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L25">CHAPTER XIV. TADG IN MANANNAN'S ISLANDS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L26">CHAPTER XV. LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"><a href="#L27">BOOK FIVE: THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR</a></li> + +<li class="part"><a href="#L28">PART TWO: THE FIANNA.</a></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L28">BOOK ONE: FINN, SON OF CUMHAL.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L28">CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF FINN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L29">CHAPTER II. FINN'S HOUSEHOLD</a></li> + <li><a href="#L30">CHAPTER III. BIRTH OF BRAN.</a></li> + <li><a href="#L31">CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S MOTHER.</a></li> + <li><a href="#L32">CHAPTER V. THE BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L33">BOOK TWO: FINN'S HELPERS</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L33"> CHAPTER I. THE LAD OF THE SKINS </a></li> + <li><a href="#L34">CHAPTER II. BLACK, BROWN, AND GREY</a></li> + <li><a href="#L35">CHAPTER III. THE HOUND</a></li> + <li><a href="#L36">CHAPTER IV. RED RIDGE</a></li> +</ul></li> + + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L37">BOOK THREE: THE BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L37"> CHAPTER I. THE ENEMIES OF IRELAND</a></li> + <li><a href="#L38">CHAPTER II. CAEL AND CREDHE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L39">CHAPTER III. CONN CRITHER</a></li> + <li><a href="#L40">CHAPTER IV. GLAS, SON OF BREMEN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L41">CHAPTER V. THE HELP OF THE MEN OF DEA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L42">CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L43">CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L44">CHAPTER VIII. THE KING OF ULSTER'S SON</a></li> + <li><a href="#L45">CHAPTER IX. THE HIGH KING'S SON</a></li> + <li><a href="#L46">CHAPTER X. THE KING OF LOCHLANN AND HIS SONS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L47">CHAPTER XI. LABRAN'S JOURNEY</a></li> + <li><a href="#L48">CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT FIGHT</a></li> + <li><a href="#L49">CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L50">BOOK FOUR: HUNTINGS AND ENCHANTMENTS.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L50"> CHAPTER I. THE KING OF BRITAIN'S SON</a></li> + <li><a href="#L51">CHAPTER II. THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L52">CHAPTER III. DONN SON OF MIDHIR</a></li> + <li><a href="#L53">CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L54">CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L55">CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD</a></li> + <li><a href="#L56">CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH</a></li> + <li><a href="#L57">CHAPTER VIII. THE CAVE OF CRUACHAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L58">CHAPTER IX. THE WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L59">CHAPTER X. THE SHADOWY ONE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L60">CHAPTER XII. THE RED WOMAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L61">CHAPTER XIII. FINN AND THE PHANTOMS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L62">CHAPTER XIV. THE PIGS OF ANGUS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L63">CHAPTER XV. THE HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L64">BOOK FIVE: OISIN'S CHILDREN</a></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L65">BOOK SIX: DIARMUID.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L65">CHAPTER I. BIRTH OF DIARMUID</a></li> + <li><a href="#L66">CHAPTER II. HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT</a></li> + <li><a href="#L67">CHAPTER III. THE DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L68">CHAPTER IV. THE HARD SERVANT</a></li> + <li><a href="#L69">CHAPTER V. THE HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L70">BOOK SEVEN: DIARMUID AND GRANIA.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L70"> CHAPTER I. THE FLIGHT FROM TEAMHAIR</a></li> + <li><a href="#L71">CHAPTER II. THE PURSUIT</a></li> + <li><a href="#L72">CHAPTER III. THE GREEN CHAMPIONS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L73">CHAPTER IV. THE WOOD OF DUBHROS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L74">CHAPTER V. THE QUARREL</a></li> + <li><a href="#L75">CHAPTER VI. THE WANDERERS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L76">CHAPTER VII. FIGHTING AND PEACE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L77">CHAPTER VIII. THE BOAR OF BEINN GULBAIN</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"><a href="#L78">BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L78">CHAPTER I. TAILC, SON OF TREON</a></li> + <li><a href="#L79">CHAPTER II. MEARGACH'S WIFE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L80">CHAPTER III. AILNE'S REVENGE</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> + <a href="#L81">BOOK NINE: THE WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L81">CHAPTER I. THE QUARREL WITH THE SONS OF MORNA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L82">CHAPTER II. DEATH OF GOLL</a></li> + <li><a href="#L83">CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF GABHRA</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L84">BOOK TEN: THE END OF THE FIANNA.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L84">CHAPTER I. DEATH OF BRAN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L85">CHAPTER II. THE CALL OF OISIN</a></li> + <li><a href="#L86">CHAPTER III. THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="book"> +<a href="#L87">BOOK ELEVEN: OISIN AND PATRICK.</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L87">CHAPTER I. OISIN'S STORY</a></li> + <li><a href="#L88">CHAPTER II. OISIN IN PATRICK'S HOUSE</a></li> + <li><a href="#L89">CHAPTER III. THE ARGUMENTS</a></li> + <li><a href="#L90">CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S LAMENTS</a></li> +</ul></li> + +<li class="part"><a href="#L91">NOTES</a> +<ul class="TOCSub"> + <li><a href="#L91">I. THE APOLOGY</a></li> + <li><a href="#L92">II. THE AGE AND ORIGIN OF THE STORIES OF THE FIANNA</a></li> + <li><a href="#L93">III. THE AUTHORITIES</a></li> + <li><a href="#L95">IV. THE PRONUNCIATION</a></li> + <li><a href="#L96">V. THE PLACE NAMES</a></li> + +</ul></li> + + +</ul> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L3" id="L3" />PREFACE</h2> + +<h3>I</h3> + +<p>A few months ago I was on the bare Hill of Allen, "wide Almhuin of +Leinster," where Finn and the Fianna lived, according to the stories, +although there are no earthen mounds there like those that mark the +sites of old buildings on so many hills. A hot sun beat down upon +flowering gorse and flowerless heather; and on every side except the +east, where there were green trees and distant hills, one saw a level +horizon and brown boglands with a few green places and here and there +the glitter of water. One could imagine that had it been twilight and +not early afternoon, and had there been vapours drifting and frothing +where there were now but shadows of clouds, it would have set stirring +in one, as few places even in Ireland can, a thought that is peculiar to +Celtic romance, as I think, a thought of a mystery coming not as with +Gothic nations out of the pressure of darkness, but out of great spaces +and windy light. The hill of Teamhair, or Tara, as it is now called, +with its green mounds and its partly wooded sides, and its more gradual +slope set among fat grazing lands, with great trees in the hedgerows, +had brought before one imaginations, not of heroes who were in their +youth for hundreds of years, or of women who came to them in the +likeness of hunted fawns, but of kings that lived brief and politic +lives, and of the five white roads that carried their armies to the +lesser kingdoms of Ireland, or brought to the great fair that had given +Teamhair its sovereignty, all that sought justice or pleasure or had +goods to barter.</p> + + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p>It is certain that we must not confuse these kings, as did the mediæval +chroniclers, with those half-divine kings of Almhuin. The chroniclers, +perhaps because they loved tradition too well to cast out utterly much +that they dreaded as Christians, and perhaps because popular imagination +had begun the mixture, have mixed one with another ingeniously, making +Finn the head of a kind of Militia under Cormac MacArt, who is supposed +to have reigned at Teamhair in the second century, and making Grania, +who travels to enchanted houses under the cloak of Angus, god of Love, +and keeps her troubling beauty longer than did Helen hers, Cormac's +daughter, and giving the stories of the Fianna, although the impossible +has thrust its proud finger into them all, a curious air of precise +history. It is only when one separates the stories from that mediæval +pedantry, as in this book, that one recognises one of the oldest worlds +that man has imagined, an older world certainly than one finds in the +stories of Cuchulain, who lived, according to the chroniclers, about the +time of the birth of Christ. They are far better known, and one may be +certain of the antiquity of incidents that are known in one form or +another to every Gaelic-speaking countryman in Ireland or in the +Highlands of Scotland. Sometimes a labourer digging near to a cromlech, +or Bed of Diarmuid and Crania as it is called, will tell one a tradition +that seems older and more barbaric than any description of their +adventures or of themselves in written text or story that has taken form +in the mouths of professed story-tellers. Finn and the Fianna found +welcome among the court poets later than did Cuchulain; and one finds +memories of Danish invasions and standing armies mixed with the +imaginations of hunters and solitary fighters among great woods. One +never hears of Cuchulain delighting in the hunt or in woodland things; +and one imagines that the story-teller would have thought it unworthy in +so great a man, who lived a well-ordered, elaborate life, and had his +chariot and his chariot-driver and his barley-fed horses to delight in. +If he is in the woods before dawn one is not told that he cannot know +the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of the oak; and when Emer +laments him no wild creature comes into her thoughts but the cuckoo that +cries over cultivated fields. His story must have come out of a time +when the wild wood was giving way to pasture and tillage, and men had no +longer a reason to consider every cry of the birds or change of the +night. Finn, who was always in the woods, whose battles were but hours +amid years of hunting, delighted in the "cackling of ducks from the Lake +of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of Doire an +Cairn; the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries; the +whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories or from the rough +branches of the Ridge of the Stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim re Coir." When sorrow comes +upon the queens of the stories, they have sympathy for the wild birds +and beasts that are like themselves: "Credhe wife of Cael came with the +others and went looking through the bodies for her comely comrade, and +crying as she went. And as she was searching she saw a crane of the +meadows and her two nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching +the nestlings; and when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, +he would make a rush at the other bird, the way she had to stretch +herself out over the birds; and she would sooner have got her own death +by the fox than the nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was +looking at that, and she said: 'It is no wonder I to have such love for +my comely sweetheart, and the bird in that distress about her +nestlings.'"</p> + + +<h3>III</h3> + +<p>One often hears of a horse that shivers with terror, or of a dog that +howls at something a man's eyes cannot see, and men who live primitive +lives where instinct does the work of reason are fully conscious of many +things that we cannot perceive at all. As life becomes more orderly, +more deliberate, the supernatural world sinks farther away. Although the +gods come to Cuchulain, and although he is the son of one of the +greatest of them, their country and his are far apart, and they come to +him as god to mortal; but Finn is their equal. He is continually in +their houses; he meets with Bodb Dearg, and Angus, and Manannan, now as +friend with friend, now as with an enemy he overcomes in battle; and +when he has need of their help his messenger can say: "There is not a +king's son or a prince, or a leader of the Fianna of Ireland, without +having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother or a sweetheart of the +Tuatha de Danaan." When the Fianna are broken up at last, after hundreds +of years of hunting, it is doubtful that he dies at all, and certain +that he comes again in some other shape, and Oisin, his son, is made +king over a divine country. The birds and beasts that cross his path in +the woods have been fighting men or great enchanters or fair women, and +in a moment can take some beautiful or terrible shape. One thinks of him +and of his people as great-bodied men with large movements, that seem, +as it were, flowing out of some deep below the narrow stream of personal +impulse, men that have broad brows and quiet eyes full of confidence in +a good luck that proves every day afresh that they are a portion of the +strength of things. They are hardly so much individual men as portions +of universal nature, like the clouds that shape themselves and re-shape +themselves momentarily, or like a bird between two boughs, or like the +gods that have given the apples and the nuts; and yet this but brings +them the nearer to us, for we can remake them in our image when we will, +and the woods are the more beautiful for the thought. Do we not always +fancy hunters to be something like this, and is not that why we think +them poetical when we meet them of a sudden, as in these lines in +"Pauline":</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 15em;">"An old hunter</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Talking with gods; or a nigh-crested chief</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Sailing with troops of friends to Tenedos"</span><br /> +</p> + +<h3>IV</h3> + +<p>One must not expect in these stories the epic lineaments, the many +incidents, woven into one great event of, let us say, the story of the +War for the Brown Bull of Cuailgne, or that of the last gathering at +Muirthemne. Even Diarmuid and Grania, which is a long story, has nothing +of the clear outlines of Deirdre, and is indeed but a succession of +detached episodes. The men who imagined the Fianna had the imagination +of children, and as soon as they had invented one wonder, heaped another +on top of it. Children—or, at any rate, it is so I remember my own +childhood—do not understand large design, and they delight in little +shut-in places where they can play at houses more than in great expanses +where a country-side takes, as it were, the impression of a thought. The +wild creatures and the green things are more to them than to us, for +they creep towards our light by little holes and crevices. When they +imagine a country for themselves, it is always a country where one can +wander without aim, and where one can never know from one place what +another will be like, or know from the one day's adventure what may meet +one with to-morrow's sun. I have wished to become a child again that I +might find this book, that not only tells one of such a country, but is +fuller than any other book that tells of heroic life, of the childhood +that is in all folk-lore, dearer to me than all the books of the western +world.</p> + +<p>Children play at being great and wonderful people, at the ambitions +they will put away for one reason or another before they grow into +ordinary men and women. Mankind as a whole had a like dream once; +everybody and nobody built up the dream bit by bit, and the ancient +story-tellers are there to make us remember what mankind would have been +like, had not fear and the failing will and the laws of nature tripped +up its heels. The Fianna and their like are themselves so full of power, +and they are set in a world so fluctuating and dream-like, that nothing +can hold them from being all that the heart desires.</p> + +<p>I have read in a fabulous book that Adam had but to imagine a bird, and +it was born into life, and that he created all things out of himself by +nothing more important than an unflagging fancy; and heroes who can make +a ship out of a shaving have but little less of the divine prerogatives. +They have no speculative thoughts to wander through eternity and waste +heroic blood; but how could that be otherwise, for it is at all times +the proud angels who sit thinking upon the hill-side and not the people +of Eden. One morning we meet them hunting a stag that is "as joyful as +the leaves of a tree in summer-time"; and whatever they do, whether they +listen to the harp or follow an enchanter over-sea, they do for the sake +of joy, their joy in one another, or their joy in pride and movement; +and even their battles are fought more because of their delight in a +good fighter than because of any gain that is in victory. They live +always as if they were playing a game; and so far as they have any +deliberate purpose at all, it is that they may become great gentlemen +and be worthy of the songs of poets. It has been said, and I think the +Japanese were the first to say it, that the four essential virtues are +to be generous among the weak, and truthful among one's friends, and +brave among one's enemies, and courteous at all times; and if we +understand by courtesy not merely the gentleness the story-tellers have +celebrated, but a delight in courtly things, in beautiful clothing and +in beautiful verse, one understands that it was no formal succession of +trials that bound the Fianna to one another. Only the Table Round, that +is indeed, as it seems, a rivulet from the same river, is bound in a +like fellowship, and there the four heroic virtues are troubled by the +abstract virtues of the cloister. Every now and then some noble knight +builds himself a cell upon the hill-side, or leaves kind women and +joyful knights to seek the vision of the Grail in lonely adventures. But +when Oisin or some kingly forerunner—Bran, son of Febal, or the +like—rides or sails in an enchanted ship to some divine country, he but +looks for a more delighted companionship, or to be in love with faces +that will never fade. No thought of any life greater than that of love, +and the companionship of those that have drawn their swords upon the +darkness of the world, ever troubles their delight in one another as it +troubles Iseult amid her love, or Arthur amid his battles. It is one of +the ailments of our speculation that thought, when it is not the +planning of something, or the doing of something or some memory of a +plain circumstance separates us from one another because it makes us +always more unlike, and because no thought passes through another's ear +unchanged. Companionship can only be perfect when it is founded on +things, for things are always the same under the hand, and at last one +comes to hear with envy of the voices of boys lighting a lantern to +ensnare moths, or of the maids chattering in the kitchen about the fox +that carried off a turkey before breakfast. This book is full of +fellowship untroubled like theirs, and made noble by a courtesy that has +gone perhaps out of the world. I do not know in literature better +friends and lovers. When one of the Fianna finds Osgar dying the proud +death of a young man, and asks is it well with him, he is answered, "I +am as you would have me be." The very heroism of the Fianna is indeed +but their pride and joy in one another, their good fellowship. Goll, old +and savage, and letting himself die of hunger in a cave because he is +angry and sorry, can speak lovely words to the wife whose help he +refuses. "'It is best as it is,' he said, 'and I never took the advice +of a woman east or west, and I never will take it. And oh, sweet-voiced +queen,' he said, 'what ails you to be fretting after me? and remember +now your silver and your gold, and your silks ... and do not be crying +tears after me, queen with the white hands,' he said, 'but remember your +constant lover Aodh, son of the best woman of the world, that came from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought on Corcar-an-Dearg; and go to +him now,' he said, 'for it is bad when a woman is without a good man.'"</p> + + +<h3>VI</h3> + +<p>They have no asceticism, but they are more visionary than any ascetic, +and their invisible life is but the life about them made more perfect +and more lasting, and the invisible people are their own images in the +water. Their gods may have been much besides this, for we know them from +fragments of mythology picked out with trouble from a fantastic history +running backward to Adam and Eve, and many things that may have seemed +wicked to the monks who imagined that history, may have been altered or +left out; but this they must have been essentially, for the old stories +are confirmed by apparitions among the country-people to-day. The Men of +Dea fought against the mis-shapen Fomor, as Finn fights against the +Cat-Heads and the Dog-Heads; and when they are overcome at last by men, +they make themselves houses in the hearts of hills that are like the +houses of men. When they call men to their houses and to their country +Under-Wave they promise them all that they have upon earth, only in +greater abundance. The god Midhir sings to Queen Etain in one of the +most beautiful of the stories: "The young never grow old; the fields and +the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's eggs; +warm streams of mead and wine flow through that country; there is no +care or no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we ourselves are not +seen." These gods are indeed more wise and beautiful than men; but men, +when they are great men, are stronger than they are, for men are, as it +were, the foaming tide-line of their sea. One remembers the Druid who +answered, when some one asked him who made the world, "The Druids made +it." All was indeed but one life flowing everywhere, and taking one +quality here, another there. It sometimes seems to one as if there is a +kind of day and night of religion, and that a period when the influences +are those that shape the world is followed by a period when the greater +power is in influences that would lure the soul out of the world, out of +the body. When Oisin is speaking with S. Patrick of the friends and the +life he has outlived, he can but cry out constantly against a religion +that has no meaning for him. He laments, and the country-people have +remembered his words for centuries: "I will cry my fill, but not for +God, but because Finn and the Fianna are not living."</p> + + +<h3>VII</h3> + +<p>Old writers had an admirable symbolism that attributed certain energies +to the influence of the sun, and certain others to the lunar influence. +To lunar influence belong all thoughts and emotions that were created by +the community, by the common people, by nobody knows who, and to the sun +all that came from the high disciplined or individual kingly mind. I +myself imagine a marriage of the sun and moon in the arts I take most +pleasure in; and now bride and bridegroom but exchange, as it were, full +cups of gold and silver, and now they are one in a mystical embrace. +From the moon come the folk-songs imagined by reapers and spinners out +of the common impulse of their labour, and made not by putting words +together, but by mixing verses and phrases, and the folk-tales made by +the capricious mixing of incidents known to everybody in new ways, as +one deals out cards, never getting the same hand twice over. When one +hears some fine story, one never knows whether it has not been hazard +that put the last touch of adventure. Such poetry, as it seems to me, +desires an infinity of wonder or emotion, for where there is no +individual mind there is no measurer-out, no marker-in of limits. The +poor fisher has no possession of the world and no responsibility for it; +and if he dreams of a love-gift better than the brown shawl that seems +too common for poetry, why should he not dream of a glove made from the +skin of a bird, or shoes made from the skin of a fish, or a coat made +from the glittering garment of the salmon? Was it not Aeschylus who said +he but served up fragments from the banquet of Homer?—but Homer himself +found the great banquet on an earthen floor and under a broken roof. We +do not know who at the foundation of the world made the banquet for the +first time, or who put the pack of cards into rough hands; but we do +know that, unless those that have made many inventions are about to +change the nature of poetry, we may have to go where Homer went if we +are to sing a new song. Is it because all that is under the moon thirsts +to escape out of bounds, to lose itself in some unbounded tidal stream, +that the songs of the folk are mournful, and that the story of the +Fianna, whenever the queens lament for their lovers, reminds us of songs +that are still sung in country-places? Their grief, even when it is to +be brief like Grania's, goes up into the waste places of the sky. But +in supreme art or in supreme life there is the influence of the sun too, +and the sun brings with it, as old writers tell us, not merely +discipline but joy; for its discipline is not of the kind the multitudes +impose upon us by their weight and pressure, but the expression of the +individual soul turning itself into a pure fire and imposing its own +pattern, its own music, upon the heaviness and the dumbness that is in +others and in itself. When we have drunk the cold cup of the moon's +intoxication, we thirst for something beyond ourselves, and the mind +flows outward to a natural immensity; but if we have drunk from the hot +cup of the sun, our own fullness awakens, we desire little, for wherever +one goes one's heart goes too; and if any ask what music is the +sweetest, we can but answer, as Finn answered, "what happens." And yet +the songs and stories that have come from either influence are a part, +neither less than the other, of the pleasure that is the bride-bed of +poetry.</p> + + +<h3>VIII</h3> + +<p>Gaelic-speaking Ireland, because its art has been made, not by the +artist choosing his material from wherever he has a mind to, but by +adding a little to something which it has taken generations to invent, +has always had a popular literature. One cannot say how much that +literature has done for the vigour of the race, for one cannot count the +hands its praise of kings and high-hearted queens made hot upon the +sword-hilt, or the amorous eyes it made lustful for strength and beauty. +One remembers indeed that when the farming people and the labourers of +the towns made their last attempt to cast out England by force of arms +they named themselves after the companions of Finn. Even when Gaelic has +gone, and the poetry with it, something of the habit of mind remains in +ways of speech and thought and "come-all-ye"s and poetical saying; nor +is it only among the poor that the old thought has been for strength or +weakness. Surely these old stories, whether of Finn or Cuchulain, helped +to sing the old Irish and the old Norman-Irish aristocracy to their end. +They heard their hereditary poets and story-tellers, and they took to +horse and died fighting against Elizabeth or against Cromwell; and when +an English-speaking aristocracy had their place, it listened to no +poetry indeed, but it felt about it in the popular mind an exacting and +ancient tribunal, and began a play that had for spectators men and women +that loved the high wasteful virtues. I do not think that their own +mixed blood or the habit of their time need take all, or nearly all, +credit or discredit for the impulse that made our modern gentlemen fight +duels over pocket-handkerchiefs, and set out to play ball against the +gates of Jerusalem for a wager, and scatter money before the public eye; +and at last, after an epoch of such eloquence the world has hardly seen +its like, lose their public spirit and their high heart and grow +querulous and selfish as men do who have played life out not heartily +but with noise and tumult. Had they understood the people and the game a +little better, they might have created an aristocracy in an age that has +lost the meaning of the word. When one reads of the Fianna, or of +Cuchulain, or of some great hero, one remembers that the fine life is +always a part played finely before fine spectators. There also one +notices the hot cup and the cold cup of intoxication; and when the fine +spectators have ended, surely the fine players grow weary, and +aristocratic life is ended. When O'Connell covered with a dark glove the +hand that had killed a man in the duelling field, he played his part; +and when Alexander stayed his army marching to the conquest of the world +that he might contemplate the beauty of a plane-tree, he played his +part. When Osgar complained as he lay dying, of the keening of the women +and the old fighting men, he too played his part; "No man ever knew any +heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered with +iron; but the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the keening +of the old fighting men and the crying of the women one after another, +those are the things that are vexing me." If we would create a great +community—and what other game is so worth the labour?—we must recreate +the old foundations of life, not as they existed in that splendid +misunderstanding of the eighteenth century, but as they must always +exist when the finest minds and Ned the beggar and Seaghan the fool +think about the same thing, although they may not think the same thought +about it.</p> + + +<h3>IX</h3> + +<p>When I asked the little boy who had shown me the pathway up the Hill of +Allen if he knew stories of Finn and Oisin, he said he did not, but that +he had often heard his grandfather telling them to his mother in Irish. +He did not know Irish, but he was learning it at school, and all the +little boys he knew were learning it. In a little while he will know +enough stories of Finn and Oisin to tell them to his children some day. +It is the owners of the land whose children might never have known what +would give them so much happiness. But now they can read this book to +their children, and it will make Slieve-na-man, Allen, and Benbulben, +the great mountain that showed itself before me every day through all my +childhood and was yet unpeopled, and half the country-sides of south and +west, as populous with memories as are Dundealgan and Emain Macha and +Muirthemne; and after a while somebody may even take them to some famous +place and say, "This land where your fathers lived proudly and finely +should be dear and dear and again dear"; and perhaps when many names +have grown musical to their ears, a more imaginative love will have +taught them a better service.</p> + + +<h3>X</h3> + +<p>I need say nothing about the translation and arrangement of this book +except that it is worthy to be put beside "Cuchulain of Muirthemne." +Such books should not be commended by written words but by spoken words, +were that possible, for the written words commending a book, wherein +something is done supremely well, remain, to sound in the ears of a +later generation, like the foolish sound of church bells from the tower +of a church when every pew is full.</p> + +<p class="author">W.B. YEATS.</p> + + + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L4" id="L4" />PART ONE: THE GODS.</h2> + +<h2>BOOK ONE: THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRBOLGS</h2> + +<p>It was in a mist the Tuatha de Danaan, the people of the gods of Dana, +or as some called them, the Men of Dea, came through the air and the +high air to Ireland.</p> + +<p>It was from the north they came; and in the place they came from they +had four cities, where they fought their battle for learning: great +Falias, and shining Gorias, and Finias, and rich Murias that lay to the +south. And in those cities they had four wise men to teach their young +men skill and knowledge and perfect wisdom: Senias in Murias; and Arias, +the fair-haired poet, in Finias; and Urias of the noble nature in +Gorias; and Morias in Falias itself. And they brought from those four +cities their four treasures: a Stone of Virtue from Falias, that was +called the Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny; and from Gorias they brought +a Sword; and from Finias a Spear of Victory; and from Murias the fourth +treasure, the Cauldron that no company ever went away from unsatisfied.</p> + +<p>It was Nuada was king of the Tuatha de Danaan at that time, but +Manannan, son of Lir, was greater again. And of the others that were +chief among them were Ogma, brother to the king, that taught them +writing, and Diancecht, that understood healing, and Neit, a god of +battle, and Credenus the Craftsman, and Goibniu the Smith. And the +greatest among their women were Badb, a battle goddess; and Macha, whose +mast-feeding was the heads of men killed in battle; and the Morrigu, +the Crow of Battle; and Eire and Fodla and Banba, daughters of the +Dagda, that all three gave their names to Ireland afterwards; and Eadon, +the nurse of poets; and Brigit, that was a woman of poetry, and poets +worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was +a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it +was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the +night. And the one side of her face was ugly, but the other side was +very comely. And the meaning of her name was Breo-saighit, a fiery +arrow. And among the other women there were many shadow-forms and great +queens; but Dana, that was called the Mother of the Gods, was beyond +them all.</p> + +<p>And the three things they put above all others were the plough and the +sun and the hazel-tree, so that it was said in the time to come that +Ireland was divided between those three, Coll the hazel, and Cecht the +plough, and Grian the sun.</p> + +<p>And they had a well below the sea where the nine hazels of wisdom were +growing; that is, the hazels of inspiration and of the knowledge of +poetry. And their leaves and their blossoms would break out in the same +hour, and would fall on the well in a shower that raised a purple wave. +And then the five salmon that were waiting there would eat the nuts, and +their colour would come out in the red spots of their skin, and any +person that would eat one of those salmon would know all wisdom and all +poetry. And there were seven streams of wisdom that sprang from that +well and turned back to it again; and the people of many arts have all +drank from that well.</p> + +<p>It was on the first day of Beltaine, that is called now May Day, the +Tuatha de Danaan came, and it was to the north-west of Connacht they +landed. But the Firbolgs, the Men of the Bag, that were in Ireland +before them, and that had come from the South, saw nothing but a mist, +and it lying on the hills.</p> + +<p>Eochaid, son of Erc, was king of the Firbolgs at that time, and +messengers came to him at Teamhair, and told him there was a new race of +people come into Ireland, but whether from the earth or the skies or on +the wind was not known, and that they had settled themselves at Magh +Rein.</p> + +<p>They thought there would be wonder on Eochaid when he heard that news; +but there was no wonder on him, for a dream had come to him in the +night, and when he asked his Druids the meaning of the dream, it is what +they said, that it would not be long till there would be a strong enemy +coming against him.</p> + +<p>Then King Eochaid took counsel with his chief advisers, and it is what +they agreed, to send a good champion of their own to see the strangers +and to speak with them. So they chose out Sreng, that was a great +fighting man, and he rose up and took his strong red-brown shield, and +his two thick-handled spears, and his sword, and his head-covering, and +his thick iron club, and he set out from Teamhair, and went on towards +the place the strangers were, at Magh Rein.</p> + +<p>But before he reached it, the watchers of the Tuatha de Danaan got sight +of him, and they sent out one of their own champions, Bres, with his +shield and his sword and his two spears, to meet him and to talk with +him.</p> + +<p>So the two champions went one towards the other slowly, and keeping a +good watch on one another, and wondering at one another's arms, till +they came near enough for talking; and then they stopped, and each put +his shield before his body and struck it hard into the ground, and they +looked at one another over the rim. Bres was the first to speak, and +when Sreng heard it was Irish he was talking, his own tongue, he was +less uneasy, and they drew nearer, and asked questions as to one +another's family and race.</p> + +<p>And after a while they put their shields away, and it was what Sreng +said, that he had raised his in dread of the thin, sharp spears Bres had +in his hand. And Bres said he himself was in dread of the thick-handled +spears he saw with Sreng, and he asked were all the arms of the Firbolgs +of the same sort. And Sreng took off the tyings of his spears to show +them better, and Bres wondered at them, being so strong and so heavy, +and so sharp at the sides though they had no points. And Sreng told him +the name of those spears was Craisech, and that they would break through +shields and crush flesh and bones, so that their thrust was death or +wounds that never healed. And then he looked at the sharp, thin, +hard-pointed spears that were with Bres. And in the end they made an +exchange of spears, the way the fighters on each side would see the +weapons the others were used to. And it is the message Bres sent to the +Firbolgs, that if they would give up one half of Ireland, his people +would be content to take it in peace; but if they would not give up that +much, there should be a battle. And he and Sreng said to one another +that whatever might happen in the future, they themselves would be +friends.</p> + +<p>Sreng went back then to Teamhair and gave the message and showed the +spear; and it is what he advised his people, to share the country and +not to go into battle with a people that had weapons so much better than +their own. But Eochaid and his chief men consulted together, and they +said in the end: "We will not give up the half of the country to these +strangers; for if we do," they said, "they will soon take the whole."</p> + +<p>Now as to the Men of Dea, when Bres went back to them, and showed them +the heavy spear, and told them of the strong, fierce man he had got it +from, and how sturdy he was and well armed, they thought it likely there +would soon be a battle. And they went back from where they were to a +better place, farther west in Connacht, and there they settled +themselves, and made walls and ditches on the plain of Magh Nia, where +they had the great mountain, Belgata, in their rear. And while they were +moving there and putting up their walls, three queens of them, Badb and +Macha and the Morrigu, went to Teamhair where the Firbolgs were making +their plans. And by the power of their enchantments they brought mists +and clouds of darkness over the whole place, and they sent showers of +fire and of blood over the people, the way they could not see or speak +with one another through the length of three days. But at the end of +that time, the three Druids of the Firbolgs, Cesarn and Gnathach and +Ingnathach, broke the enchantment.</p> + +<p>The Firbolgs gathered their men together then, and they came with their +eleven battalions and took their stand at the eastern end of the plain +of Magh Nia.</p> + +<p>And Nuada, king of the Men of Dea, sent his poets to make the same offer +he made before, to be content with the half of the country if it was +given up to him. King Eochaid bade the poets to ask an answer of his +chief men that were gathered there; and when they heard the offer they +would not consent. So the messengers asked them when would they begin +the battle. "We must have a delay," they said; "for we want time to put +our spears and our armour in order, and to brighten our helmets and to +sharpen our swords, and to have spears made like the ones you have. And +as to yourselves," they said, "you will be wanting to have spears like +our Craisechs made for you." So they agreed then to make a delay of a +quarter of a year for preparation.</p> + +<p>It was on a Midsummer day they began the battle. Three times nine +hurlers of the Tuatha de Danaan went out against three times nine +hurlers of the Firbolgs, and they were beaten, and every one of them was +killed. And the king, Eochaid, sent a messenger to ask would they have +the battle every day or every second day. And it is what Nuada answered +that they would have it every day, but there should be just the same +number of men fighting on each side. Eochaid agreed to that, but he was +not well pleased, for there were more men of the Firbolgs than of the +Men of Dea.</p> + +<p>So the battle went on for four days, and there were great feats done on +each side, and a great many champions came to their death. But for those +that were alive at evening, the physicians on each side used to make a +bath of healing, with every sort of healing plant or herb in it, the way +they would be strong and sound for the next day's fight.</p> + +<p>And on the fourth day the Men of Dea got the upper hand, and the +Firbolgs were driven back. And a great thirst came on Eochaid, their +king, in the battle, and he went off the field looking for a drink, and +three fifties of his men protecting him; but three fifties of the Tuatha +de Danaan followed after them till they came to the strand that is +called Traigh Eothaile, and they had a fierce fight there, and at the +last King Eochaid fell, and they buried him there, and they raised a +great heap of stones over his grave.</p> + +<p>And when there were but three hundred men left of the eleven battalions +of the Firbolgs, and Sreng at the head of them, Nuada offered them +peace, and their choice among the five provinces of Ireland. And Sreng +said they would take Connacht; and he and his people lived there and +their children after them. It is of them Ferdiad came afterwards that +made such a good fight against Cuchulain, and Erc, son of Cairbre, that +gave him his death. And that battle, that was the first fought in +Ireland by the Men of Dea, was called by some the first battle of Magh +Tuireadh.</p> + +<p>And the Tuatha de Danaan took possession of Teamhair, that was sometimes +called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and Liathdruim, the Grey Ridge, +and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the Outlook, all those names were +given to Teamhair. And from that time it was above all other places, for +its king was the High King over all Ireland. The king's rath lay to the +north, and the Hill of the Hostages to the north-east of the High Seat, +and the Green of Teamhair to the west of the Hill of the Hostages. And +to the north-east, in the Hill of the Sidhe, was a well called Nemnach, +and out of it there flowed a stream called Nith, and on that stream the +first mill was built in Ireland.</p> + +<p>And to the north of the Hill of the Hostages was the stone, the Lia +Fail, and it used to roar under the feet of every king that would take +possession of Ireland. And the Wall of the Three Whispers was near the +House of the Women that had seven doors to the east, and seven doors to +the west; and it is in that house the feasts of Teamhair used to be +held. And there was the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, and near it, +to the south, the little Hill of the Woman Soldiers.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L5" id="L5" />CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF BRES</h2> + + +<p>But if Nuada won the battle, he lost his own arm in it, that was struck +off by Sreng; and by that loss there came troubles and vexation on his +people.</p> + +<p>For it was a law with the Tuatha de Danaan that no man that was not +perfect in shape should be king. And after Nuada had lost the battle he +was put out of the kingship on that account.</p> + +<p>And the king they chose in his place was Bres, that was the most +beautiful of all their young men, so that if a person wanted to praise +any beautiful thing, whether it was a plain, or a dun, or ale, or a +flame, or a woman, or a man, or a horse, it is what he would say, "It is +as beautiful as Bres." And he was the son of a woman of the Tuatha de +Danaan, but who his father was no one knew but herself.</p> + +<p>But in spite of Bres being so beautiful, his reign brought no great good +luck to his people; for the Fomor, whose dwelling-place was beyond the +sea, or as some say below the sea westward, began putting tribute on +them, the way they would get them under their own rule.</p> + +<p>It was a long time before that the Fomor came first to Ireland; dreadful +they were to look at, and maimed, having but one foot or one hand, and +they under the leadership of a giant and his mother. There never came to +Ireland an army more horrible or more dreadful than that army of the +Fomor. And they were friendly with the Firbolgs and content to leave +Ireland to them, but there was jealousy between them and the Men of Dea.</p> + +<p>And it was a hard tax they put on them, a third part of their corn they +asked, and a third part of their milk, and a third part of their +children, so that there was not smoke rising from a roof in Ireland but +was under tribute to them. And Bres made no stand against them, but let +them get their way.</p> + +<p>And as to Bres himself, he put a tax on every house in Ireland of the +milk of hornless dun cows, or of the milk of cows of some other single +colour, enough for a hundred men. And one time, to deceive him, Nechtan +singed all the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, and then he smeared +them with the ashes of flax seed, the way they were all dark brown. He +did that by the advice of the Druid Findgoll, son of Findemas. And +another time they made three hundred cows of wood with dark brown pails +in place of udders, and the pails were filled with black bog stuff. Then +Bres came to look at the cows, and to see them milked before him, and +Cian, father of Lugh, was there. And when they were milked it was the +bog stuff that was squeezed out; and Bres took a drink of it thinking it +to be milk, and he was not the better of it for a long time.</p> + +<p>And there was another thing against Bres; he was no way open-handed, and +the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan grumbled against him, for their +knives were never greased in his house, and however often they might +visit him there was no smell of ale on their breath. And there was no +sort of pleasure or merriment in his house, and no call for their poets, +or singers, or harpers, or pipers, or horn-blowers, or jugglers, or +fools. And as to the trials of strength they were used to see between +their champions, the only use their strength was put to now was to be +doing work for the king. Ogma himself, the shining poet, was under +orders to bring firing to the palace every day for the whole army from +the Islands of Mod; and he so weak for want of food that the sea would +sweep away two-thirds of his bundle every day. And as to the Dagda, he +was put to build raths, for he was a good builder, and he made a trench +round Rath Brese. And he used often to be tired at the work, and one +time he nearly gave in altogether for want of food, and this is the way +that happened. He used to meet in the house an idle blind man, Cridenbel +his name was, that had a sharp tongue, and that coveted the Dagda's +share of food, for he thought his own to be small beside it. So he said +to him: "For the sake of your good name let the three best bits of your +share be given to me." And the Dagda gave in to that every night; but he +was the worse of it, for what the blind man called a bit would be the +size of a good pig, and with his three bits he would take a full third +of the whole.</p> + +<p>But one day, as the Dagda was in the trench, he saw his son, Angus Og, +coming to him. "That is a good meeting," said Angus; "but what is on +you, for you have no good appearance to-day?" "There is a reason for +that," said the Dagda, "for every evening, Cridenbel, the blind man, +makes a demand for the three best bits of my share of food, and takes +them from me." "I will give you an advice," said Angus. He put his hand +in his bag then, and took out three pieces of gold and gave them to him.</p> + +<p>"Put these pieces of gold into the three bits you will give this evening +to Cridenbel," he said, "and they will be the best bits in the dish, and +the gold will turn within him the way he will die."</p> + +<p>So in the evening the Dagda did that; and no sooner had Cridenbel +swallowed down the gold than he died. Some of the people said then to +the king: "The Dagda has killed Cridenbel, giving him some deadly herb." +The king believed that, and there was anger on him against the Dagda, +and he gave orders he should be put to death. But the Dagda said: "You +are not giving the right judgment of a prince." And he told all that had +happened, and how Cridenbel used to say, "Give me the three best bits +before you, for my own share is not good to-night." "And on this +night," he said, "the three pieces of gold were the best things before +me, and I gave them to him, and he died."</p> + +<p>The king gave orders then to have the body cut open. And they found the +gold inside it, and they knew it was the truth the Dagda had told.</p> + +<p>And Angus came to him again the next day, and he said: "Your work will +soon be done, and when you are given your wages, take nothing they may +offer you till the cattle of Ireland are brought before you, and choose +out a heifer then, black and black-maned, that I will tell you the signs +of."</p> + +<p>So when the Dagda had brought his work to an end, and they asked him +what reward he wanted, he did as Angus had bidden him. And that seemed +folly to Bres; he thought the Dagda would have asked more than a heifer +of him.</p> + +<p>There came a day at last when a poet came to look for hospitality at the +king's house, Corpre, son of Etain, poet of the Tuatha de Danaan. And it +is how he was treated, he was put in a little dark narrow house where +there was no fire, or furniture, or bed; and for a feast three small +cakes, and they dry, were brought to him on a little dish. When he rose +up on the morrow he was no way thankful, and as he was going across the +green, it is what he said: "Without food ready on a dish; without milk +enough for a calf to grow on; without shelter; without light in the +darkness of night; without enough to pay a story-teller; may that be the +prosperity of Bres."</p> + +<p>And from that day there was no good luck with Bres, but it is going down +he was for ever after. And that was the first satire ever made in +Ireland.</p> + +<p>Now as to Nuada: after his arm being struck off, he was in his sickness +for a while, and then Diancecht, the healer, made an arm of silver for +him, with movement in every finger of it, and put it on him. And from +that he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand, for ever after.</p> + +<p>Now Miach, son of Diancecht, was a better hand at healing than his +father, and had done many things. He met a young man, having but one +eye, at Teamhair one time, and the young man said: "If you are a good +physician you will put an eye in the place of the eye I lost." "I could +put the eye of that cat in your lap in its place," said Miach. "I would +like that well," said the young man. So Miach put the cat's eye in his +head; but he would as soon have been without it after, for when he +wanted to sleep and take his rest, it is then the eye would start at the +squeaking of the mice, or the flight of the birds, or the movement of +the rushes; and when he was wanting to watch an army or a gathering, it +is then it was sure to be in a deep sleep.</p> + +<p>And Miach was not satisfied with what his father had done to the king, +and he took Nuada's own hand that had been struck off, and brought it to +him and set it in its place, and he said: "Joint to joint, and sinew to +sinew." Three days and three nights he was with the king; the first day +he put the hand against his side, and the second day against his breast, +till it was covered with skin, and the third day he put bulrushes that +were blackened in the fire on it, and at the end of that time the king +was healed.</p> + +<p>But Diancecht was vexed when he saw his son doing a better cure than +himself, and he threw his sword at his head, that it cut the flesh, but +the lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Then Diancecht threw it +a second time, that it reached the bone, but the lad was able to cure +the wound. Then he struck him the third time and the fourth, till he cut +out the brain, for he knew no physician could cure him after that blow; +and Miach died, and he buried him.</p> + +<p>And herbs grew up from his grave, to the number of his joints and +sinews, three hundred and sixty-five. And Airmed, his sister, came and +spread out her cloak and laid out the herbs in it, according to their +virtue. But Diancecht saw her doing that, and he came and mixed up the +herbs, so that no one knows all their right powers to this day.</p> + +<p>Then when the Tuatha de Danaan saw Nuada as well as he was before, they +gathered together to Teamhair, where Bres was, and they bade him give up +the kingship, for he had held it long enough. So he had to give it up, +though he was not very willing, and Nuada was put back in the kingship +again.</p> + +<p>There was great vexation on Bres then, and he searched his mind to know +how could he be avenged on those that had put him out, and how he could +gather an army against them; and he went to his mother, Eri, daughter of +Delbaith, and bade her tell him what his race was.</p> + +<p>"I know that well," she said; and she told him then that his father was +a king of the Fomor, Elathan, son of Dalbaech, and that he came to her +one time over a level sea in some great vessel that seemed to be of +silver, but she could not see its shape, and he himself having the +appearance of a young man with yellow hair, and his clothes sewed with +gold, and five rings of gold about his neck. And she that had refused +the love of all the young men of her own people, gave him her love, and +she cried when he left her. And he gave her a ring from his hand, and +bade her give it only to the man whose finger it would fit, and he went +away then the same way as he had come.</p> + +<p>And she brought out the ring then to Bres, and he put it round his +middle finger, and it fitted him well. And they went then together to +the hill where she was the time she saw the silver vessel coming, and +down to the strand, and she and Bres and his people set out for the +country of the Fomor.</p> + +<p>And when they came to that country they found a great plain with many +gatherings of people on it, and they went to the gathering that looked +the best, and the people asked where did they come from, and they said +they were come from Ireland. "Have you hounds with you?" they asked them +then, for it was the custom at that time, when strangers came to a +gathering, to give them some friendly challenge. "We have hounds," said +Bres. So the hounds were matched against one another, and the hounds of +the Tuatha de Danaan were better than the hounds of the Fomor. "Have you +horses for a race?" they asked then. "We have," said Bres. And the +horses of the Tuatha de Danaan beat the horses of the Fomor.</p> + +<p>Then they asked was any one among them a good hand with the sword, and +they said Bres was the best. But when he put his hand to his sword, +Elathan, his father, that was among them, knew the ring, and he asked +who was this young man. Then his mother answered him and told the whole +story, and that Bres was his own son.</p> + +<p>There was sorrow on his father then, and he said: "What was it drove you +out of the country you were king over?" And Bres said: "Nothing drove me +out but my own injustice and my own hardness; I took away their +treasures from the people, and their jewels, and their food itself. And +there were never taxes put on them before I was their king."</p> + +<p>"That is bad," said his father; "it is of their prosperity you had a +right to think more than of your own kingship. And their good-will +would be better than their curses," he said; "and what is it you are +come to look for here?" "I am come to look for fighting men," said Bres, +"that I may take Ireland by force." "You have no right to get it by +injustice when you could not keep it by justice," said his father. "What +advice have you for me then?" said Bres.</p> + +<p>And Elathan bade him go to the chief king of the Fomor, Balor of the +Evil Eye, to see what advice and what help would he give him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L6" id="L6" />BOOK TWO: LUGH OF THE LONG HAND.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF LUGH</h2> + + +<p>Now as to Nuada of the Silver Hand, he was holding a great feast at +Teamhair one time, after he was back in the kingship. And there were two +door-keepers at Teamhair, Gamal, son of Figal, and Camel, son of +Riagall. And a young man came to the door where one of them was, and +bade him bring him in to the king. "Who are you yourself?" said the +door-keeper. "I am Lugh, son of Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan, and of +Ethlinn, daughter of Balor, King of the Fomor," he said; "and I am +foster-son of Taillte, daughter of the King of the Great Plain, and of +Echaid the Rough, son of Duach." "What are you skilled in?" said the +door-keeper; "for no one without an art comes into Teamhair." "Question +me," said Lugh; "I am a carpenter." "We do not want you; we have a +carpenter ourselves, Luchtar, son of Luachaid." "Then I am a smith." "We +have a smith ourselves, Colum Cuaillemech of the Three New Ways." "Then +I am a champion." "That is no use to us; we have a champion before, +Ogma, brother to the king." "Question me again," he said; "I am a +harper." "That is no use to us; we have a harper ourselves, Abhean, son +of Bicelmos, that the Men of the Three Gods brought from the hills." "I +am-a poet," he said then, "and a teller of tales." "That is no use to +us; we have a teller of tales ourselves, Ere, son of Ethaman." "And I am +a magician." "That is no use to us; we have plenty of magicians and +people of power." "I am a physician," he said. "That is no use; we have +Diancecht-for our physician." "Let me be a cup-bearer," he said. "We do +not want you; we have nine cup-bearers ourselves." "I am a good worker +in brass." "We have a worker in brass ourselves, that is Credne Cerd."</p> + +<p>Then Lugh said: "Go and ask the king if he has any one man that can do +all these things, and if he has, I will not ask to come into Teamhair." +The door-keeper went into the king's house then and told him all that. +"There is a young man at the door," he said, "and his name should be the +Ildánach, the Master of all Arts, for all the things the people of your +house can do, he himself is able to do every one of them." "Try him with +the chess-boards," said Nuada. So the chess-boards were brought out, and +every game that was played, Lugh won it. And when Nuada was told that, +he said: "Let him in, for the like of him never came into Teamhair +before."</p> + +<p>Then the door-keeper let him pass, and he came into the king's house and +sat down in the seat of knowledge. And there was a great flag-stone +there that could hardly be moved by four times twenty yoke of oxen, and +Ogma took it up and hurled it out through the house, so that it lay on +the outside of Teamhair, as a challenge to Lugh. But Lugh hurled it back +again that it lay in the middle of the king's house. He played the harp +for them then, and he had them laughing and crying, till he put them +asleep at the end with a sleepy tune. And when Nuada saw all the things +Lugh could do, he began to think that by his help the country might get +free of the taxes and the tyranny put on it by the Fomor. And it is what +he did, he came down from his throne, and he put Lugh on it in his +place, for the length of thirteen days, the way they might all listen to +the advice he would give.</p> + +<p>This now is the story of the birth of Lugh. The time the Fomor used to +be coming to Ireland, Balor of the Strong Blows, or, as some called +him, of the Evil Eye, was living on the Island of the Tower of Glass. +There was danger for ships that went near that island, for the Fomor +would come out and take them. And some say the sons of Nemed in the old +time, before the Firbolgs were in Ireland, passed near it in their +ships, and what they saw was a tower of glass in the middle of the sea, +and on the tower something that had the appearance of men, and they went +against it with Druid spells to attack it. And the Fomor worked against +them with Druid spells of their own; and the sons of Nemed attacked the +tower, and it vanished, and they thought it was destroyed. But a great +wave rose over them then, and all their ships went down and all that +were in them.</p> + +<p>And the tower was there as it was before, and Balor living in it. And it +is the reason he was called "of the Evil Eye," there was a power of +death in one of his eyes, so that no person could look at it and live. +It is the way it got that power, he was passing one time by a house +where his father's Druids were making spells of death, and the window +being open he looked in, and the smoke of the poisonous spells was +rising up, and it went into his eye. And from that time he had to keep +it closed unless he wanted to be the death of some enemy, and then the +men that were with him would lift the eyelid with a ring of ivory.</p> + +<p>Now a Druid foretold one time that it was by his own grandson he would +get his death. And he had at that time but one child, a daughter whose +name was Ethlinn; and when he heard what the Druid said, he shut her up +in the tower on the island. And he put twelve women with her to take +charge of her and to guard her, and he bade them never to let her see a +man or hear the name of a man.</p> + +<p>So Ethlinn was brought up in the tower, and she grew to be very +beautiful; and sometimes she would see men passing in the currachs, and +sometimes she would see a man in her dreams. But when she would speak of +that to the women, they would give her no answer.</p> + +<p>So there was no fear on Balor, and he went on with war and robbery as he +was used, seizing every ship that passed by, and sometimes going over to +Ireland to do destruction there.</p> + +<p>Now it chanced at that time there were three brothers of the Tuatha de +Danaan living together in a place that was called Druim na Teine, the +Ridge of the Fire, Goibniu and Samthainn and Cian. Cian was a lord of +land, and Goibniu was the smith that had such a great name. Now Cian had +a wonderful cow, the Glas Gaibhnenn, and her milk never failed. And +every one that heard of her coveted her, and many had tried to steal her +away, so that she had to be watched night and day.</p> + +<p>And one time Cian was wanting some swords made, and he went to Goibniu's +forge, and he brought the Glas Gaibhnenn with him, holding her by a +halter. When he came to the forge his two brothers were there together, +for Samthainn had brought some steel to have weapons made for himself; +and Cian bade Samthainn to hold the halter while he went into the forge +to speak with Goibniu.</p> + +<p>Now Balor had set his mind for a long time on the Glas Gaibhnenn, but he +had never been able to get near her up to this time. And he was watching +not far off, and when he saw Samthainn holding the cow, he put on the +appearance of a little boy, having red hair, and came up to him and told +him he heard his two brothers that were in the forge saying to one +another that they would use all his steel for their own swords, and make +his of iron. "By my word," said Samthainn, "they will not deceive me so +easily. Let you hold the cow, little lad," he said, "and I will go in to +them." With that he rushed into the forge, and great anger on him. And +no sooner did Balor get the halter in his hand than he set out, dragging +the Glas along with him, to the strand, and across the sea to his own +island.</p> + +<p>When Cian saw his brother coming in he rushed out, and there he saw +Balor and the Glas out in the sea. And he had nothing to do then but to +reproach his brother, and to wander about as if his wits had left him, +not knowing what way to get his cow back from Balor. At last he went to +a Druid to ask an advice from him; and it is what the Druid told him, +that so long as Balor lived, the cow would never be brought back, for no +one would go within reach of his Evil Eye.</p> + +<p>Cian went then to a woman-Druid, Birog of the Mountain, for her help. +And she dressed him in a woman's clothes, and brought him across the sea +in a blast of wind, to the tower where Ethlinn was. Then she called to +the women in the tower, and asked them for shelter for a high queen she +was after saving from some hardship, and the women in the tower did not +like to refuse a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan, and they let her and her +comrade in. Then Birog by her enchantments put them all into a deep +sleep, and Cian went to speak with Ethlinn. And when she saw him she +said that was the face she had seen in her dreams. So she gave him her +love; but after a while he was brought away again on a blast of wind.</p> + +<p>And when her time came, Ethlinn gave birth to a son. And when Balor knew +that, he bade his people put the child in a cloth and fasten it with a +pin, and throw him into a current of the sea. And as they were carrying +the child across an arm of the sea, the pin dropped out, and the child +slipped from the cloth into the water, and they thought he was drowned. +But he was brought away by Birog of the Mountain, and she brought him to +his father Cian; and he gave him to be fostered by Taillte, daughter of +the King of the Great Plain. It is thus Lugh was born and reared.</p> + +<p>And some say Balor came and struck the head off Cian on a white stone, +that has the blood marks on it to this day; but it is likely it was some +other man he struck the head off, for it was by the sons of Tuireann +that Cian came to his death.</p> + +<p>And after Lugh had come to Teamhair, and made his mind up to join with +his father's people against the Fomor, he put his mind to the work; and +he went to a quiet place in Grellach Dollaid, with Nuada and the Dagda, +and with Ogma; and Goibniu and Diancecht were called to them there. A +full year they stopped there, making their plans together in secret, the +way the Fomor would not know they were going to rise against them till +such time as all would be ready, and till they would know what their +strength was. And it is from that council the place got the name +afterwards of "The Whisper of the Men of Dea."</p> + +<p>And they broke up the council, and agreed to meet again that day three +years, and every one of them went his own way, and Lugh went back to his +own friends, the sons of Manannan.</p> + +<p>And it was a good while after that, Nuada was holding a great assembly +of the people on the Hill of Uisnech, on the west side of Teamhair. And +they were not long there before they saw an armed troop coming towards +them from the east, over the plain; and there was a young man in front +of the troop, in command over the rest, and the brightness of his face +was like the setting sun, so that they were not able to look at him +because of its brightness.</p> + +<p>And when he came nearer they knew it was Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long +Hand, that had come back to them, and along with him were the Riders of +the Sidhe from the Land of Promise, and his own foster-brothers, the +sons of Manannan, Sgoith Gleigeil, the White Flower, and Goitne +Gorm-Shuileach, the Blue-eyed Spear, and Sine Sindearg, of the Red Ring, +and Donall Donn-Ruadh, of the Red-brown Hair. And it is the way Lugh +was, he had Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, of the One Mane, under him, +that was as swift as the naked cold wind of spring, and the sea was the +same as dry land to her, and the rider was never killed off her back. +And he had Manannan's breast-plate on him, that kept whoever was wearing +it from wounds, and a helmet on his head with two beautiful precious +stones set in the front of it and one at the back, and when he took it +off, his forehead was like the sun on a dry summer day. And he had +Manannan's sword, the Freagarthach, the Answerer, at his side, and no +one that was wounded by it would ever get away alive; and when that +sword was bared in a battle, no man that saw it coming against him had +any more strength than a woman in child-birth.</p> + +<p>And the troop came to where the King of Ireland was with the Tuatha de +Danaan, and they welcomed one another.</p> + +<p>And they were not long there till they saw a surly, slovenly troop +coming towards them, nine times nine of the messengers of the Fomor, +that were coming to ask rent and taxes from the men of Ireland; and the +names of the four that were the hardest and the most cruel were Eine and +Eathfaigh and Coron and Compar; and there was such great dread of these +four on the Tuatha de Danaan, that not one of them would so much as +punish his own son or his foster-son without leave from them.</p> + +<p>They came up then to where the King of Ireland was with the Riders of +the Sidhe, and the king and all the Tuatha de Danaan stood up before +them. And Lugh of the Long Hand said: "Why do you rise up before that +surly, slovenly troop, when you did not rise up before us?"</p> + +<p>"It is needful for us to do it," said the king; "for if there was but a +child of us sitting before them, they would not think that too small a +cause for killing him." "By my word," said Lugh, "there is a great +desire coming on me to kill themselves." "That is a thing would bring +harm on us," said the king, "for we would meet our own death and +destruction through it." "It is too long a time you have been under this +oppression," said Lugh. And with that he started up and made an attack +on the Fomor, killing and wounding them, till he had made an end of +eight nines of them, but he let the last nine go under the protection of +Nuada the king. "And I would kill you along with the others," he said, +"but I would sooner see you go with messages to your own country than my +own people, for fear they might get any ill-treatment."</p> + +<p>So the nine went back then till they came to Lochlann, where the men of +the Fomor were, and they told them the story from beginning to end, and +how a young well-featured lad had come into Ireland and had killed all +the tax-gatherers but themselves, "and it is the reason he let us off," +they said, "that we might tell you the story ourselves."</p> + +<p>"Do you know who is the young man?" said Balor of the Evil Eye then.</p> + +<p>"I know well," said Ceithlenn, his wife; "he is the son of your +daughter and mine. And it was foretold," she said, "that from the time +he would come into Ireland, we would never have power there again for +ever."</p> + +<p>Then the chief men of the Fomor went into a council, Eab, son of Neid, +and Seanchab, grandson of Neid, and Sital Salmhor, and Liath, son of +Lobais, and the nine poets of the Fomor that had learning and the gift +of foreknowledge, and Lobais the Druid, and Balor himself and his twelve +white-mouthed sons, and Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth, his queen.</p> + +<p>And it was just at that time Bres and his father Elathan were come to +ask help of the Fomor, and Bres said: "I myself will go to Ireland, and +seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor along with me, and I +will give battle to this Ildánach, this master of all arts, and I will +strike his head off and bring it here to you, to the green of Berbhe." +"It would be a fitting thing for you to do," said they all. "Let my +ships be made ready for me," said Bres, "and let food and provisions be +put in them."</p> + +<p>So they made no delay, but went and got the ships ready, and they put +plenty of food and drink in them, and the two swift Luaths were sent out +to gather the army to Bres. And when they were all gathered, they made +ready their armour and their weapons, and they set out for Ireland.</p> + +<p>And Balor the king followed them to the harbour, and he said: "Give +battle to that Ildánach, and strike off his head; and tie that island +that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying +water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not +one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time."</p> + +<p>Then they pushed out their ships and put up their painted sails, and +went out from the harbour on the untilled country, on the ridges of the +wide-lying sea, and they never turned from their course till they came +to the harbour of Eas Dara. And from that they sent out an army through +West Connacht and destroyed it altogether, through and through. And the +King of Connacht at that time was Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L7" id="L7" />CHAPTER II. THE SONS OF TUIREANN</h2> + + +<p>And Lugh of the Long Hand was at that time at Teamhair with the King of +Ireland, and it was showed to him that the Fomor were after landing at +Eas Dara. And when he knew that, he made ready Manannan's horse, the +Aonbharr, at the time of the battle of the day and night; and he went +where Nuada the king was, and told him how the Fomor had landed at Eas +Dara and had spoiled Bodb Dearg's country; "and it is what I want," he +said, "to get help from you to give battle to them." But Nuada was not +minded to avenge the destruction that was done on Bodb Dearg and not on +himself, and Lugh was not well pleased with his answer, and he went +riding out of Teamhair westward. And presently he saw three armed men +coming towards him, his own father Cian, with his brothers Cu and +Ceithen, that were the three sons of Cainte, and they saluted him. "What +is the cause of your early rising?" they said. "It is good cause I have +for it," said Lugh, "for the Fomor are come into Ireland and have robbed +Bodb Dearg; and what help will you give me against them?" he said.</p> + +<p>"Each one of us will keep off a hundred from you in the battle," said +they. "That is a good help," said Lugh; "but there is a help I would +sooner have from you than that: to gather the Riders of the Sidhe to me +from every place where they are."</p> + +<p>So Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, and Cian set out northward, +and he did not stop till he reached the Plain of Muirthemne. And as he +was going across the plain he saw three armed men before him, that were +the three sons of Tuireann, son of Ogma. And it is the way it was +between the three sons of Tuireann and the three sons of Cainte, they +were in hatred and enmity towards one another, so that whenever they met +there was sure to be fighting among them.</p> + +<p>Then Cian said: "If my two brothers had been here it is a brave fight we +would make; but since they are not, it is best for me to fall back." +Then he saw a great herd of pigs near him, and he struck himself with a +Druid rod that put on him the shape of a pig of the herd, and he began +rooting up the ground like the rest.</p> + +<p>Then Brian, one of the sons of Tuireann, said to his brothers: "Did you +see that armed man that was walking the plain a while ago?" "We did see +him," said they. "Do you know what was it took him away?" said Brian. +"We do not know that," said they. "It is a pity you not to be keeping a +better watch over the plains of the open country in time of war," said +Brian; "and I know well what happened him, for he struck himself with +his Druid rod into the shape of a pig of these pigs, and he is rooting +up the ground now like any one of them; and whoever he is, he is no +friend to us." "That is bad for us," said the other two, "for the pigs +belong to some one of the Tuatha de Danaan, and even if we kill them +all, the Druid pig might chance to escape us in the end."</p> + +<p>"It is badly you got your learning in the city of learning," said Brian, +"when you cannot tell an enchanted beast from a natural beast." And +while he was saying that, he struck his two brothers with his Druid +rod, and he turned them into two thin, fast hounds, and they began to +yelp sharply on the track of the enchanted pig.</p> + +<p>And it was not long before the pig fell out from among the others, and +not one of the others made away but only itself, and it made for a wood, +and at the edge of the wood Brian gave a cast of his spear that went +through its body. And the pig cried out, and it said: "It is a bad thing +you have done to have made a cast at me when you knew me." "It seems to +me you have the talk of a man," said Brian. "I was a man indeed," said +he; "I am Cian, son of Cainte, and give me your protection now." "I +swear by the gods of the air," said Brian, "that if the life came back +seven times to you, I would take it from you every time." "If that is +so," said Cian, "give me one request: let me go into my own shape +again." "We will do that," said Brian, "for it is easier to me to kill a +man than a pig."</p> + +<p>So Cian took his own shape then, and he said: "Give me mercy now." "We +will not give it," said Brian. "Well, I have got the better of you for +all that," said Cian; "for if it was in the shape of a pig you had killed +me there would only be the blood money for a pig on me; but as it is in +my own shape you will kill me, there never was and never will be any +person killed for whose sake a heavier fine will be paid than for +myself. And the arms I am killed with," he said, "it is they will tell +the deed to my son."</p> + +<p>"It is not with weapons you will be killed, but with the stones lying on +the ground," said Brian. And with that they pelted him with stones, +fiercely and roughly, till all that was left of him was a poor, +miserable, broken heap; and they buried him the depth of a man's body in +the earth, and the earth would not receive that murder from them, but +cast it up again. Brian said it should go into the earth again, and they +put it in the second time, and the second time the earth would not take +it. And six times the sons of Tuireann buried the body, and six times it +was cast up again; but the seventh time it was put underground the earth +kept it. And then they went on to join Lugh of the Long Hand for the +battle.</p> + +<p>Now as to Lugh; upon parting with his father he went forward from +Teamhair westward, to the hills that were called afterwards Gairech and +Ilgairech, and to the ford of the Shannon that is now called Athluain, +and to Bearna nah-Eadargana, the Gap of Separation, and over Magh Luirg, +the Plain of Following, and to Corr Slieve na Seaghsa, the Round +Mountain of the Poet's Spring, and to the head of Sean-Slieve, and +through the place of the bright-faced Corann, and from that to Magh Mor +an Aonaigh, the Great Plain of the Fair, where the Fomor were, and the +spoils of Connacht with them.</p> + +<p>It is then Bres, son of Elathan, rose up and said: "It is a wonder to me +the sun to be rising in the west to-day, and it rising in the east every +other day." "It would be better for us it to be the sun," said the +Druids. "What else is it?" said he. "It is the shining of the face of +Lugh, son of Ethlinn," said they.</p> + +<p>Lugh came up to them then and saluted them. "Why do you come like a +friend to us?" said they. "There is good cause for that," he said, "for +there is but one half of me of the Tuatha de Danaan, and the other half +of yourselves. And give me back now the milch cows of the men of +Ireland," he said. "May early good luck not come to you till you get +either a dry or a milch cow here," said a man of them, and anger on him.</p> + +<p>But Lugh stopped near them for three days and three nights, and at the +end of that time the Riders of the Sidhe came to him. And Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, came with twenty-nine hundred men, and he said:</p> + +<p>"What is the cause of your delay in giving battle?"</p> + +<p>"Waiting for you I was," said Lugh.</p> + +<p>Then the kings and chief men of the men of Ireland took their armour on +them, and they raised the points of their spears over their heads, and +they made close fences of their shields. And they attacked their enemies +on Magh Mor an Aonaigh, and their enemies answered them, and they threw +their whining spears at one another, and when their spears were broken +they drew their swords from their blue-bordered sheaths and began to +strike at one another, and thickets of brown flames rose above them from +the bitterness of their many-edged weapons.</p> + +<p>And Lugh saw the battle pen where Bres, son of Elathan, was, and he made +a fierce attack on him and on the men that were guarding him, till he +had made an end of two hundred of them.</p> + +<p>When Bres saw that, he gave himself up to Lugh's protection. "Give me my +life this time," he said, "and I will bring the whole race of the Fomor +to fight it out with you in a great battle; and I bind myself to that, +by the sun and the moon, the sea and the land," he said.</p> + +<p>On that Lugh gave him his life, and then the Druids that were with him +asked his protection for themselves. "By my word," said Lugh, "if the +whole race of the Fomor went under my protection they would not be +destroyed by me." So then Bres and the Druids set out for their own +country.</p> + +<p>Now as to Lugh and the sons of Tuireann. After the battle of Magh Mor an +Aonaigh, he met two of his kinsmen and asked them did they see his +father in the fight. "We did not," said they. "I am sure he is not +living," said Lugh; "and I give my word," he said, "there will no food +or drink go into my mouth till I get knowledge by what death my father +died."</p> + +<p>Then he set out, and the Riders of the Sidhe after him, till they came +to the place where he and his father parted from one another, and from +that to the place where his father went into the shape of a pig when he +saw the sons of Tuireann.</p> + +<p>And when Lugh came to that place the earth spoke to him, and it said: +"It is in great danger your father was here, Lugh, when he saw the sons +of Tuireann before him, and it is into the shape of a pig he had to go, +but it is in his own shape they killed him."</p> + +<p>Then Lugh told that to his people, and he found the spot where his +father was buried, and he bade them dig there, the way he would know by +what death the sons of Tuireann had made an end of him.</p> + +<p>Then they raised the body out of the grave and looked at it, and it was +all one bed of wounds. And Lugh said: "It was the death of an enemy the +sons of Tuireann gave my dear father." And he gave him three kisses, and +it is what he said: "It is bad the way I am myself after this death, for +I can hear nothing with my ears, and I can see nothing with my eyes, and +there is not a living pulse in my heart, with grief after my father. And +you gods I worship," he said, "it is a pity I not to have come here the +time this thing was done. And it is a great thing that has been done +here," he said, "the people of the gods of Dana to have done treachery +on one another, and it is long they will be under loss by it and be +weakened by it. And Ireland will never be free from trouble from this +out, east and west," he said.</p> + +<p>Then they put Cian under the earth again, and after that there was +keening made over his grave, and a stone was raised on it, and his name +was written in Ogham, And Lugh said: "This hill will take its name from +Cian, although he himself is stripped and broken. And it was the sons of +Tuireann did this thing," he said, "and there will grief and anguish +fall on them from it, and on their children after them. And it is no +lying story I am telling you," he said; "and it is a pity the way I am, +and my heart is broken in my breast since Cian, the brave man, is not +living."</p> + +<p>Then he bade his people to go before him to Teamhair, "But do not tell +the story till I tell it myself," he said.</p> + +<p>And when Lugh came to Teamhair he sat in the high seat of the king, and +he looked about him and he saw the three sons of Tuireann. And those +were the three that were beyond all others at Teamhair at that time for +quickness and skill, for a good hand in battle, for beauty and an +honourable name.</p> + +<p>Then Lugh bade his people to shake the chain of silence, and they did +so, and they all listened. And Lugh said: "What are your minds fixed on +at this time, Men of Dea?" "On yourself indeed," said they. "I have a +question to ask of you," he said. "What is the vengeance each one of you +would take on the man that would kill your father?"</p> + +<p>There was great wonder on them when they heard that, and one of the +chief men among them said: "Tell us was it your own father that was +killed?" "It was indeed," said Lugh; "and I see now in this house," he +said, "the men that killed him, and they know themselves what way they +killed him better than I know it." Then the king said: "It is not a +death of one day only I would give the man that had killed my father, if +he was in my power, but to cut off one of his limbs from day to day till +I would make an end of him." All the chief men said the same, and the +sons of Tuireann like the rest.</p> + +<p>"There are making that answer," said Lugh, "the three men that killed my +father; and let them pay the fine for him now, since you are all +together in the one place. And if they will not," he said, "I will not +break the protection of the king's house, but they must make no attempt +to quit this house till they have settled with me."</p> + +<p>"If it was I myself had killed your father," said the king, "I would be +well content you to take a fine from me for him."</p> + +<p>"It is at us Lugh is saying all this," said the sons of Tuireann among +themselves. "Let us acknowledge the killing of his father to him," said +Iuchar and Iucharba. "I am in dread," said Brian, "that it is wanting an +acknowledgment from us he is, in the presence of all the rest, and that +he will not let us off with a fine afterwards." "It is best to +acknowledge it," said the others; "and let you speak it out since you +are the eldest."</p> + +<p>Then Brian, son of Tuireann, said: "It is at us you are speaking, Lugh, +for you are thinking we went against the sons of Cainte before now; and +we did not kill your father," he said, "but we will pay the fine for him +the same as if we did kill him." "I will take a fine from you that you +do not think of," said Lugh, "and I will say here what it is, and if it +is too much for you, I will let you off a share of it." "Let us hear it +from you," said they. "Here it is," said Lugh; "three apples, and the +skin of a pig, and a spear, and two horses, and a chariot, and seven +pigs, and a dog's whelp, and a cooking-spit, and three shouts on a hill. +That is the fine I am asking," he said; "and if it is too much for you, +a part of it will be taken off you presently, and if you do not think it +too much, then pay it"</p> + +<p>"It is not too much," said Brian, "or a hundred times of it would not be +too much. And we think it likely," he said, "because of its smallness +that you have some treachery towards us behind it." "I do not think it +too little of a fine," said Lugh; "and I give you the guarantee of the +Tuatha de Danaan I will ask no other thing, and I will be faithful to +you, and let you give the same pledge to me." "It is a pity you to ask +that," said Brian, "for our own pledge is as good as any pledge in the +world." "Your own pledge is not enough," said Lugh, "for it is often the +like of you promised to pay a fine in this way, and would try to back +out of it after."</p> + +<p>So then the sons of Tuireann bound themselves by the King of Ireland, +and by Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and by the chief men of the Tuatha +de Danaan, that they would pay that fine to Lugh.</p> + +<p>"It would be well for me now," said Lugh, "to give you better knowledge +of the fine." "It would be well indeed," said they.</p> + +<p>"This is the way of it then," said Lugh. "The three apples I asked of +you are the three apples from the Garden in the East of the World, and +no other apples will do but these, for they are the most beautiful and +have most virtue in them of the apples of the whole world. And it is +what they are like, they are of the colour of burned gold, and they are +the size of the head of a child a month old, and there is the taste of +honey on them, and they do not leave the pain of wounds or the vexation +of sickness on any one that eats them, and they do not lessen by being +eaten for ever. And the skin I asked of you," he said, "is the pig skin +of Tuis, King of Greece, and it heals all the wounds and all the +sickness of the world, and whatever danger a man may be in, if it can +but overtake the life in him, it will cure him; and it is the way it was +with that pig, every stream of water it would go through would be turned +into wine to the end of nine days after, and every wound it touched was +healed; and it is what the Druids of Greece said, that it is not in +itself this virtue was, but in the skin, and they skinned it, and the +skin is there ever since. And I think, too, it will not be easy for you +to get it, with or without leave."</p> + +<p>"And do you know what is the spear I am asking of you?" he said. "We do +not," said they. "It is a very deadly spear belonging to the King of +Persia, the Luin it is called, and every choice thing is done by it, and +its head is kept steeped in a vessel of water, the way it will not burn +down the place where it is, and it will be hard to get it. And do you +know what two horses and what chariot I am asking of you? They are the +chariot and the two wonderful horses of Dobar, King of Siogair, and the +sea is the same as land to them, and there are no faster horses than +themselves, and there is no chariot equal to that one in shape and in +strength.</p> + +<p>"And do you know what are the seven pigs I asked of you? They are the +pigs of Easal, King of the Golden Pillars; and though they are killed +every night, they are found alive again the next day, and there will be +no disease or no sickness on any person that will eat a share of them.</p> + +<p>"And the whelp I asked of you is Fail-Inis, the whelp belonging to the +King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country. And all the wild beasts of the world +would fall down at the sight of her, and she is more beautiful than the +sun in his fiery wheels, and it will be hard to get her.</p> + +<p>"And the cooking-spit I asked of you is a spit of the spits of the women +of Inis Cenn-fhinne, the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair. And the three +shouts you are to give on a hill must be given on the Hill of Miochaoin +in the north of Lochlann. And Miochaoin and his sons are under bonds not +to allow any shouts to be given on that hill; and it was with them my +father got his learning, and if I would forgive you his death, they +would not forgive you. And if you get through all your other voyages +before you reach to them, it is my opinion they themselves will avenge +him on you. And that is the fine I have asked of you," said Lugh.</p> + +<p>There was silence and darkness on the sons of Tuireann when they heard +that. And they went to where their father was, and told him the fine +that had been put on them. "It is bad news that is," said Tuireann; "and +it is to your death and your destruction you will be going, looking for +those things. But for all that, if Lugh himself had a mind to help you, +you could work out the fine, and all the men of the world could not do +it but by the power of Manannan or of Lugh. Go then and ask the loan of +Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, from Lugh, and if he has any wish to get +the fine, he will give it to you; but if he does not wish it he will say +the horse is not his, and that he would not give the loan of a loan. Ask +him then for the loan of Manannan's curragh, the Scuabtuinne, the +Sweeper of the Waves. And he will give that, for he is under bonds not +to refuse a second request, and the curragh is better for you than the +horse," he said.</p> + +<p>So the sons of Tuireann went to where Lugh was, and they saluted him, +and they said they could not bring him the fine without his own help, +and for that reason it would be well for them to get a loan of the +Aonbharr. "I have that horse only on loan myself," said Lugh, "and I +will not give a loan of a loan."</p> + +<p>"If that is so, give us the loan of Manannan's curragh," said Brian. "I +will give that," said Lugh. "What place is it?" said they. "At Brugh na +Boinn," said Lugh.</p> + +<p>Then they went back again to where Tuireann was, and his daughter Ethne, +their sister, with him, and they told him they had got the curragh. "It +is not much the better you will be for it," said Tuireann, "although +Lugh would like well to get every part of this fine he could make use of +before the battle with the Fomor. But he would like yourselves to come +to your death looking for it."</p> + +<p>Then they went away, and they left Tuireann sorrowful and lamenting, and +Ethne went with them to where the curragh was. And Brian got into it, +and he said: "There is place but for one other person along with me +here." And he began to find fault with its narrowness. "You ought not to +be faulting the curragh," said Ethne; "and O my dear brother," she said, +"it was a bad thing you did, to kill the father of Lugh of the Long +Hand; and whatever harm may come to you from it, it is but just." "Do +not say that, Ethne," they said, "for we are in good heart, and we will +do brave deeds. And we would sooner be killed a hundred times over," +they said, "than to meet with the death of cowards." "My grief," said +Ethne, "there is nothing more sorrowful than this, to see you driven out +from your own country."</p> + +<p>Then the three pushed out their curragh from the beautiful clear-bayed +shore of Ireland. "What course shall we take first?" said they. "We will +go look for the apples," said Brian, "as they were the first thing we +were bade bring. And so we ask of you, curragh of Manannan that is under +us, to sail to the Garden in the East of the World."</p> + +<p>And the curragh did not neglect that order, but it sailed forward over +the green-sided waves and deep places till it came to its harbour in the +east of the world.</p> + +<p>And then Brian asked his brothers: "What way have you a mind to get into +the garden? for I think," he said, "the king's champions and the +fighting men of the country are always guarding it, and the king himself +is chief over them." "What should we do," said his brothers, "but to +make straight at them and attack them, and bring away the apples or fall +ourselves, since we cannot escape from these dangers that are before us +without meeting our death in some place." "It would be better," said +Brian, "the story of our bravery and our craftiness to be told and to +live after us, than folly and cowardice to be told of us. And what is +best for us to do now," he said, "is to go in the shape of swift hawks +into the garden, and the watchers have but their light spears to throw +at us, and let you take good care to keep out of their reach; and after +they have thrown them all, make a quick flight to the apples and let +each of you bring away an apple of them in your claws, and I will bring +away the third."</p> + +<p>They said that was a good advice, and Brian struck himself and the +others with his Druid rod, and changed them into beautiful hawks. And +they flew towards the garden, and the watchers took notice of them and +shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts, +but the hawks kept out of their reach as Brian had bade them, till all +the spears were spent, and then they swept down bravely on the apples, +and brought them away with them, without so much as a wound.</p> + +<p>And the news went through the city and the whole district, and the king +had three wise, crafty daughters, and they put themselves into the shape +of three ospreys, and they followed the hawks to the sea, and sent +flashes of lightning before them and after them, that scorched them +greatly.</p> + +<p>"It is a pity the way we are now," said the sons of Tuireann, "for we +will be burned through and through with this lightning if we do not get +some relief." "If I can give you relief I will do it," said Brian. With +that he struck himself and his brothers with the Druid rod, and they +were turned into three swans, and they went down quickly into the sea, +and the ospreys went away from them then, and the sons of Tuireann went +into their boat.</p> + +<p>After that they consulted together, and it is what they agreed, to go to +Greece and to bring away the skin of the pig, with or without leave. So +they went forward till they came near to the court of the King of +Greece.</p> + +<p>"What appearance should we put on us going in here?" said Brian. "What +appearance should we go in with but our own?" said the others. "That is +not what I think best," said Brian; "but to go in with the appearance of +poets from Ireland, the way the high people of Greece will hold us in +respect and in honour." "It would be hard for us to do that," they said, +"and we without a poem, and it is little we know how to make one."</p> + +<p>However, they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they knocked at the +door of the court, and the door-keeper asked who was in it. "We are +poets of Ireland," said Brian, "and we are come with a poem to the +king."</p> + +<p>The door-keeper went in and told the king that there were poets from +Ireland at the door. "Let them in," said the king, "for it is in search +of a good man they came so far from their own country." And the king +gave orders that everything should be well set out in the court, the way +they would say they had seen no place so grand in all their travels.</p> + +<p>The sons of Tuireann were let in then, having the appearance of poets, +and they fell to drinking and pleasure without delay; and they thought +they had never seen, and there was not in the world, a court so good as +that or so large a household, or a place where they had met with better +treatment.</p> + +<p>Then the king's poets got up to give out their poems and songs. And then +Brian, son of Tuireann, bade his brothers to say a poem for the king. +"We have no poem," said they; "and do not ask any poem of us, but the +one we know before, and that is to take what we want by the strength of +our hand if we are the strongest, or to fall by those that are against +us if they are the strongest." "That is not a good way to make a poem," +said Brian. And with that he rose up himself and asked a hearing. And +they all listened to him, and it is what he said:</p> + +<p>"O Tuis, we do not hide your fame; we praise you as the oak among kings; +the skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I ask for +it.</p> + +<p>"The war of a neighbour against an ear; the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him; he who gives us what he owns, his court will not be +the scarcer for it.</p> + +<p>"A raging army and a sudden sea are a danger to whoever goes against +them. The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I +ask, O Tuis."</p> + +<p>"That is a good poem," said the king; "but I do not know a word of its +meaning." "I will tell you its meaning," said Brian. "'O Tuis, we do not +hide your fame; we praise you as the oak above the kings.' That is, as +the oak is beyond the kingly trees of the wood, so are you beyond the +kings of the world for open-handedness and for grandeur.</p> + +<p>"'The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness.' That is, the skin of a +pig you own is what I would wish to get from you as a reward for my +poem.</p> + +<p>"'The war of a neighbour against an ear, the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him.' That is, you and I will be by the ears about the +skin, unless I get it with your consent.</p> + +<p>"And that is the meaning of the poem," said Brian.</p> + +<p>"I would praise your poem," said the king, "if there was not so much +about my pig-skin in it; and you have no good sense, man of poetry," he +said, "to be asking that thing of me, and I would not give it to all +the poets and the learned men and the great men of the world, since they +could not take it away without my consent. But I will give you three +times the full of the skin of gold as the price of your poem," he said.</p> + +<p>"May good be with you, king," said Brian, "and I know well it was no +easy thing I was asking, but I knew I would get a good ransom for it. +And I am that covetous," he said, "I will not be satisfied without +seeing the gold measured myself into the skin."</p> + +<p>The king sent his servants with them then to the treasure-house to +measure the gold. "Measure out the full of it to my brothers first," +said Brian, "and then give good measure to myself, since it was I made +the poem."</p> + +<p>But when the skin was brought out, Brian made a quick sudden snatch at +it with his left hand, and drew his sword and made a stroke at the man +nearest him, and made two halves of him. And then he kept a hold of the +skin and put it about himself, and the three of them rushed out of the +court, cutting down every armed man before them, so that not one escaped +death or wounding. And then Brian went to where the king himself was, +and the king made no delay in attacking him, and they made a hard fight +of it, and at the end the King of Greece fell by the hand of Brian, son +of Tuireann.</p> + +<p>The three brothers rested for a while after that, and then they said +they would go and look for some other part of the fine. "We will go to +Pisear, King of Persia," said Brian, "and ask him for the spear."</p> + +<p>So they went into their boat, and they left the blue streams of the +coast of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have the apples +and the skin." And they stopped nowhere till they came to the borders of +Persia.</p> + +<p>"Let us go to the court with the appearance of poets," said Brian, "the +same as we went to the King of Greece." "We are content to do that," +said the others, "as all turned out so well the last time we took to +poetry; not that it is easy for us to take to a calling that does not +belong to us."</p> + +<p>So they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they were as well treated +as they were at the other court; and when the time came for poems Brian +rose up, and it is what he said:</p> + +<p>"It is little any spear looks to Pisear; the battles of enemies are +broken, it is not too much for Pisear to wound every one of them.</p> + +<p>"A yew, the most beautiful of the wood, it is called a king, it is not +bulky. May the spear drive on the whole crowd to their wounds of death."</p> + +<p>"That is a good poem," said the king, "but I do not understand why my +own spear is brought into it, O Man of Poetry from Ireland."</p> + +<p>"It is because it is that spear of your own I would wish to get as the +reward of my poem," said Brian. "It is little sense you have to be +asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my court never +showed greater respect for poetry than now, when they did not put you to +death on the spot."</p> + +<p>When Brian heard that talk from the king, he thought of the apple that +was in his hand, and he made a straight cast and hit him in the +forehead, so that his brains were put out at the back of his head, and +he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the +other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help +bravely till they had made an end of all they met of the people of the +court. And then they found the spear, and its head in a cauldron of +water, the way it would not set fire to the place.</p> + +<p>And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look for the +rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one another what +way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of Siogair," +said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses and the chariot the +Ildánach asked of us."</p> + +<p>They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and it is proud +the three champions were after all they had done. And they went on till +they were come to the court of the King of Siogair.</p> + +<p>"It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with the +appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make friends with +the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the +chariot are kept." And when they had settled on that they went forward +to the lawn before the king's house.</p> + +<p>The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and came through +the fair that was going on there, and they saluted the king, and he +asked who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they +said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it +your wish to stop with me for a while?" said the king. "That is what we +are wanting," said they. So then they made an agreement and took service +with him.</p> + +<p>They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they never saw +the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is a bad way we are +in, to have no more news of the horses now than the first day we came to +the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us +do this," said Brian, "let us take our arms and gather our things +together, and go to the king and tell him we will leave the country and +this part of the world unless he will show us those horses."</p> + +<p>So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them what did they +mean by getting themselves ready for a journey. "You will hear that, +high king," said Brian; "it is because trained fighting men from +Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in them by the kings they +guard, and we are used to be told the secrets and the whispers of any +person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we +came to you. For you have two horses and a chariot that are the best in +the world, as we have been told, and we have not been given a sight of +them yet." "It would be a pity you to go on that account," said the +king, "when I would have showed them to you the first day, if I had +known you had a wish to see them. And if you have a mind to see them +now," he said, "you may see them; for I think there never came soldiers +from Ireland to this place that were thought more of by myself and by my +people than yourselves."</p> + +<p>He sent for the horses then, and they were yoked to the chariot, and +their going was as fast as the cold spring wind, and the sea was the +same as the land to them.</p> + +<p>And Brian was watching the horses closely, and on a sudden he took hold +of the chariot and took the chariot driver out and dashed him against +the nearest rock, and made a leap into his place himself, and made a +cast of the Persian spear at the king, that went through his heart. And +then he and his brothers scattered the people before them, and brought +away the chariot.</p> + +<p>"We will go now to Easal, the King of the Golden Pillars," said Brian, +"to look for the seven pigs the Ildánach bade us bring him."</p> + +<p>They sailed on then without delay or drawback to that high country. And +it is the way the people of that country were, watching their harbours +for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told +in all parts, how they had been sent out of Ireland by force, and how +they were bringing away with them all the gifted treasures of the whole +world.</p> + +<p>Easal came to the edge of the harbour to meet them, and he asked was it +true what he heard, that the king of every country they had gone to had +fallen by them. Brian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to +them for it. "What was it made you do that?" said Easal. Brian told him +then it was the oppression and the hard sentence of another had put them +to it; and he told him all that had happened, and how they had put down +all that offered to stand against them until that time.</p> + +<p>"What did you come to this country now for?" said the king. "For the +pigs belonging to yourself," said Brian; "for to bring them away with us +is a part of the fine." "What way do you think to get them?" said the +king. "If we get them with good-will," said Brian, "we are ready to take +them thankfully; and if we do not, we are ready to do battle with +yourself and your people on the head of them, that you may fall by us, +and we may bring away the pigs in spite of you." "If that is to be the +end of it," said the king, "it would be a pity to bring my people into a +battle." "It would be a pity indeed," said Brian.</p> + +<p>Then the king whispered and took advice with his people about the +matter, and it is what they agreed, to give up the pigs of their own +free will to the sons of Tuireann, since they could not see that any one +had been able to stand against them up to that time.</p> + +<p>Then the sons of Tuireann gave their thanks to Easal, and there was +wonder on them to have got the pigs like that, when they had to fight +for every other part of the fine. And more than that, they had left a +share of their blood in every other place till then.</p> + +<p>Easal brought them to his own house that night, and they were served +with food, and drink, and good beds, and all they could wish for. And +they rose up on the morrow and came into the king's presence, and the +pigs were given to them. "It is well you have done by us, giving us +these pigs," said Brian, "for we did not get any share of the fine +without fighting but these alone." And he made a poem for the king then, +praising him, and putting a great name on him for what he had done.</p> + +<p>"What journey are you going to make now, sons of Tuireann?" said Easal. +"We are going," they said, "to the country of Ioruaidh, on account of a +whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said Easal, "and that is to +bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh, for a daughter of mine is his +wife, and I would wish to persuade him to give you the whelp without a +battle." "That will please us well," they said.</p> + +<p>So the king's ship was made ready, and we have no knowledge of what +happened till they came to the delightful, wonderful coast of Ioruaidh. +The people and the armies were watching the harbours and landing-places +before them, and they knew them at once and shouted at them.</p> + +<p>Then Easal went on shore peaceably, and he went to where his son-in-law, +the king, was, and told him the story of the sons of Tuireann from +beginning to end. "What has brought them to this country?" said the King +of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you have," said Easal. "It was a bad +thought you had coming with them to ask it," said the king, "for the +gods have not given that much luck to any three champions in the world, +that they would get my hound by force or by good-will." "It would be +better for you to let them have the hound," said Easal, "since they have +put down so many of the kings of the world."</p> + +<p>But all he could say was only idleness to the king. So he went then to +where the sons of Tuireann were, and gave them the whole account. And +when they heard the king's answer, they made no delay, but put quick +hands on their arms, and offered to give battle to the army of Ioruaidh. +And when they met, there was a brave battle fought on both sides. And as +for the sons of Tuireann, they began to kill and to strike at the men of +Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar +and Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the +other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was before +Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of Ioruaidh in the +battle pen where he was. And then the two brave champions began a fierce +fight together, and they did not spare one another in it. And at the +last Brian overcame the king, and bound him, and brought him through the +middle of the army, till he came to the place where Easal was, and it is +what he said: "There is your son-in-law for you, and I swear by my hand +of valour, I would think it easier to kill him three times than to bring +him to you once like this."</p> + +<p>So then the whelp was given to the sons of Tuireann, and the king was +unbound, and peace was made between them. And when they had brought all +this to an end, they bade farewell to Easal and to all the rest.</p> + +<p>Now as to Lugh of the Long Hand, it was showed to him that the sons of +Tuireann had got all the things that were wanting to him against the +battle with the Fomor; and on that he sent a Druid spell after them to +put forgetfulness on them of the rest of the fine that they had not got. +And he put a great desire and longing on them to go back to Ireland; so +they forgot that a part of the fine was wanting to them, and they turned +back again toward home.</p> + +<p>And it is the place where Lugh was at the time, at a gathering of the +people for a fair on the green outside Teamhair, and the King of Ireland +along with him. And it was made known to Lugh that the sons of Tuireann +were landed at Brugh na Boinn. And he went into the city of Teamhair, +and shut the gate after him, and he put on Manannan's smooth armour, and +the cloak, of the daughters of Flidais, and he took his own arms in his +hand.</p> + +<p>And the sons of Tuireann came where the king was, and they were made +welcome by him and by the Tuatha de Danaan. And the king asked them did +they get the fine. "We did get it," said they; "and where is Lugh till +we give it to him?" "He was here a while ago," said the king. And the +whole fair was searched for him, but he was not found.</p> + +<p>"I know the place where he is," said Brian; "for it has been made known +to him that we are come to Ireland, and these deadly arms with us, and +he is gone into Teamhair to avoid us."</p> + +<p>Messengers were sent to him then, and it is the answer he gave them that +he would not come, but that the fine should be given to the king.</p> + +<p>So the sons of Tuireann did that, and when the king had taken the fine +they all went to the palace in Teamhair; and Lugh came out on the lawn +and the fine was given to him, and it is what he said: "There is a good +payment here for any one that ever was killed or that ever will be +killed. But there is something wanting to it yet that it is not lawful +to leave out. And where is the cooking-spit?" he said; "and where are +the three shouts on the hill that you did not give yet?"</p> + +<p>And when the sons of Tuireann heard that there came clouds of weakness +on them. And they left the place and went to their father's house that +night, and they told him all they had done, and the way Lugh had treated +them.</p> + +<p>There was grief and darkness on Tuireann then, and they spent the night +together. And on the morrow they went to their ship, and Ethne, their +sister, with them, and she was crying and lamenting, and it is what she +said:</p> + +<p>"It is a pity, Brian of my life, it is not to Teamhair your going is, +after all the troubles you have had before this, even if I could not +follow you.</p> + +<p>"O Salmon of the dumb Boinn, O Salmon of the Lifé River, since I cannot +keep you here I am loath to part from you.</p> + +<p>"O Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh, the man that stands best in the fight, +if you come back again, I think it will not be pleasing to your enemy.</p> + +<p>"Is there pity with you for the sons of Tuireann leaning now on their +green shields? Their going is a cause for pity, my mind is filled up +with it.</p> + +<p>"You to be to-night at Beinn Edair till the heavy coming of the morning, +you who have taken forfeits from brave men, it is you have increased our +grief.</p> + +<p>"It is a pity your journey is from Teamhair, and from the pleasant +plains, and from great Uisnech of Midhe; there is nothing so pitiful as +this."</p> + +<p>After that complaint they went out on the rough waves of the green sea; +and they were a quarter of a year on the sea without getting any news of +the island.</p> + +<p>Then Brian put on his water dress and he made a leap, and he was a long +time walking in the sea looking for the Island of the Fair-Haired Women, +and he found it in the end. And he went looking for the court, and when +he came to it, all he found was a troop of women doing needlework and +embroidering borders. And among all the other things they had with them, +there was the cooking-spit.</p> + +<p>And when Brian saw it, he took it up in his hand and he was going to +bring it with him to the door. And all the women began laughing when +they saw him doing that, and it is what they said: "It is a brave deed +you put your hand to; for even if your brothers were along with you, the +least of the three times fifty women of us would not let the spit go +with you or with them. But for all that," they said, "take a spit of the +spits with you, since you had the daring to try and take it in spite of +us."</p> + +<p>Brian bade them farewell then, and went to look for the boat. And his +brothers thought it was too long he was away from them, and just as they +were going to leave the place they were, they saw him coming towards +them, and that raised their courage greatly.</p> + +<p>And he went into the boat, and they went on to look for the Hill of +Miochaoin. And when they came there, Miochaoin, that was the guardian of +the hill, came towards them; and when Brian saw him he attacked him, and +the fight of those two champions was like the fight of two lions, till +Miochaoin fell at the last.</p> + +<p>And after Miochaoin had fallen, his three sons came out to fight with +the three sons of Tuireann. And if any one ever came from the east of +the world to look at any fight, it is to see the fight of these +champions he had a right to come, for the greatness of their blows and +the courage of their minds. The names of the sons of Miochaoin were Core +and Conn and Aedh, and they drove their three spears through the bodies +of the sons of Tuireann, and that did not discourage them at all and +they put their own three spears through the bodies of the sons of +Miochaoin, so that they fell into the clouds and the faintness of death.</p> + +<p>And then Brian said: "What way are you now, my dear brothers?" "We are +near our death," said they. "Let us rise up," he said, "and give three +shouts upon the hill, for I see the signs of death coming on us." "We +are not able to do that," said they. Then Brian rose up and raised each +of them with one hand, and he shedding blood heavily all the time, +until they gave the three shouts.</p> + +<p>After that Brian brought them with him to the boat, and they were +travelling the sea for a long time, but at last Brian said: "I see Beinn +Edair and our father's dun, and Teamhair of the Kings." "We would have +our fill of health if we could see that," said the others; "and for the +love of your good name, brother," they said, "raise up our heads on your +breast till we see Ireland again, and life or death will be the same to +us after that. And O Brian," they said, "Flame of Valour without +treachery, we would sooner death to bring ourselves away, than to see +you with wounds upon your body, and with no physician to heal you."</p> + +<p>Then they came to Beinn Edair, and from that they went on to their +father's house, and Brian said to Tuireann: "Go, dear father, to +Teamhair, and give this spit to Lugh, and bring the skin that has +healing in it for our relief. Ask it from him for the sake of +friendship," he said, "for we are of the one blood, and let him not give +hardness for hardness. And O dear father," he said, "do not be long on +your journey, or you will not find us alive before you."</p> + +<p>Then Tuireann went to Teamhair, and he found Lugh of the Long Hand +before him, and he gave him the spit, and he asked the skin of him to +heal his children, and Lugh said he would not give it And Tuireann came +back to them and told them he had not got the skin. And Brian said: +"Bring me with you to Lugh, to see would I get it from him."</p> + +<p>So they went to Lugh, and Brian asked the skin of him. And Lugh said he +would not give it, and that if they would give him the breadth of the +earth in gold for it, he would not take it from them, unless he was sure +their death would come on them in satisfaction for the deed they had +done.</p> + +<p>When Brian heard that, he went to the place his two brothers were, and +he lay down between them, and his life went out from him, and out from +the other two at the same time.</p> + +<p>And their father cried and lamented over his three beautiful sons, that +had the making of a king of Ireland in each of them, and his strength +left him and he died; and they were buried in the one grave.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L8" id="L8" />CHAPTER III. THE GREAT BATTLE OF MAGH TUIREADH</h2> + + +<p>And it was not long after Lugh had got the fine from the sons of +Tuireann that the Fomor came and landed at Scetne.</p> + +<p>The whole host of the Fomor were come this time, and their king, Balor, +of the Strong Blows and of the Evil Eye, along with them; and Bres, and +Indech, son of De Domnann, a king of the Fomor, and Elathan, son of +Lobos, and Goll and Ingol, and Octriallach, son of Indech, and Elathan, +son of Delbaeth.</p> + +<p>Then Lugh sent the Dagda to spy out the Fomor, and to delay them till +such time as the men of Ireland would come to the battle.</p> + +<p>So the Dagda went to their camp, and he asked them for a delay, and they +said he might have that. And then to make sport of him, the Fomor made +broth for him, for he had a great love for broth. So they filled the +king's cauldron with four times twenty gallons of new milk, and the same +of meal and fat, and they put in goats and sheep and pigs along with +that, and boiled all together, and then they poured it all out into a +great hole in the ground. And they called him to it then, and told him +he should eat his fill, the way the Fomor would not be reproached for +want of hospitality the way Bres was. "We will make an end of you if +you leave any part of it after you," said Indech, son of De Domnann.</p> + +<p>So the Dagda took the ladle, and it big enough for a man and a woman to +lie in the bowl of it, and he took out bits with it, the half of a +salted pig, and a quarter of lard a bit would be. "If the broth tastes +as well as the bits taste, this is good food," he said. And he went on +putting the full of the ladle into his mouth till the hole was empty; +and when all was gone he put down his hand and scraped up all that was +left among the earth and the gravel.</p> + +<p>Sleep came on him then after eating the broth, and the Fomor were +laughing at him, for his belly was the size of the cauldron of a great +house. But he rose up after a while, and, heavy as he was, he made his +way home; and indeed his dress was no way sightly, a cape to the hollow +of the elbows, and a brown coat, long in the breast and short behind, +and on his feet brogues of horse hide, with the hair outside, and in his +hand a wheeled fork it would take eight men to carry, so that the track +he left after him was deep enough for the boundary ditch of a province. +And on his way he saw the Battle-Crow, the Morrigu, washing herself in +the river Unius of Connacht, and one of her two feet at Ullad Echne, to +the south of the water, and the other at Loscuinn, to the north of the +water, and her hair hanging in nine loosened locks. And she said to the +Dagda, that she would bring the heart's blood of Indech, son of De +Domnann, that had threatened him, to the men of Ireland.</p> + +<p>And while he was away Lugh had called together the Druids, and smiths, +and physicians, and law-makers, and chariot-drivers of Ireland, to make +plans for the battle.</p> + +<p>And he asked the great magician Mathgen what could he do to help them. +"It is what I can do," said Mathgen, "through my power I can throw down +all the mountains of Ireland on the Fomor, until their tops will be +rolling on the ground. And the twelve chief mountains of Ireland will +bring you their help," he said, "and will fight for you: Slieve Leag and +Denda Ulad, and Bennai Boirche and Bri Ruri, and Slieve Bladma and +Slieve Snechtae, and Slieve Mis and Blai-Slieve, and Nemthann and Slieve +Macca Belgodon, and Segois and Cruachan Aigle."</p> + +<p>Then he asked the cup-bearers what help they could give. "We will put a +strong thirst on the Fomor," they said, "and then we will bring the +twelve chief lochs of Ireland before them, and however great their +thirst may be, they will find no water in them: Derc-Loch, Loch +Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, +Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, Mor-Loch. And we will +go," they said, "to the twelve chief rivers of Ireland: the Buas, the +Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the +Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech, the Siuir; and they will +all be hidden away from the Fomor the way they will not find a drop in +them. But as for the men of Ireland," they said, "there will be drink +for them if they were to be in the battle to the end of seven years."</p> + +<p>And Figol, son of Mamos, the Druid, was asked then what he would do, and +he said: "It is what I will do, I will cause three showers of fire to +pour on the faces of the army of the Fomor, and I will take from them +two-thirds of their bravery and their strength, and I will put sickness +on their bodies, and on the bodies of their horses. But as to the men of +Ireland," he said, "every breath they breathe will be an increase of +strength and of bravery to them; and if they are seven years in the +battle they will never be any way tired."</p> + +<p>Then Lugh asked his two witches, Bechulle and Dianan: "What power can +you bring to the battle?" "It is easy to say that," they said. "We will +put enchantment on the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth, +till they become an armed host against the Fomor, and put terror on them +and put them to the rout."</p> + +<p>Then Lugh asked Carpre, the poet, son of Etain, what could he do. "It is +not hard to say that," said Carpre. "I will make a satire on them at +sunrise, and the wind from the north, and I on a hill-top and my back to +a thorn-tree, and a stone and a thorn in my hand. And with that satire," +he said, "I will put shame on them and enchantment, the way they will +not be able to stand against fighting men."</p> + +<p>Then he asked Goibniu the Smith what would he be able to do. "I will do +this," he said. "If the men of Ireland stop in the battle to the end of +seven years, for every sword that is broken and for every spear that is +lost from its shaft, I will put a new one in its place. And no +spear-point that will be made by my hand," he said, "will ever miss its +mark; and no man it touches will ever taste life again. And that is more +than Dolb, the smith of the Fomor, can do," he said.</p> + +<p>"And you, Credne," Lugh said then to his worker in brass, "what help can +you give to our men in the battle?" "It is not hard to tell that," said +Credne, "rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses +and rims for their shields, I will supply them all."</p> + +<p>"And you, Luchta," he said then to his carpenter, "what will you do?" "I +will give them all they want of shields and of spear shafts," said +Luchta.</p> + +<p>Then he asked Diancecht, the physician, what would he do, and it is what +he said: "Every man that will be wounded there, unless his head is +struck off, or his brain or his marrow cut through, I will make him +whole and sound again for the battle of the morrow."</p> + +<p>Then the Dagda said: "Those great things you are boasting you will do, +I will do them all with only myself." "It is you are the good god!" said +they, and they all gave a great shout of laughter.</p> + +<p>Then Lugh spoke to the whole army and put strength in them, so that each +one had the spirit in him of a king or a great lord.</p> + +<p>Then when the delay was at an end, the Fomor and the men of Ireland came +on towards one another till they came to the plain of Magh Tuireadh. +That now was not the same Magh Tuireadh where the first battle was +fought, but it was to the north, near Ess Dara.</p> + +<p>And then the two armies threatened one another. "The men of Ireland are +daring enough to offer battle to us," said Bres to Indech, son of De +Domnann. "I give my word," said Indech, "it is in small pieces their +bones will be, if they do not give in to us and pay their tribute."</p> + +<p>Now the Men of Dea had determined not to let Lugh go into the battle, +because of the loss his death would be to them; and they left nine of +their men keeping a watch on him.</p> + +<p>And on the first day none of the kings or princes went into the battle, +but only the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough.</p> + +<p>And the battle went on like that from day to day with no great advantage +to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomor on account +of one thing. Such of their own weapons as were broken or blunted in the +fight lay there as they were, and such of their own men as were killed +showed no sign of life on the morrow; but it was not so with the Tuatha +de Danaan, for if their men were killed or their weapons were broken +to-day, they were as good as before on the morrow.</p> + +<p>And this is the way that happened. The well of Slaine lay to the west +of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. And Diancecht and his son +Octruil and his daughter Airmed used to be singing spells over the well +and to be putting herbs in it; and the men that were wounded to death in +the battle would be brought to the well and put into it as dead men, and +they would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the +spells. And not only were they healed, but there was such fire put into +them that they would be quicker in the fight than they were before.</p> + +<p>And as to the arms, it is the way they were made new every day. Goibniu +the Smith used to be in the forge making swords and spears, and he would +make a spear-head by three turns, and then Luchta the Carpenter would +make the shaft by three cuts, and the third cut was a finish, and would +set it in the ring of the spear. And when the spear-heads were stuck in +the side of the forge, he would throw the shaft and the rings the way +they would go into the spear-head and want no more setting. And then +Credne the Brazier would make the rivets by three turns and would cast +the rings of the spears to them, and with that they were ready and were +set together.</p> + +<p>And all this went against the Fomor, and they sent one of their young +men to spy about the camp and to see could he find out how these things +were done. It was Ruadan, son of Bres and of Brigit daughter of the +Dagda they sent, for he was a son and grandson of the Tuatha de Danaan. +So he went and saw all that was done, and came back to the Fomor.</p> + +<p>And when they heard his story it is what they thought, that Goibniu the +Smith was the man that hindered them most. And they sent Ruadan back +again, and bade him make an end of him.</p> + +<p>So he went back again to the forge, and he asked Goibniu would he give +him a spear-head. And then he asked rivets of Credne, and a shaft of +the carpenter, and all was given to him as he asked. And there was a +woman there, Cron, mother to Fianlug, grinding the spears.</p> + +<p>And after the spear being given to Ruadan, he turned and threw it at +Goibniu, that it wounded him. But Goibniu pulled it out and made a cast +of it at Ruadan, that it went through him and he died; and Bres, his +father, and the army of the Fomor, saw him die. And then Brigit came and +keened her son with shrieking and with crying.</p> + +<p>And as to Goibniu, he went into the well and was healed. But after that +Octriallach, son of Indech, called to the Fomor and bade each man of +them bring a stone of the stones of Drinnes and throw them into the well +of Slane. And they did that till the well was dried up, and a cairn +raised over it, that is called Octriallach's Cairn.</p> + +<p>And it was while Goibniu was making spear-heads for the battle of Magh +Tuireadh, a charge was brought against his wife. And it was seen that it +was heavy news to him, and that jealousy came on him. And it is what he +did, there was a spear-shaft in his hand when he heard the story, Nes +its name was; and he sang spells over the spear-shaft, and any one that +was struck with that spear afterwards, it would burn him up like fire.</p> + +<p>And at last the day of the great battle came, and the Fomor came out of +their camp and stood in strong ranks. And there was not a leader or a +fighting man of them was without good armour to his skin, and a helmet +on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sword in his belt, +a strong shield on his shoulder. And to attack the army of the Fomor +that day was to strike the head against a rock, or to go up fighting +against a fire.</p> + +<p>And the Men of Dea rose up and left Lugh and his nine comrades keeping +him, and they went on to the battle; and Midhir was with them, and Bodb +Dearg and Diancecht. And Badb and Macha and the Morrigu called out that +they would go along with them.</p> + +<p>And it was a hard battle was fought, and for a while it was going +against the Tuatha de Danaan; and Nuada of the Silver Hand, their King, +and Macha, daughter of Emmass, fell by Balor, King of the Fomor. And +Cass-mail fell by Octriallach, and the Dagda got a dreadful wound from a +casting spear that was thrown by Ceithlenn, wife of Balor.</p> + +<p>But when the battle was going on, Lugh broke away from those that were +keeping him, and rushed out to the front of the Men of Dea. And then +there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of +Ireland to fight well, the way they would not be in bonds any longer. +For it was better for them, he said, to die protecting their own country +than to live under bonds and under tribute any longer. And he sang a +song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went +into battle, and then they met together, and each of them began to +attack the other.</p> + +<p>And there was great slaughter, and laying low in graves, and many comely +men fell there in the stall of death. Pride and shame were there side by +side, and hardness and red anger, and there was red blood on the white +skin of young fighting men. And the dashing of spear against shield, and +sword against sword, and the shouting of the fighters, and the whistling +of casting spears and the rattling of scabbards was like harsh thunder +through the battle. And many slipped in the blood that was under their +feet, and they fell, striking their heads one against another; and the +river carried away bodies of friends and enemies together.</p> + +<p>Then Lugh and Balor met in the battle, and Lugh called out reproaches to +him; and there was anger on Balor, and he said to the men that were with +him: "Lift up my eyelid till I see this chatterer that is talking to +me." Then they raised Balor's eyelid, but Lugh made a cast of his red +spear at him, that brought the eye out through the back of his head, so +that it was towards his own army it fell, and three times nine of the +Fomor died when they looked at it. And if Lugh had not put out that eye +when he did, the whole of Ireland would have been burned in one flash. +And after this, Lugh struck his head off.</p> + +<p>And as for Indech, son of De Domnann, he fell and was crushed in the +battle, and blood burst from his mouth, and he called out for Leat Glas, +his poet, as he lay there, but he was not able to help him. And then the +Morrigu came into the battle, and she was heartening the Tuatha de +Danaan to fight the battle well; and, as she had promised the Dagda, she +took the full of her two hands of Indech's blood, and gave it to the +armies that were waiting at the ford of Unius; and it was called the +Ford of Destruction from that day.</p> + +<p>And after that it was not a battle any more, but a rout, and the Fomor +were beaten back to the sea. And Lugh and his comrades were following +them, and they came up with Bres, son of Elathan, and no guard with him, +and he said: "It is better for you to spare my life than to kill me. And +if you spare me now," he said, "the cows of Ireland will never go dry." +"I will ask an advice about that from our wise men," said Lugh. So he +told Maeltine Mor-Brethach, of the Great Judgments, what Bres was after +saying. But Maeltine said: "Do not spare him for that, for he has no +power over their offspring, though he has power so long as they are +living."</p> + +<p>Then Bres said: "If you spare me, the men of Ireland will reap a harvest +of corn every quarter." But Maeltine said: "The spring is for ploughing +and sowing, and the beginning of summer for the strength of corn, and +the beginning of autumn for its ripeness, and the winter for using it."</p> + +<p>"That does not save you," said Lugh then to Bres. But then to make an +excuse for sparing him, Lugh said: "Tell us what is the best way for the +men of Ireland to plough and to sow and to reap."</p> + +<p>"Let their ploughing be on a Tuesday, and their casting seed into the +field on a Tuesday, and their reaping on a Tuesday," said Bres. So Lugh +said that would do, and he let him go free after that.</p> + +<p>It was in this battle Ogma found Orna, the sword of Tethra, a king of +the Fomor, and he took it from its sheath and cleaned it. And when the +sword was taken out of the sheath, it told all the deeds that had been +done by it, for there used to be that power in swords.</p> + +<p>And Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma followed after the Fomor, for they had +brought away the Dagda's harp with them, that was called Uaitne. And +they came to a feasting-house, and in it they found Bres and his father +Elathan, and there was the harp hanging on the wall. And it was in that +harp the Dagda had bound the music, so that it would not sound till he +would call to it. And sometimes it was called Dur-da-Bla, the Oak of Two +Blossoms, and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, the Four-Angled Music.</p> + +<p>And when he saw it hanging on the wall it is what he said: "Come summer, +come winter, from the mouth of harps and bags and pipes." Then the harp +sprang from the wall, and came to the Dagda, and it killed nine men on +its way.</p> + +<p>And then he played for them the three things harpers understand, the +sleepy tune, and the laughing tune, and the crying tune. And when he +played the crying tune, their tearful women cried, and then he played +the laughing tune, till their women and children laughed; and then he +played the sleepy tune, and all the hosts fell asleep. And through that +sleep the three went away through the Fomor that would have been glad to +harm them. And when all was over, the Dagda brought out the heifer he +had got as wages from Bres at the time he was making his dun. And she +called to her calf, and at the sound of her call all the cattle of +Ireland the Fomor had brought away as tribute, were back in their fields +again.</p> + +<p>And Cé, the Druid of Nuada of the Silver Hand, was wounded in the +battle, and he went southward till he came to Carn Corrslebe. And there +he sat down to rest, tired with his wounds and with the fear that was on +him, and the journey. And he saw a smooth plain before him, and it full +of flowers, and a great desire came on him to reach to that plain, and +he went on till he came to it, and there he died. And when his grave was +made there, a lake burst out over it and over the whole plain, and it +was given the name of Loch Cé. And there were but four men of the Fomor +left in Ireland after the battle, and they used to be going through the +country, spoiling corn and milk and fruit, and whatever came from the +sea, till they were driven out one Samhain night by the Morrigu and by +Angus Og, that the Fomor might never be over Ireland again.</p> + +<p>And after the battle was won, and the bodies were cleared away, the +Morrigu gave out the news of the great victory to the hosts and to the +royal heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and its invers, and it +is what she said: "Peace up to the skies, the skies down to earth, the +earth under the skies; strength to every one."</p> + +<p>And as to the number of men that fell in the battle, it will not be +known till we number the stars of the sky, or flakes of snow, or the dew +on the grass, or grass under the feet of cattle, or the horses of the +Son of Lir in a stormy sea.</p> + +<p>And Lugh was made king over the Men of Dea then, and it was at Nas he +had his court.</p> + +<p>And while he was king, his foster-mother Taillte, daughter of Magh Mor, +the Great Plain, died. And before her death she bade her husband Duach +the Dark, he that built the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, to clear +away the wood of Cuan, the way there could be a gathering of the people +around her grave. So he called to the men of Ireland to cut down the +wood with their wide-bladed knives and bill-hooks and hatchets, and +within a month the whole wood was cut down.</p> + +<p>And Lugh buried her in the plain of Midhe, and raised a mound over her, +that is to be seen to this day. And he ordered fires to be kindled, and +keening to be made, and games and sports to be held in the summer of +every year out of respect to her. And the place they were held got its +name from her, that is Taillten.</p> + +<p>And as to Lugh's own mother, that was tall beautiful Ethlinn, she came +to Teamhair after the battle of Magh Tuireadh, and he gave her in +marriage to Tadg, son of Nuada. And the children that were born to them +were Muirne, mother of Finn, the Head of the Fianna of Ireland, and +Tuiren, that was mother of Bran.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L9" id="L9" />CHAPTER IV. THE HIDDEN HOUSE OF LUGH</h2> + + +<p>And after Lugh had held the kingship for a long time, the Dagda was made +king in his place.</p> + +<p>And Lugh went away out of Ireland, and some said he died at Uisnech, the +place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever +a fire kindled in Ireland. It was by Mide, son of Brath, it was kindled, +for the sons of Nemed, and it was burning through six years, and it was +from that fire every chief fire was kindled in Ireland.</p> + +<p>But Lugh was seen again in Ireland at the time Conchubar and the Men of +the Red Branch went following white birds southward to the Boinn at the +time of Cuchulain's birth. And it was he came and kept watch over +Cuchulain in his three days' sleep at the time of the War for the Bull +of Cuailgne.</p> + +<p>And after that again he was seen by Conn of the Hundred Battles, and +this is the way that happened.</p> + +<p>Conn was in Teamhair one time, and he went up in the early morning to +the Rath of the Kings at the rising of the sun, and his three Druids +with him, Maol and Bloc and Bhuice; and his three poets, Ethain and Corb +and Cesarn. And the reason he had for going up there with them every +day, was to look about on every side, the way if any men of the Sidhe +would come into Ireland they would not come unknown to him. And on this +day he chanced to stand upon a stone that was in the rath, and the stone +screamed under his feet, that it was heard all over Teamhair and as far +as Bregia.</p> + +<p>Then Conn asked his chief Druid how the stone came there, and what it +screamed for. And the Druid said he would not answer that till the end +of fifty-three days. And at the end of that time, Conn asked him again, +and it is what the Druid said: "The Lia Fail is the name of the stone; +it is out of Falias it was brought, and it is in Teamhair it was set up, +and in Teamhair it will stay for ever. And as long as there is a king in +Teamhair it is here will be the gathering place for games, and if there +is no king to come to the last day of the gathering, there will be +hardness in that year. And when the stone screamed under your feet," he +said, "the number of the screams it gave was a foretelling of the number +of kings of your race that would come after you. But it is not I myself +will name them for you," he said.</p> + +<p>And while they were in the same place, there came a great mist about +them and a darkness, so that they could not know what way they were +going, and they heard the noise of a rider coming towards them. "It +would be a great grief to us," said Conn, "to be brought away into a +strange country." Then the rider threw three spears at them, and every +one came faster than the other. "It is the wounding of a king indeed," +said the Druids, "any one to cast at Conn of Teamhair."</p> + +<p>The rider stopped casting his spears on that, and he came to them and +bade Conn welcome, and asked him to come to his house. They went on then +till they came to a beautiful plain, and there they saw a king's rath, +and a golden tree at its door, and inside the rath a grand house with a +roof of white bronze. So they went into the house, and the rider that +had come to meet them was there before them, in his royal seat, and +there had never been seen a man like him in Teamhair for comeliness or +for beauty, or the wonder of his face.</p> + +<p>And there was a young woman in the house, having a band of gold on her +head, and a silver vessel with hoops of gold beside her, and it full of +red ale, and a golden bowl on its edge, and a golden cup at its mouth. +She said then to the master of the house: "Who am I to serve drink to?" +"Serve it to Conn of the Hundred Battles," he said, "for he will gain a +hundred battles before he dies." And after that he bade her to pour out +the ale for Art of the Three Shouts, the son of Conn; and after that he +went through the names of all the kings of Ireland that would come after +Conn, and he told what would be the length of their lifetime. And the +young woman left the vessel with Conn, and the cup and the bowl, and she +gave him along with that the rib of an ox and of a hog; twenty-four feet +was the length of the ox-rib.</p> + +<p>And the master of the house told them the young woman was the Kingship +of Ireland for ever. "And as for myself," he said, "I am Lugh of the +Long Hand, son of Ethlinn."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L10" id="L10" />BOOK THREE: THE COMING OF THE GAEL.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE LANDING</h2> + + +<p>It is not known, now, for what length of time the Tuatha de Danaan had +the sway over Ireland, and it is likely it was a long time they had it, +but they were put from it at last.</p> + +<p>It was at Inver Slane, to the north of Leinster, the sons of Gaedhal of +the Shining Armour, the Very Gentle, that were called afterwards the +Sons of the Gael, made their first attempt to land in Ireland to avenge +Ith, one of their race that had come there one time and had met with his +death.</p> + +<p>It is under the leadership of the sons of Miled they were, and it was +from the south they came, and their Druids had told them there was no +country for them to settle in till they would come to that island in the +west. "And if you do not get possession of it yourselves," they said, +"your children will get possession of it."</p> + +<p>But when the Tuatha de Danaan saw the ships coming, they flocked to the +shore, and by their enchantments they cast such a cloud over the whole +island that the sons of Miled were confused, and all they could see was +some large thing that had the appearance of a pig.</p> + +<p>And when they were hindered from landing there by enchantments, they +went sailing along the coast till at last they were able to make a +landing at Inver Sceine in the west of Munster.</p> + +<p>From that they marched in good order as far as Slieve Mis. And there +they were met by a queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, and a train of +beautiful women attending on her, and her Druids and wise men following +her. Amergin, one of the sons of Miled, spoke to her then, and asked her +name, and she said it was Banba, wife of Mac Cuill, Son of the Hazel.</p> + +<p>They went on then till they came to Slieve Eibhline, and there another +queen of the Tuatha de Danaan met them, and her women and her Druids +after her, and they asked her name, and she said it was Fodhla, wife of +Mac Cecht, Son of the Plough.</p> + +<p>They went on then till they came to the hill of Uisnech, and there they +saw another woman coming towards them. And there was wonder on them +while they were looking at her, for in the one moment she would be a +wide-eyed most beautiful queen, and in another she would be a +sharp-beaked, grey-white crow. She came on to where Eremon, one of the +sons of Miled, was, and sat down before him, and he asked her who was +she, and she said: "I am Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun."</p> + +<p>And the names of those three queens were often given to Ireland in the +after time.</p> + +<p>The Sons of the Gael went on after that to Teamhair, where the three +sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth, son of the Dagda, that had the kingship +between them at that time held their court. And these three were +quarrelling with one another about the division of the treasures their +father had left, and the quarrel was so hot it seemed likely it would +come to a battle in the end.</p> + +<p>And the Sons of the Gael wondered to see them quarrelling about such +things, and they having so fruitful an island, where the air was so +wholesome, and the sun not too strong, or the cold too bitter, and where +there was such a plenty of honey and acorns, and of milk, and of fish, +and of corn, and room enough for them all.</p> + +<p>Great grandeur they were living in, and their Druids about them, at the +palace of Teamhair. And Amergin went to them, and it is what he said, +that they must give up the kingship there and then, or they must leave +it to the chance of a battle. And he said he asked this in revenge for +the death of Ith, of the race of the Gael, that had come to their court +before that time, and that had been killed by treachery.</p> + +<p>When the sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth heard Amergin saying such fierce +words, there was wonder on them, and it is what they said, that they +were not willing to fight at that time, for their army was not ready. +"But let you make an offer to us," they said, "for we see well you have +good judgment and knowledge. But if you make an offer that is not fair," +they said, "we will destroy you with our enchantments."</p> + +<p>At that Amergin bade the men that were with him to go back to Inver +Sceine, and to hurry again into their ships with the rest of the Sons of +the Gael, and to go out the length of nine waves from the shore. And +then he made his offer to the Tuatha de Danaan, that if they could +hinder his men from landing on their island, he and all his ships would +go back again to their own country, and would never make any attempt to +come again; but that if the Sons of the Gael could land on the coast in +spite of them, then the Tuatha de Danaan should give up the kingship and +be under their sway.</p> + +<p>The Tuatha de Danaan were well pleased with that offer, for they thought +that by the powers of their enchantments over the winds and the sea, and +by their arts, they would be well able to keep them from ever setting +foot in the country again.</p> + +<p>So the Sons of the Gael did as Amergin bade them and they went back into +their ship and drew up their anchors, and moved out to the length of +nine waves from the shore. And as soon as the Men of Dea saw they had +left the land, they took to their enchantments and spells, and they +raised a great wind that scattered the ships of the Gael, and drove them +from one another. But Amergin knew it was not a natural storm was in +it, and Arranan, son of Miled, knew that as well, and he went up in the +mast of his ship to look about him. But a great blast of wind came +against him, and he fell back into the ship and died on the moment. And +there was great confusion on the Gael, for the ships were tossed to and +fro, and had like to be lost. And the ship that Donn, son of Miled, was +in command of was parted from the others by the dint of the storm, and +was broken in pieces, and he himself and all with him were drowned, +four-and-twenty men and women in all. And Ir, son of Miled, came to his +death in the same way, and his body was cast on the shore, and it was +buried in a small island that is now called Sceilg Michill. A brave man +Ir was, leading the Sons of the Gael to the front of every battle, and +their help and their shelter in battle, and his enemies were in dread of +his name.</p> + +<p>And Heremon, another of the sons of Miled, with his share of the ships, +was driven to the left of the island, and it is hardly he got safe to +land. And the place where he landed was called Inver Colpa, because +Colpa of the Sword, another of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, and +he trying to get to land. Five of the sons of Miled in all were +destroyed by the storm and the winds the Men of Dea had raised by their +enchantments, and there were but three of them left, Heber, and Heremon, +and Amergin.</p> + +<p>And one of them, Donn, before he was swept into the sea, called out: "It +is treachery our knowledgeable men are doing on us, not to put down this +wind." "There is no treachery," said Amergin, his brother. And he rose +up then before them, and whatever enchantment he did on the winds and +the sea, he said these words along with it:</p> + +<p>"That they that are tossing in the great wide food-giving sea may reach +now to the land.</p> + +<p>"That they may find a place upon its plains, its mountains, and its +valleys; in its forests that are full of nuts and of all fruits; on its +rivers and its streams, on its lakes and its great waters.</p> + +<p>"That we may have our gatherings and our races in this land; that there +may be a king of our own in Teamhair; that it may be the possession of +our many kings.</p> + +<p>"That the sons of Miled may be seen in this land, that their ships and +their boats may find a place there.</p> + +<p>"This land that is now under darkness, it is for it we are asking; let +our chief men, let their learned wives, ask that we may come to the +noble woman, great Eriu."</p> + +<p>After he had said this, the wind went down and the sea was quiet again +on the moment.</p> + +<p>And those that were left of the sons of Miled and of the Sons of the +Gael landed then at Inver Sceine.</p> + +<p>And Amergin was the first to put his foot on land, and when he stood on +the shore of Ireland, it is what he said:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"I am the wind on the sea;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the wave of the sea;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the bull of seven battles;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the eagle on the rock;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am a flash from the sun;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the most beautiful of plants;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am a strong wild boar;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am a salmon in the water;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am a lake in the plain;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the word of knowledge;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the head of the spear in battle;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">I am the god that puts fire in the head;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Who can tell the ages of the moon?</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Who can tell the place where the sun rests?"</span><br /> +</p> +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L11" id="L11" />CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF TAILLTIN</h2> + + +<p>And three days after the landing of the Gael, they were attacked by +Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun, and she having a good share of +men with her. And they fought a hard battle, and many were killed on +both sides. And this was the first battle fought between the Sons of the +Gael and the Men of Dea for the kingship of Ireland.</p> + +<p>It was in that battle Fais, wife of Un, was killed in a valley at the +foot of the mountain, and it was called after her, the Valley of Fais. +And Scota, wife of Miled, got her death in the battle, and she was +buried in a valley on the north side of the mountain near the sea. But +the Sons of the Gael lost no more than three hundred men, and they beat +back the Men of Dea and killed a thousand of them. And Eriu was beaten +back to Tailltin, and as many of her men as she could hold together; and +when she came there she told the people how she had been worsted in the +battle, and the best of her men had got their death. But the Gael +stopped on the battle-field, and buried their dead, and they gave a +great burial to two of their Druids, Aer and Eithis, that were killed in +the fight.</p> + +<p>And after they had rested for a while, they went on to Inver Colpa in +Leinster, and Heremon and his men joined them there. And then they sent +messengers to the three kings of Ireland, the three sons of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and bade them to come out and fight a battle that would +settle the ownership of the country once for all.</p> + +<p>So they came out, and the best of the fighters of the Tuatha de Danaan +with them, to Tailltin. And there they attacked one another, and the +Sons of the Gael remembered the death of Ith, and there was great anger +on them, and they fell on the Men of Dea to avenge him, and there was a +fierce battle fought. And for a while neither side got the better of the +other, but at the last the Gael broke through the army of the Men of Dea +and put them to the rout, with great slaughter, and drove them out of +the place. And their three kings were killed in the rout, and the three +queens of Ireland, Eriu and Fodhla and Banba. And when the Tuatha de +Danaan saw their leaders were dead they fell back in great disorder, and +the Sons of the Gael followed after them. But in following them they +lost two of their best leaders, Cuailgne, son of Breagan, at Slieve +Cuailgne, and Fuad, his brother, at Slieve Fuad. But they were no way +daunted by that, but followed the Men of Dea so hotly that they were +never able to bring their army together again, but had to own themselves +beaten, and to give up the country to the Gael.</p> + +<p>And the leaders, the sons of Miled, divided the provinces of Ireland +between them. Heber took the two provinces of Munster, and he gave a +share of it to Amergin; and Heremon got Leinster and Connacht for his +share, and Ulster was divided between Eimhir, son of Ir, son of Miled, +and some others of their chief men. And it was of the sons of Eimhir, +that were called the Children of Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain +Macha for nine hundred years, some of the best men of Ireland came; +Fergus, son of Rogh, was of them, and Conall Cearnach, of the Red Branch +of Ulster.</p> + +<p>And from the sons of Ith, the first of the Gael to get his death in +Ireland, there came in the after time Fathadh Canaan, that got the sway +over the whole world from the rising to the setting sun, and that took +hostages of the streams and the birds and the languages.</p> + +<p>And it is what the poets of Ireland used to be saying, that every brave +man, good at fighting, and every man that could do great deeds and not +be making much talk about them, was of the Sons of the Gael; and that +every skilled man that had music and that did enchantments secretly, +was of the Tuatha de Danaan. But they put a bad name on the Firbolgs and +the men of Domnand and the Gaileoin, for lies and for big talk and +injustice. But for all that there were good fighters among them, and +Ferdiad, that made so good a stand against Cuchulain, in the war for the +Bull of Cuailgne was one of them. And the Gaileoin fought well in the +same war; but the men of Ireland had no great liking for them, and their +Druids drove them out of the country afterwards.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L12" id="L12" />BOOK FOUR: THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. BODB DEARG</h2> + + +<p>But as to the Tuatha de Danaan after they were beaten, they would not go +under the sway of the sons of Miled, but they went away by themselves. +And because Manannan, son of Lir, understood all enchantments, they left +it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their +enemies. So he chose out the most beautiful of the hills and valleys of +Ireland for them to settle in; and he put hidden walls about them, that +no man could see through, but they themselves could see through them and +pass through them.</p> + +<p>And he made the Feast of Age for them, and what they drank at it was the +ale of Goibniu the Smith, that kept whoever tasted it from age and from +sickness and from death. And for food at the feast he gave them his own +swine, that though they were killed and eaten one day, would be alive +and fit for eating again the next day, and that would go on in that way +for ever.</p> + +<p>And after a while they said: "It would be better for us one king to be +over us, than to be scattered the way we are through the whole of +Ireland."</p> + +<p>Now the men among them that had the best chance of getting the kingship +at that time were Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda; and Ilbrech of Ess +Ruadh; and Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, the Hill of the White Field, on +Slieve Fuad; and Midhir the Proud of Bri Leith, and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda; but he did not covet the kingship at all, but would sooner be +left as he was. Then all the chief men but those five went into council +together, and it is what they agreed, to give the kingship to Bodb +Dearg, for the sake of his father, for his own sake, and because he was +the eldest among the children of the Dagda.</p> + +<p>It was in Sidhe Femen Bodb Dearg had his house, and he put great +enchantments about it. Cliach, the Harper of the King of the Three +Rosses in Connacht, went one time to ask one of his daughters in +marriage, and he stayed outside the place through the whole length of a +year, playing his harp, and able to get no nearer to Bodb or to his +daughter. And he went on playing till a lake burst up under his feet, +the lake that is on the top of a mountain, Loch Bel Sead.</p> + +<p>It was Bodb's swineherd went to Da Derga's Inn, and his squealing pig +along with him, the night Conaire, the High King of Ireland, met with +his death; and it was said that whatever feast that swineherd would go +to, there would blood be shed before it was over.</p> + +<p>And Bodb had three sons, Angus, and Artrach, and Aedh. And they used +often to be living among men in the time of the Fianna afterwards. +Artrach had a house with seven doors, and a free welcome for all that +came, and the king's son of Ireland, and of Alban, used to be coming to +Angus to learn the throwing of spears and darts; and troops of poets +from Alban and from Ireland used to be with Aedh, that was the comeliest +of Bodb's sons, so that his place used to be called "The Rath of Aedh of +the Poets." And indeed it was a beautiful rath at that time, with +golden-yellow apples in it and crimson-pointed nuts of the wood. But +after the passing away of the Fianna, the three brothers went back to +the Tuatha de Danaan.</p> + +<p>And Bodb Dearg was not always in his own place, but sometimes he was +with Angus at Brugh na Boinn.</p> + +<p>Three sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland, Eochaid, and Fiacha, and +Ruide, went there one time, for their father refused them any land till +they would win it for themselves. And when he said that, they rose with +the ready rising of one man, and went and sat down on the green of Brugh +na Boinn, and fasted there on the Tuatha de Danaan, to see if they +could win some good thing from them.</p> + +<p>And they were not long there till they saw a young man, quiet and with +pleasant looks, coming towards them, and he wished them good health, and +they answered him the same way. "Where are you come from?" they asked +him then. "From the rath beyond, with the many lights," he said. "And I +am Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," he said, "and come in with me now to +the rath."</p> + +<p>So they went in, and supper was made ready for them, but they did not +use it. Bodb Dearg asked them then why was it they were using nothing. +"It is because our father has refused land to us," said they; "and there +are in Ireland but the two races, the Sons of the Gael and the Men of +Dea, and when the one failed us we are come to the other."</p> + +<p>Then the Men of Dea consulted together. And the chief among them was +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and it is what he said: "Let us give a wife +to every one of these three men, for it is from a wife that good or bad +fortune comes."</p> + +<p>So they agreed to that, and Midhir's three daughters, Doirenn, and Aife, +and Aillbhe, were given to them. Then Midhir asked Bodb to say what +marriage portion should be given to them. "I will tell you that," said +Bodb. "We are three times fifty sons of kings in this hill; let every +king's son give three times fifty ounces of red gold. And I myself," he +said, "will give them along with that, three times fifty suits of +clothing of all colours." "I will give them a gift," said a young man of +the Tuatha de Danaan, from Rachlainn in the sea. "A horn I will give +them, and a vat. And there is nothing wanting but to fill the vat with +pure water, and it will turn into mead, fit to drink, and strong enough +to make drunken. And into the horn," he said, "you have but to put salt +water from the sea, and it will turn into wine on the moment." "A gift +to them from me," said Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, "three times fifty +swords, and three times fifty well-riveted long spears." "A gift from +me," said Angus Og, son of the Dagda, "a rath and a good town with high +walls, and with bright sunny houses, and with wide houses, in whatever +place it will please them between Rath Chobtaige and Teamhair." "A gift +to them from me," said Aine, daughter of Modharn, "a woman-cook that I +have, and there is <i>geasa</i> on her not to refuse food to any; and +according as she serves it out, her store fills up of itself again." +"Another gift to them from me," said Bodb Dearg, "a good musician that I +have, Fertuinne, son of Trogain; and although there were women in the +sharpest pains of childbirth, and brave men wounded early in the day, in +a place where there were saws going through wood, they would sleep at +the sweetness of the music he makes. And whatever house he may be in, +the people of the whole country round will hear him."</p> + +<p>So they stopped in Brugh na Boinne three days and three nights, and when +they left it, Angus bade them bring away from the oak-wood three +apple-trees, one in full bloom, and one shedding its blossom, and the +third covered with ripe fruit.</p> + +<p>They went then to their own dun that was given them, and it is a good +place they had there, and a troop of young men, and great troops of +horses and of greyhounds; and they had three sorts of music that comely +kings liked to be listening to, the music of harps and of lutes, and the +chanting of Trogain's son; and there were three great sounds, the +tramping on the green, and the uproar of racing, and the lowing of +cattle; and three other sounds, the grunting of good pigs with the fat +thick on them, and the voices of the crowd on the green lawn, and the +noise of men drinking inside the house. And as to Eochaid, it was said +of him that he never took a step backwards in flight, and his house was +never without music or drinking of ale. And it was said of Fiacha that +there was no man of his time braver than himself, and that he never said +a word too much. And as to Ruide, he never refused any one, and never +asked anything at all of any man.</p> + +<p>And when their lifetime was over, they went back to the Tuatha de +Danaan, for they belonged to them through their wives, and there they +have stopped ever since.</p> + +<p>And Bodb Dearg had a daughter, Scathniamh, the Flower of Brightness, +that gave her love to Caoilte in the time of the Fianna; and they were +forced to part from one another, and they never met again till the time +Caoilte was, old and withered, and one of the last that was left of the +Fianna. And she came to him out of the cave of Cruachan, and asked him +for the bride-price he had promised her, and that she was never able to +come and ask for till then. And Caoilte went to a cairn that was near +and that was full up of gold, that was wages earned by Conan Maol and +hidden there, and he gave the gold to Bodb Dearg's daughter. And the +people that were there wondered to see the girl so young and comely, and +Caoilte so grey and bent and withered. "There is no wonder in that," +said Caoilte, "for I am of the sons of Miled that wither and fade away, +but she is of the Tuatha de Danaan that never change and that never +die."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L13" id="L13" />CHAPTER II. THE DAGDA</h2> + + +<p>And it was at Brugh na Boinne the Dagda, the Red Man of all Knowledge, +had his house. And the most noticeable things in it were the Hall of the +Morrigu, and the Bed of the Dagda, and the Birthplace of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and the Prison of the Grey of Macha that was Cuchulain's +horse afterwards. And there was a little hill by the house that was +called the Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife; and another that was +called the Hill of Dabilla, that was the little hound belonging to +Boann. And the Valley of the Mata was there, the Sea-Turtle that could +suck down a man in armour.</p> + +<p>And it is likely the Dagda put up his cooking oven there, that Druimne, +son of Luchair, made for him at Teamhair. And it is the way it was, the +axle and the wheel were of wood, and the body was iron, and there were +twice nine wheels in its axle, that it might turn the faster; and it was +as quick as the quickness of a stream in turning, and there were three +times nine spits from it, and three times nine pots. And it used to lie +down with the cinders and to rise to the height of the roof with the +flame.</p> + +<p>The Dagda himself made a great vat one time for Ainge, his daughter, but +she was not well satisfied with it, for it would not stop from dripping +while the sea was in flood, though it would not lose a drop during the +ebb-tide. And she gathered a bundle of twigs to make a new vat for +herself, but Gaible, son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, stole it from her +and hurled it away. And in the place where it fell a beautiful wood grew +up, that was called Gaible's Wood.</p> + +<p>And the Dagda had his household at Brugh na Boinne, and his steward was +Dichu, and Len Linfiaclach was the smith of the Brugh. It was he lived +in the lake, making the bright vessels of Fand, daughter of Flidhais; +and every evening when he left off work he would make a cast of the +anvil eastward to Indeoin na Dese, the Anvil of the Dese, as far as the +Grave End. Three showers it used to cast, a shower of fire, and a shower +of water, and a shower of precious stones of pure purple.</p> + +<p>But Tuirbe, father of Goibniu the Smith, used to throw better again, for +he would make a cast of his axe from Tulach na Bela, the Hill of the +Axe, in the face of the flood tide, and he would put his order on the +sea, and it would not come over the axe.</p> + +<p>And Corann was the best of the harpers of the household; he was harper +to the Dagda's son, Diancecht. And one time he called with his harp to +Cailcheir, one of the swine of Debrann. And it ran northward with all +the strength of its legs, and the champions of Connacht were following +after it with all their strength of running, and their hounds with them, +till they got as far as Ceis Corain, and they gave it up there, all +except Niall that went on the track of the swine till he found it in the +oak-wood of Tarba, and then it made away over the plain of Ai, and +through a lake. And Niall and his hound were drowned in following it +through the lake. And the Dagda gave Corann a great tract of land for +doing his harping so well.</p> + +<p>But however great a house the Dagda had, Angus got it away from him in +the end, through the help of Manannan, son of Lir. For Manannan bade him +to ask his father for it for the length of a day and a night, and that +he by his art would take away his power of refusing. So Angus asked for +the Brugh, and his father gave it to him for a day and a night. But when +he asked it back again, it is what Angus said, that it had been given to +him for ever, for the whole of life and time is made up of a day and a +night, one following after the other.</p> + +<p>So when the Dagda heard that he went away and his people and his +household with him, for Manannan had put an enchantment on them all.</p> + +<p>But Dichu the Steward was away at the time, and his wife and his son, +for they were gone out to get provisions for a feast for Manannan and +his friends. And when he came back and knew his master was gone, he took +service with Angus.</p> + +<p>And Angus stopped in Brugh na Boinne, and some say he is there to this +day, with the hidden walls about him, drinking Goibniu's ale and eating +the pigs that never fail.</p> + +<p>As to the Dagda, he took no revenge, though he had the name of being +revengeful and quick in his temper. And some say it was at Teamhair he +made his dwelling-place after that, but wherever it was, a great +misfortune came on him.</p> + +<p>It chanced one time Corrgenn, a great man of Connacht, came to visit +him, and his wife along with him. And while they were there, Corrgenn +got it in his mind that there was something that was not right going on +between his wife and Aedh, one of the sons of the Dagda. And great +jealousy and anger came on him, and he struck at the young man and +killed him before his father's face.</p> + +<p>Every one thought the Dagda would take Corrgenn's life then and there in +revenge for his son's life. But he would not do that, for he said if his +son was guilty, there was no blame to be put on Corrgenn for doing what +he did. So he spared his life for that time, but if he did, Corrgenn did +not gain much by it. For the punishment he put on him was to take the +dead body of the young man on his back, and never to lay it down till he +would find a stone that would be its very fit in length and in breadth, +and that would make a gravestone for him; and when he had found that, he +could bury him in the nearest hill.</p> + +<p>So Corrgenn had no choice but to go, and he set out with his load; but +he had a long way to travel before he could find a stone that would fit, +and it is where he found one at last, on the shore of Loch Feabhail. So +then he left the body up on the nearest hill, and he went down and +raised the stone and brought it up and dug a grave and buried the +Dagda's son. And it is many an Ochone! he gave when he was putting the +stone over him, and when he had that done he was spent, and he dropped +dead there and then.</p> + +<p>And the Dagda brought his two builders, Garbhan and Imheall, to the +place, and he bade them build a rath there round the grave. It was +Garbhan cut the stones and shaped them, and Imheall set them all round +the house till the work was finished, and then he closed the top of the +house with a slab. And the place was called the Hill of Aileac, that is, +the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone, for it was tears of blood the Dagda +shed on account of the death of his son.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L14" id="L14" />CHAPTER III. ANGUS OG</h2> + + +<p>And as to Angus Og, son of the Dagda, sometimes he would come from Brugh +na Boinn and let himself be seen upon the earth.</p> + +<p>It was a long time after the coming of the Gael that he was seen by +Cormac, King of Teamhair, and this is the account he gave of him.</p> + +<p>He was by himself one day in his Hall of Judgment, for he used to be +often reading the laws and thinking how he could best carry them out. +And on a sudden he saw a stranger, a very comely young man, at the end +of the hall; and he knew on the moment it was Angus Og, for he had often +heard his people talking of him, but he himself used to be saying he did +not believe there was any such person at all. And when his people came +back to the hall, he told them how he had seen Angus himself, and had +talked with him, and Angus had told him his name, and had foretold what +would happen him in the future. "And he was a beautiful young man," he +said, "with high looks, and his appearance was more beautiful than all +beauty, and there were ornaments of gold on his dress; in his hand he +held a silver harp with strings of red gold, and the sound of its +strings was sweeter than all music under the sky; and over the harp were +two birds that seemed to be playing on it. He sat beside me pleasantly +and played his sweet music to me, and in the end he foretold things that +put drunkenness on my wits."</p> + +<p>The birds, now, that used to be with Angus were four of his kisses that +turned into birds and that used to be coming about the young men of +Ireland, and crying after them. "Come, come," two of them would say, and +"I go, I go," the other two would say, and it was hard to get free of +them. But as to Angus, even when he was in his young youth, he used to +be called the Frightener, or the Disturber; for the plough teams of the +world, and every sort of cattle that is used by men, would make away in +terror before him.</p> + +<p>And one time he appeared in the shape of a land-holder to two men, Ribh +and Eocho, that were looking for a place to settle in. The first place +they chose was near Bregia on a plain that was belonging to Angus; and +it was then he came to them, leading his horse in his hand, and told +them they should not stop there. And they said they could not carry away +their goods without horses. Then he gave them his horse, and bade them +to put all they had a mind to on that horse and he would carry it, and +so he did. But the next place they chose was Magh Find, the Fine Plain, +that was the playing ground of Angus and of Midhir. And that time Midhir +came to them in the same way and gave them a horse to put their goods +on, and he went on with them as far as Magh Dairbthenn.</p> + +<p>And there were many women loved Angus, and there was one Enghi, daughter +of Elcmair, loved him though she had not seen him. And she went one time +looking for him to the gathering for games between Cletech and Sidhe in +Broga; and the bright troops of the Sidhe used to come to that gathering +every Samhain evening, bringing a moderate share of food with them, that +is, a nut. And the sons of Derc came from the north, out of Sidhe +Findabrach, and they went round about the young men and women without +their knowledge and they brought away Elcmair's daughter. There were +great lamentations made then, and the name the place got was Cnoguba, +the Nut Lamentation, from the crying there was at that gathering.</p> + +<p>And Derbrenn, Eochaid Fedlech's daughter, was another that was loved by +Angus, and she had six fosterlings, three boys and three girls. But the +mother of the boys, Dalb Garb, the Rough, put a spell on them she made +from a gathering of the nuts of Caill Ochuid, that turned them into +swine.</p> + +<p>And Angus gave them into the care of Buichet, the Hospitaller of +Leinster, and they stopped a year with him. But at the end of that time +there came a longing On Buichet's wife to eat a bit of the flesh of one +of them. So she gathered a hundred armed men and a hundred hounds to +take them. But the pigs made away, and went to Brugh na Boinn, to Angus, +and he bade them welcome, and they asked him to give them his help. But +he said he could not do that till they had shaken the Tree of Tarbga, +and eaten the salmon of Inver Umaill.</p> + +<p>So they went to Glascarn, and stopped a year in hiding with Derbrenn. +And then they shook the Tree of Tarbga, and they went on towards Inver +Umaill. But Maeve gathered the men of Connacht to hunt them, and they +all fell but one, and their heads were put in a mound, and it got the +name of Duma Selga, the Mound of the Hunting.</p> + +<p>And it was in the time of Maeve of Cruachan that Angus set his love on +Caer Ormaith, of the Province of Connacht, and brought her away to Brugh +na Boinn.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L15" id="L15" />CHAPTER IV. THE MORRIGU</h2> + + +<p>As to the Morrigu, the Great Queen, the Crow of Battle, where she lived +after the coming of the Gael is not known, but before that time it was +in Teamhair she lived. And she had a great cooking-spit there, that held +three sorts of food on it at the one time: a piece of raw meat, and a +piece of dressed meat, and a piece of butter. And the raw was dressed, +and the dressed was not burned, and the butter did not melt, and the +three together on the spit.</p> + +<p>Nine men that were outlaws went to her one time and asked for a spit to +be made for themselves. And they brought it away with them, and it had +nine ribs in it, and every one of the outlaws would carry a rib in his +hand wherever he would go, till they would all meet together at the +close of day. And if they wanted the spit to be high, it could be raised +to a man's height, and at another time it would not be more than the +height of a fist over the fire, without breaking and without lessening.</p> + +<p>And Mechi, the son the Morrigu had, was killed by Mac Cecht on Magh +Mechi, that till that time had been called Magh Fertaige. Three hearts +he had, and it is the way they were, they had the shapes of three +serpents through them. And if Mechi had not met with his death, those +serpents in him would have grown, and what they left alive in Ireland +would have wasted away. And Mac Cecht burned the three hearts on Magh +Luathad, the Plain of Ashes, and he threw the ashes into the stream; and +the rushing water of the stream stopped and boiled up, and every +creature in it died.</p> + +<p>And the Morrigu used often to be meddling in Ireland in Cuchulain's +time, stirring up wars and quarrels. It was she came and roused up +Cuchulain one time when he was but a lad, and was near giving in to some +enchantment that was used against him. "There is not the making of a +hero in you," she said to him, "and you lying there under the feet of +shadows." And with that Cuchulain rose up and struck off the head of a +shadow that was standing over him, with his hurling stick. And the time +Conchubar was sending out Finched to rouse up the men of Ulster at the +time of the war for the Bull of Cuailgne, he bade him to go to that +terrible fury, the Morrigu, to get help for Cuchulain. And she had a +dispute with Cuchulain one time he met her, and she bringing away a cow +from the Hill of Cruachan; and another time she helped Talchinem, a +Druid of the household of Conaire Mor, to bring away a bull his wife had +set her mind on. And indeed she was much given to meddling with cattle, +and one time she brought away a cow from Odras, that was of the +household of the cow-chief of Cormac Hua Cuined, and that was going +after her husband with cattle. And the Morrigu brought the cow away with +her to the Cave of Cruachan, and the Hill of the Sidhe. And Odras +followed her there till sleep fell on her in the oak-wood of Falga; and +the Morrigu awoke her and sang spells over her, and made of her a pool +of water that went to the river that flows to the west of Slieve Buane.</p> + +<p>And in the battle of Magh Rath, she fluttered over Congal Claen in the +shape of a bird, till he did not know friend from foe. And after that +again at the battle of Cluantarbh, she was flying over the head of +Murchadh, son of Brian; for she had many shapes, and it was in the shape +of a crow she would sometimes fight her battles.</p> + +<p>And if it was not the Morrigu, it was Badb that showed herself in the +battle of Dunbolg, where the men of Ireland were fighting under Aedh, +son of Niall; and Brigit was seen in the same battle on the side of the +men of Leinster.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L16" id="L16" />CHAPTER V. AINE</h2> + + +<p>And as to Aine, that some said was a daughter of Manannan, but some said +was the Morrigu herself, there was a stone belonging to her that was +called Cathair Aine. And if any one would sit on that stone he would be +in danger of losing his wits, and any one that would sit on it three +times would lose them for ever. And people whose wits were astray would +make their way to it, and mad dogs would come from all parts of the +country, and would flock around it, and then they would go into the sea +to Aine's place there. But those that did cures by herbs said she had +power over the whole body; and she used to give gifts of poetry and of +music, and she often gave her love to men, and they called her the +Leanan Sidhe, the Sweet-heart of the Sidhe.</p> + +<p>And it was no safe thing to offend Aine, for she was very revengeful. +Oilioll Oluim, a king of Ireland, killed her brother one time, and it is +what she did, she made a great yew-tree by enchantment beside the river +Maigh in Luimnech, and she put a little man in it, playing sweet music +on a harp. And Oilioll's son was passing the river with his +step-brother, and they saw the tree and heard the sweet music from it. +And first they quarrelled as to which of them would have the little +harper, and then they quarrelled about the tree, and they asked a +judgment from Oilioll, and he gave it for his own son. And it was the +bad feeling about that judgment that led to the battle of Magh +Mucruimhe, and Oilioll and his seven sons were killed there, and so Aine +got her revenge.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L17" id="L17" />CHAPTER VI. AOIBHELL</h2> + + +<p>And Aoibhell, another woman of the Sidhe, made her dwelling-place in +Craig Liath, and at the time of the battle of Cluantarbh she set her +love on a young man of Munster, Dubhlaing ua Artigan, that had been sent +away in disgrace by the King of Ireland. But before the battle he came +back to join with Murchadh, the king's son, and to fight for the Gael. +And Aoibhell came to stop him; and when he would not stop with her she +put a Druid covering about him, the way no one could see him.</p> + +<p>And he went where Murchadh was fighting, and he made a great attack on +the enemies of Ireland, and struck them down on every side. And Murchadh +looked around him, and he said; "It seems to me I hear the sound of the +blows of Dubhlaing ua Artigan, but I do not see himself." Then Dubhlaing +threw off the Druid covering that was about him, and he said: "I will +not keep this covering upon me when you cannot see me through it. And +come now across the plain to where Aoibhell is," he said, "for she can +give us news of the battle."</p> + +<p>So they went where she was, and she bade them both to quit the battle, +for they would lose their lives in it. But Murchadh said to her, "I will +tell you a little true story," he said; "that fear for my own body will +never make me change my face. And if we fall," he said, "the strangers +will fall with us; and it is many a man will fall by my own hand, and +the Gael will be sharing their strong places." "Stop with me, +Dubhlaing," she said then, "and you will have two hundred years of happy +life with myself." "I will not give up Murchadh," he said, "or my own +good name, for silver or gold." And there was anger on Aoibhell when he +said that, and she said: "Murchadh will fall, and you yourself will +fall, and your proud blood will be on the plain to-morrow." And they +went back into the battle, and got their death there.</p> + +<p>And it was Aoibhell gave a golden harp to the son of Meardha the time +he was getting his learning at the school of the Sidhe in Connacht and +that he heard his father had got his death by the King of Lochlann. And +whoever heard the playing of that harp would not live long after it. And +Meardha's son went where the three sons of the King of Lochlann were, +and played on his harp for them, and they died.</p> + +<p>It was that harp Cuchulain heard the time his enemies were gathering +against him at Muirthemne, and he knew by it that his life was near its +end.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L18" id="L18" />CHAPTER VII. MIDHIR AND ETAIN</h2> + + +<p>And Midhir took a hill for himself, and his wife Fuamach was with him +there, and his daughter, Bri. And Leith, son of Celtchar of Cualu, was +the most beautiful among the young men of the Sidhe of Ireland at that +time, and he loved Bri, Midhir's daughter. And Bri went out with her +young girls to meet him one time at the Grave of the Daughters beside +Teamhair. And Leith came and his young men along with him till he was on +the Hill of the After Repentance. And they could not come nearer to one +another because of the slingers on Midhir's hill that were answering one +another till their spears were as many as a swarm of bees on a day of +beauty. And Cochlan, Leith's servant, got a sharp wound from them and he +died.</p> + +<p>Then the girl turned back to Midhir's hill, and her heart broke in her +and she died. And Leith said: "Although I am not let come to this girl, +I will leave my name with her." And the hill was called Bri Leith from +that time.</p> + +<p>After a while Midhir took Etain Echraide to be his wife. And there was +great jealousy on Fuamach, the wife he had before, when she saw the +love that Midhir gave to Etain, and she called to the Druid, Bresal +Etarlaim to help her, and he put spells on Etain the way Fuamach was +able to drive her away.</p> + +<p>And when she was driven out of Bri Leith, Angus Og, son of the Dagda, +took her into his keeping; and when Midhir asked her back, he would not +give her up, but he brought her about with him to every place he went. +And wherever they rested, he made a sunny house for her, and put +sweet-smelling flowers in it, and he made invisible walls about it, that +no one could see through and that could not be seen.</p> + +<p>But when news came to Fuamach that Etain was so well cared by Angus, +anger and jealousy came on her again, and she searched her mind for a +way to destroy Etain altogether.</p> + +<p>And it is what she did, she persuaded Midhir and Angus to go out and +meet one another and to make peace, for there had been a quarrel between +them ever since the time Etain was sent away. And when Angus was away +from Brugh na Boinn, Fuamach went and found Etain there, in her sunny +house. And she turned her with Druid spells into a fly, and then she +sent a blast of wind into the house, that swept her away through the +window.</p> + +<p>But as to Midhir and Angus, they waited a while for Fuamach to come and +join them. And when she did not come they were uneasy in their minds, +and Angus hurried back to Brugh na Boinn. And when he found the sunny +house empty, he went in search of Fuamach, and it was along with +Etarlaim, the Druid, he found her, and he struck her head off there and +then.</p> + +<p>And for seven years Etain was blown to and fro through Ireland in great +misery. And at last she came to the house of Etar, of Inver Cechmaine, +where there was a feast going on, and she fell from a beam of the roof +into the golden cup that was beside Etar's wife. And Etar's wife drank +her down with the wine, and at the end of nine months she was born again +as Etar's daughter.</p> + +<p>And she had the same name as before, Etain; and she was reared as a +king's daughter, and there were fifty young girls, daughters of princes, +brought up with her to keep her company.</p> + +<p>And it happened one day Etain and all the rest of the young girls were +out bathing in the bay at Inver Cechmaine, and they saw from the water a +man, with very high looks, coming towards them over the plain, and he +riding a bay horse with mane and tail curled. A long green cloak he had +on him, and a shirt woven with threads of red gold, and a brooch of gold +that reached across to his shoulders on each side. And he had on his +back a shield of silver with a rim of gold and a boss of gold, and in +his hand a sharp-pointed spear covered with rings of gold from heel to +socket. Fair yellow hair he had, coming over his forehead, and it bound +with a golden band to keep it from loosening.</p> + +<p>And when he came near them he got down from his horse, and sat down on +the bank, and it is what he said:</p> + +<p>"It is here Etain is to-day, at the Mound of Fair Women. It is among +little children is her life on the strand of Inver Cechmaine.</p> + +<p>"It is she healed the eye of the king from the well of Loch da Lig; it +is she was swallowed in a heavy drink by the wife of Etar.</p> + +<p>"Many great battles will happen for your sake to Echaid of Midhe; +destruction will fall upon the Sidhe, and war on thousands of men."</p> + +<p>And when he had said that, he vanished, and no one knew where he went. +And they did not know the man that had come to them was Midhir of Bri +Leith.</p> + +<p>And when Etain was grown to be a beautiful young woman, she was seen by +Eochaid Feidlech, High King of Ireland, and this is the way that +happened.</p> + +<p>He was going one time over the fair green of Bri Leith, and he saw at +the side of a well a woman, with a bright comb of gold and silver, and +she washing in a silver basin having four golden birds on it, and little +bright purple stones set in the rim of the basin. A beautiful purple +cloak she had, and silver fringes to it, and a gold brooch; and she had +on her a dress of green silk with a long hood, embroidered in red gold, +and wonderful clasps of gold and silver on her breasts and on her +shoulder. The sunlight was falling on her, so that the gold and the +green silk were shining out. Two plaits of hair she had, four locks in +each plait, and a bead at the point of every lock, and the colour of her +hair was like yellow flags in summer, or like red gold after it is +rubbed.</p> + +<p>There she was, letting down her hair to wash it, and her arms out +through the sleeve-holes of her shift. Her soft hands were as white as +the snow of a single night, and her eyes as blue as any blue flower, and +her lips as red as the berries of the rowan-tree, and her body as white +as the foam of a wave. The bright light of the moon was in her face, the +highness of pride in her eyebrows, a dimple of delight in each of her +cheeks, the light of wooing in her eyes, and when she walked she had a +step that was steady and even like the walk of a queen.</p> + +<p>And Eochaid sent his people to bring her to him, and he asked her name, +and she told him her name was Etain, daughter of Etar, King of the +Riders of the Sidhe. And Eochaid gave her his love, and he paid the +bride-price, and brought her home to Teamhair as his wife, and there was +a great welcome before her there.</p> + +<p>And after a while there was a great feast made at Teamhair, and all the +chief men of Ireland came to it, and it lasted from the fortnight before +Samhain to the fortnight after it. And King Eochaid's brother Ailell, +that was afterwards called Ailell Anglonach, of the Only Fault, came to +the feast. And when he saw his brother's wife Etain, he fell in love +with her on the moment, and all through the length of the feast he was +not content unless he could be looking at her. And a woman, the daughter +of Luchta Lamdearg, of the Red Hand, took notice of it, and she said: +"What far thing are you looking at, Ailell? It is what I think, that to +be looking the way you are doing is a sign of love." Then Ailell checked +himself, and did not look towards Etain any more.</p> + +<p>But when the feast was at an end, and the gathering broken up, great +desire and envy came on Ailell, so that he fell sick, and they brought +him to a house in Teffia. And he stopped there through the length of a +year, and he was wasting away, but he told no one the cause of his +sickness. And at the end of the year, Eochaid came to visit his brother, +and he passed his hand over his breast, and Ailell let a groan. "What +way are you?" said Eochaid then. "Are you getting any easier, for you +must not let this illness come to a bad end." "By my word," said Ailell, +"it is not easier I am, but worse and worse every day and every night." +"What is it ails you?" said Eochaid. "And what is it that is coming +against you." "By my word, I cannot tell you that," said Ailell. "I will +bring one here that will know the cause of your sickness," said the +king.</p> + +<p>With that he sent Fachtna, his own physician, to Ailell; and when he +came he passed his hand over Ailell's heart, and at that he groaned +again. "This sickness will not be your death," said Fachtna then; "and I +know well what it comes from. It is either from the pains of jealousy, +or from love you have given, and that you have not found a way out of." +But there was shame on Ailell, and he would not confess to the physician +that what he said was right. So Fachtna went away then and left him.</p> + +<p>As to King Eochaid, he went away to visit all the provinces of Ireland +that were under his kingship, and he left Etain after him, and it is +what he said: "Good Etain," he said, "take tender care of Ailell so long +as he is living; and if he should die from us, make a sodded grave for +him, and raise a pillar stone over it, and write his name on it in +Ogham." And with that he went away on his journey.</p> + +<p>One day, now, Etain went into the house where Ailell was lying in his +sickness, and they talked together, and then she made a little song for +him, and it is what she said:</p> + +<p>"What is it ails you, young man, for it is a long time you are wasted +with this sickness, and it is not the hardness of the weather has +stopped your light footstep."</p> + +<p>And Ailell answered her in the same way, and he said: "I have good cause +for my hurt; the music of my own harp does not please me; there is no +sort of food is pleasant to me, and so I am wasted away." Then Etain +said: "Tell me what is it ails you, for I am a woman that is wise. Tell +me is there anything that would cure you, the way I may help you to it?" +And Ailell answered her: "O kind, beautiful woman, it is not good to +tell a secret to a woman, but sometimes it may be known through the +eyes." And Etain said: "Though it is bad to tell a secret, yet it ought +to be told now, or how can help be given to you?" And Ailell answered: +"My blessing on you, fair-haired Etain. It is not fit I am to be spoken +with; my wits have been no good help to me; my body is a rebel to me. +All Ireland knows, O king's wife, there is sickness in my head and in my +body." And Etain said: "If there is a woman of the fair-faced women of +Ireland tormenting you this way, she must come to you here if it +pleases you; and it is I myself will woo her for you," she said.</p> + +<p>Then Ailell said to her: "Woman, it would be easy for you yourself to +put my sickness from me. And my desire," he said, "is a desire that is +as long as a year; but it is love given to an echo, the spending of +grief on a wave, a lonely fight with a shadow, that is what my love and +my desire have been to me."</p> + +<p>And it is then Etain knew what was the sickness that was on him, and it +was a heavy trouble to her.</p> + +<p>But she came to him every day to tend him, and to make ready his food, +and to pour water over his hands, and all she could do she did for him, +for it was a grief to her, he to wither away and to be lost for her +sake. And at last one day she said to him: "Rise up, Ailell, son of a +king, man of high deeds, and I will do your healing."</p> + +<p>Then he put his arms about her, and she kissed him, and she said: "Come +at the morning of to-morrow at the break of day to the house outside the +dun, and I will give you all your desire."</p> + +<p>That night Ailell lay without sleep until the morning was at hand. And +at the very time he should have risen to go to her, it was at that time +his sleep settled down upon him, and he slept on till the full light of +day.</p> + +<p>But Etain went to the house outside the dun, and she was not long there +when she saw a man coming towards her having the appearance of Ailell, +sick and tired and worn. But when he came near and she looked closely at +him, she saw it was not Ailell that was in it. Then he went away, and +after she had waited a while, she herself went back into the dun.</p> + +<p>And it was then Ailell awoke, and when he knew the morning had passed +by, he would sooner have had death than life, and he fretted greatly. +And Etain came in then, and he told her what had happened him. And she +said: "Come to-morrow to the same place."</p> + +<p>But the same thing happened the next day. And when it happened on the +third day, and the same man came to meet Etain, she said to him: "It is +not you at all I come to meet here, and why is it that you come to meet +me? And as to him I came to meet," she said, "indeed it is not for gain +or through lightness I bade him come to me, but to heal him of the +sickness he is lying under for my sake." Then the man said: "It would be +more fitting for you to come to meet me than any other one. For in the +time long ago," he said, "I was your first husband, and your first man." +"What is it you are saying," she said, "and who are you yourself?" "It +is easy to tell that," he said; "I am Midhir of Bri Leith." "And what +parted us if I was your wife?" said Etain. "It was through Fuamach's +sharp jealousy and through the spells of Bresal Etarlaim, the Druid, we +were parted. And will you come away with me now?" he said. But Etain +said: "It is not for a man whose kindred is unknown I will give up the +High King of Ireland." And Midhir said: "Surely it was I myself put that +great desire for you on Ailell, and it was I hindered him from going to +meet you, the way you might keep your good name."</p> + +<p>And when she went back to Ailell's house, she found his sickness was +gone from him, and his desire. And she told him all that had happened, +and he said: "It has turned out well for us both: I am well of my +sickness and your good name is not lessened." "We give thanks to our +gods for that," said Etain, "for we are well pleased to have it so."</p> + +<p>And just at that time Eochaid came back from his journey, and they told +him the whole story, and he was thankful to his wife for the kindness +she had showed to Ailell.</p> + +<p>It was a good while after that, there was a great fair held at Teamhair, +and Etain was out on the green looking at the games and the races. And +she saw a rider coming towards her, but no one could see him but +herself; and when he came near she saw he had the same appearance as +the man that came and spoke with her and her young girls the time they +were out in the sea at Inver Cechmaine. And when he came up to her he +began to sing words to her that no one could hear but herself. And it is +what he said:</p> + +<p>"O beautiful woman, will you come with me to the wonderful country that +is mine? It is pleasant to be looking at the people there, beautiful +people without any blemish; their hair is of the colour of the +flag-flower, their fair body is as white as snow, the colour of the +foxglove is on every cheek. The young never grow old there; the fields +and the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's +eggs; warm, sweet streams of mead and of wine flow through that country; +there is no care and no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we +ourselves are not seen.</p> + +<p>"Though the plains of Ireland are beautiful, it is little you would +think of them after our great plain; though the ale of Ireland is heady, +the ale of the great country is still more heady. O beautiful woman, if +you come to my proud people it is the flesh of pigs newly killed I will +give you for food; it is ale and new milk I will give you for drink; it +is feasting you will have with me there; it is a crown of gold you will +have upon your hair, O beautiful woman!</p> + +<p>"And will you come there with me, Etain?" he said. But Etain said she +would not leave Eochaid the High King. "Will you come if Eochaid gives +you leave?" Midhir said then. "I will do that," said Etain.</p> + +<p>One day, after that time, Eochaid the High King was looking out from his +palace at Teamhair, and he saw a strange man coming across the plain. +Yellow hair he had, and eyes blue and shining like the flame of a +candle, and a purple dress on him, and in his hand a five-pronged spear +and a shield having gold knobs on it.</p> + +<p>He came up to the king, and the king bade him welcome. "Who are you +yourself?" he said; "and what are you come for, for you are a stranger +to me?" "If I am a stranger to you, you are no stranger to me, for I +have known you this long time," said the strange man. "What is your +name?" said the king. "It is nothing very great," said he; "I am called +Midhir of Bri Leith." "What is it brings you here?" said Eochaid. "I am +come to play a game of chess with you," said the stranger. "Are you a +good player?" said the king. "A trial will tell you that," said Midhir. +"The chessboard is in the queen's house, and she is in her sleep at this +time," said Eochaid. "That is no matter," said Midhir, "for I have with +me a chess-board as good as your own." And with that he brought out his +chessboard, and it made of silver, and precious stones shining in every +corner of it. And then he brought out the chessmen, and they made of +gold, from a bag that was of shining gold threads.</p> + +<p>"Let us play now," said Midhir. "I will not play without a stake," said +the king. "What stake shall We play for?" said Midhir. "We can settle +that after the game is over," said the king.</p> + +<p>They played together then, and Midhir was beaten, and it is what the +king asked of him, fifty brown horses to be given to him. And then they +played the second time, and Midhir was beaten again, and this time the +king gave him four hard things to do: to make a road over Moin Lamraide, +and to clear Midhe of stones, and to cover the district of Tethra with +rushes, and the district of Darbrech with trees.</p> + +<p>So Midhir brought his people from Bri Leith to do those things, and it +is bard work they had doing them. And Eochaid used to be out watching +them, and he took notice that when the men of the Sidhe yoked their +oxen, it was by the neck and the shoulder they used to yoke them, and +not by the forehead and the head. And it was after Eochaid taught his +people to yoke them that way, he was given the name of Eochaid Airem, +that is, of the Plough.</p> + +<p>And when all was done, Midhir came to Eochaid again, looking thin and +wasted enough with the dint of the hard work he had been doing, and he +asked Eochaid to play the third game with him. Eochaid agreed, and it +was settled as before, the stake to be settled by the winner. It was +Midhir won the game that time, and when the king asked him what he +wanted, "It is Etain, your wife, I want," said he. "I will not give her +to you," said the king. "All I will ask then," said Midhir, "is to put +my arms about her and to kiss her once." "You may do that," said the +king, "if you will wait to the end of a month." So Midhir agreed to +that, and went away for that time.</p> + +<p>At the end of the month he came back again, and stood in the great hall +at Teamhair, and no one had ever seen him look so comely as he did that +night. And Eochaid had all his best fighting men gathered in the hall, +and he shut all the doors of the palace when he saw Midhir come in, for +fear he would try to bring away Etain by force.</p> + +<p>"I am come to be paid what is due to me," said Midhir. "I have not been +thinking of it up to this time," said Eochaid, and there was anger on +him. "You promised me Etain, your wife," said Midhir. The redness of +shame came on Etain when she heard that, but Midhir said: "Let there be +no shame on you, Etain, for it is through the length of a year I have +been asking your love, and I have offered you every sort of treasure and +riches, and you refused to come to me till such a time as your husband +would give you leave." "It is true I said that," said Etain, "I will go +if Eochaid gives me up to you." "I will not give you up," said Eochaid; +"I will let him do no more than put his arms about you in this place, as +was promised him." "I will do that," said Midhir.</p> + +<p>With that he took his sword in his left hand, and he took Etain in his +right arm and kissed her. All the armed men in the house made a rush at +him then, but he rose up through the roof bringing Etain with him, and +when they rushed out of the house to follow him, all they could see was +two swans high up in the air, linked together by a chain of gold.</p> + +<p>There was great anger on Eochaid then, and he went and searched all +through Ireland, but there were no tidings of them to be had, for they +were in the houses of the Sidhe.</p> + +<p>It was to the Brugh of Angus on the Boinn they went first, and after +they had stopped there a while they went to a hill of the Sidhe in +Connacht. And there was a serving-maid with Etain at that time, Cruachan +Croderg her name was, and she said to Midhir: "Is this your own place we +are in?" "It is not," said Midhir; "my own place is nearer to the rising +of the sun." She was not well pleased to stop there when she heard that, +and Midhir said to quiet her: "It is your own name will be put on this +place from this out." And the hill was called the Hill of Cruachan from +that time.</p> + +<p>Then they went to Bri Leith; and Etain's daughter Esa came to them +there, and she brought a hundred of every sort of cattle with her, and +Midhir fostered her for seven years. And all through that time Eochaid +the High King was making a search for them.</p> + +<p>But at last Codal of the Withered Breast took four rods of yew and wrote +Oghams on them, and through them and through his enchantments he found +out that Etain was with Midhir in Bri Leith.</p> + +<p>So Eochaid went there, and made an attack on the place, and he was for +nine years besieging it, and Midhir was driving him away. And then his +people began digging through the hill; and when they were getting near +to where Etain was, Midhir sent three times twenty beautiful women, +having all of them the appearance of Etain, and he bade the king choose +her out from among them. And the first he chose was his own daughter +Esa. But then Etain called to him, and he knew her, and he brought her +home to Teamhair.</p> + +<p>And Eochaid gave his daughter Esa her choice of a place for herself. And +she chose it, and made a rath there, that got the name of Rath Esa. And +from it she could see three notable places, the Hill of the Sidhe in +Broga, and the Hill of the Hostages in Teamhair, and Dun Crimthain on +Beinn Edair.</p> + +<p>But there was great anger on Midhir and his people because of their hill +being attacked and dug into. And it was in revenge for that insult they +brought Conaire, High King of Ireland, that was grandson of Eochaid and +of Etain, to his death afterwards at Da Derga's Inn.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L19" id="L19" />CHAPTER VIII. MANANNAN</h2> + + +<p>Now as to Manannan the Proud, son of Lir, after he had made places for +the rest of the Tuatha de Danaan to live in, he went away out of Ireland +himself. And some said he was dead, and that he got his death by Uillenn +Faebarderg, of the Red Edge, in battle. And it is what they said, that +the battle was fought at Magh Cuilenn, and that Manannan was buried +standing on his feet, and no sooner was he buried than a great lake +burst up under his feet in the place that was a red bog till that time. +And the lake got the name of Loch Orbson, from one of the names of +Manannan. And it was said that red Badb was glad and many women were +sorry at that battle.</p> + +<p>But he had many places of living, and he was often heard of in Ireland +after. It was he sent a messenger to Etain, mother of Conaire the High +King, the time she was hidden in the cowherd's house. And it was he +brought up Deirdre's children in Emhain of the Apple Trees, and it was +said of that place, "a house of peace is the hill of the Sidhe of +Emhain." And it was he taught Diarmuid of the Fianna the use of weapons, +and it was he taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg, and some say it +was he was Deirdre's father, and that he brought Conchubar, king of +Ulster, to the place she was hidden, and he running with the appearance +of a hare before the hounds of the men of Ulster to bring them there.</p> + +<p>And it is what they say, that the time Conchubar had brought the sons of +Usnach to Emain Macha, and could not come at them to kill them because +of their bravery, it was to Manannan he went for help. And Manannan said +he would give him no help, for he had told him at the time he brought +Deirdre away that she would be the cause of the breaking up of his +kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him. But Conchubar asked him +to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army +would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to +that. And when the sons of Usnach came out again against the army of +Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they +struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another's hands +they fell. But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was +Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death +by his enchantments.</p> + +<p>And some say Culain, the Smith, that gave his name to Cuchulain +afterwards, was Manannan himself, for he had many shapes.</p> + +<p>Anyway, before Culain came to Ulster, he was living in the Island of +Falga, that was one of Manannan's places. And one time before Conchubar +came into the kingdom, he went to ask advice of a Druid, and the Druid +bade him to go to the Island of Falga and to ask Culain, the smith he +would find there, to make arms for him. So Conchubar did so, and the +smith promised to make a sword and spear and shield for him.</p> + +<p>And while he was working at them Conchubar went out one morning early to +walk on the strand, and there he saw a sea-woman asleep on the shore. +And he put bonds on her in her sleep, the way she would not make her +escape. But when she awoke and saw what had happened, she asked him to +set her free. "And I am Tiabhal," she said, "one of the queens of the +sea. And bid Culain," she said, "that is making your shield for you, to +put my likeness on it and my name about it. And whenever you will go +into a battle with that shield the strength of your enemies will lessen, +and your own strength and the strength of your people will increase."</p> + +<p>So Conchubar let her go, and bade the smith do as she had told him. And +when he went back to Ireland he got the victory wherever he brought that +shield.</p> + +<p>And he sent for Culain then, and offered him a place on the plains of +Muirthemne. And whether he was or was not Manannan, it is likely he gave +Cuchulain good teaching the time he stopped with him there after killing +his great dog.</p> + +<p>Manannan had good hounds one time, but they went hunting after a pig +that was destroying the whole country, and making a desert of it. And +they followed it till they came to a lake, and there it turned on them, +and no hound of them escaped alive, but they were all drowned or maimed. +And the pig made for an island then, that got the name of Muc-inis, the +Pigs Island afterwards; and the lake got the name of Loch Conn, the +Lake of the Hounds.</p> + +<p>And it was through Manannan the wave of Tuaig, one of the three great +waves of Ireland, got its name, and this is the way that happened.</p> + +<p>There was a young girl of the name of Tuag, a fosterling of Conaire the +High King, was reared in Teamhair, and a great company of the daughters +of the kings of Ireland were put about her to protect her, the way she +would be kept for a king's asking. But Manannan sent Fer Ferdiad, of the +Tuatha de Danaan, that was a pupil of his own and a Druid, in the shape +of a woman of his own household, and he went where Tuag was, and sang a +sleep-spell over her, and brought her away to Inver Glas. And there he +laid her down while he went looking for a boat, that he might bring her +away in her sleep to the Land of the Ever-Living Women. But a wave of +the flood-tide came over the girl, and she was drowned, and Manannan +killed Fer Ferdiad in his anger.</p> + +<p>And one time Manannan's cows came up out of the sea at Baile Cronin, +three of them, a red, and a white, and a black, and the people that were +there saw them standing on the strand for a while, as if thinking, and +then they all walked up together, side by side, from the strand. And at +that time there were no roads in Ireland, and there was great wonder on +the people when they saw a good wide road ready before the three cows to +walk on. And when they got about a mile from the sea they parted; the +white cow went to the north-west, towards Luimnech, and the red cow went +to the south-west, and on round the coast of Ireland, and the black cow +went to the north-east, towards Lis Mor, in the district of Portlairge, +and a road opened before each of them, that is to be seen to this day.</p> + +<p>And some say it was Manannan went to Finn and the Fianna in the form of +the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant, and brought them away to +Land-under-Wave. Anyway, he used often to go hunting with them on Cnoc +Aine, and sometimes he came to their help.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L20" id="L20" />CHAPTER IX. MANANNAN AT PLAY</h2> + + +<p>And it was he went playing tricks through Ireland a long time after that +again, the time he got the name of O'Donnell's Kern. And it is the way +it happened, Aodh Dubh O'Donnell was holding a feast one time in +Bel-atha Senaig, and his people were boasting of the goodness of his +house and of his musicians.</p> + +<p>And while they were talking, they saw a clown coming towards them, old +striped clothes he had, and puddle water splashing in his shoes, and his +sword sticking out naked behind him, and his ears through the old cloak +that was over his head, and in his hand he had three spears of hollywood +scorched and blackened.</p> + +<p>He wished O'Donnell good health, and O'Donnell did the same to him, and +asked where did he come from. "It is where I am," he said, "I slept last +night at Dun Monaidhe, of the King of Alban; I am a day in Ile, a day in +Cionn-tire, a day in Rachlainn, a day in the Watchman's Seat in Slieve +Fuad; a pleasant, rambling, wandering man I am, and it is with yourself +I am now, O'Donnell," he said. "Let the gate-keeper be brought to me," +said O'Donnell. And when the gate-keeper came, he asked was it he let in +this man, and the gate-keeper said he did not, and that he never saw him +before. "Let him off, O'Donnell," said the stranger, "for it was as easy +for me to come in, as it will be to me to go out again." There was +wonder on them all then, any man to have come into the house without +passing the gate.</p> + +<p>The musicians began playing their music then, and all the best musicians +of the country were there at the time, and they played very sweet tunes +on their harps. But the strange man called out: "By my word, O'Donnell, +there was never a noise of hammers beating on iron in any bad place was +so bad to listen to as this noise your people are making."</p> + +<p>With that he took a harp, and he made music that would put women in +their pains and wounded men after a battle into a sweet sleep, and it is +what O'Donnell said: "Since I first heard talk of the music of the Sidhe +that is played in the hills and under the earth below us, I never heard +better music than your own. And it is a very sweet player you are," he +said. "One day I am sweet, another day I am sour," said the clown.</p> + +<p>Then O'Donnell bade his people to bring him up to sit near himself. "I +have no mind to do that," he said; "I would sooner be as I am, an ugly +clown, making sport for high-up people." Then O'Donnell sent him down +clothes, a hat and a striped shirt and a coat, but he would not have +them. "I have no mind," he said, "to let high-up people be making a +boast of giving them to me."</p> + +<p>They were afraid then he might go from them, and they put twenty armed +horsemen and twenty men on foot to hold him back from leaving the house, +and as many more outside at the gate, for they knew him not to be a man +of this world. "What are these men for?" said he. "They are to keep you +here," said O'Donnell. "By my word, it is not with you I will be eating +my supper to-morrow," he said, "but at Cnoc Aine, where Seaghan, Son of +the Earl is, in Desmumain." "If I find you giving one stir out of +yourself, between this and morning, I will knock you into a round lump +there on the ground," said O'Donnell.</p> + +<p>But at that the stranger took up the harp again, and he made the same +sweet music as before. And when they were all listening to him, he +called out to the men outside: "Here I am coming, and watch me well now +or you will lose me." When the men that were watching the gate heard +that, they lifted up their axes to strike at him, but in their haste it +was at one another they struck, till they were all lying stretched in +blood. Then the clown said to the gate-keeper: "Let you ask twenty cows +and a hundred of free land of O'Donnell as a fee for bringing his people +back to life. And take this herb," he said, "and rub it in the mouth of +each man of them, and he will rise up whole and well again." So the +gate-keeper did that, and he got the cows and the land from O'Donnell, +and he brought all the people to life again.</p> + +<p>Now at that time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, was holding a gathering on +the green in front of his dun, and he saw the same man coming towards +him, and dressed in the same way, and the water splashing in his shoes. +But when he asked who was he, he gave himself the name of a very learned +man, Duartane O'Duartane, and he said it was by Ess Ruadh he was come, +and by Ceiscorainn and from that to Corrslieve, and to Magh Lorg of the +Dagda, and into the district of Hy'Conaill Gabhra, "till I came to +yourself," he said, "by Cruachan of Magh Ai." So they brought him into +the house, and gave him wine for drinking and water for washing his +feet, and he slept till the rising of the sun on the morrow. And at that +time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, came to visit him, and he said: "It is a +long sleep you had, and there is no wonder in that, and your journey so +long yesterday. But I often heard of your learning in books and of your +skill on the harp, and I would like to hear you this morning," he said. +"I am good in those arts indeed," said the stranger. So they brought him +a book, but he could not read a word of it, and then they brought him a +harp, and he could not play any tune. "It is likely your reading and +your music are gone from you," said Seaghan; and he made a little rann +on him, saying it was a strange thing Duartane O'Duartane that had such +a great name not to be able to read a line of a book, or even to +remember one. But when the stranger heard how he was being mocked at, he +took up the book, and read from the top to the bottom of the page very +well and in a sweet-sounding voice. And after that he took the harp and +played and sang the same way he did at O'Donnell's house the day before. +"It is a very sweet man of learning you are," said Seaghan. "One day I +am sweet, another day I am sour," said the stranger.</p> + +<p>They walked out together then on Cnoc Aine, but while they were talking +there, the stranger was gone all of a minute, and Seaghan, Son of the +Earl, could not see where he went.</p> + +<p>And after that he went on, and he reached Sligach just at the time +O'Conchubar was setting out with the men of Connacht to avenge the +Connacht hag's basket on the hag of Munster. And this time he gave +himself the name of the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant. And he joined +with the men of Connacht, and they went over the Sionnan westward into +Munster, and there they hunted and drove every creature that could be +made travel, cattle and horses and flocks, into one place, till they got +the hornless bull of the Munster hag and her two speckled cows, and +O'Conchubar brought them away to give to the Connacht hag in +satisfaction for her basket.</p> + +<p>But the men of Munster made an attack on them as they were going back; +and the Gilla Decair asked O'Conchubar would he sooner have the cows +driven, or have the Munster men checked, and he said he would sooner +have the Munster men checked. So the Gilla Decair turned on them, and +with his bow and twenty-four arrows he kept them back till O'Conchubar +and his people were safe out of their reach in Connacht.</p> + +<p>But he took some offence then, on account of O'Conchubar taking the +first drink himself when they came to his house, and not giving it to +him, that had done so much, and he took his leave and went from them on +the moment.</p> + +<p>After that he went to where Tadg O'Cealaigh was, and having his old +striped clothes and his old shoes as before. And when they asked him +what art he had, he said: "I am good at tricks. And if you will give me +five marks I will show you a trick," he said. "I will give that," said +Tadg.</p> + +<p>With that the stranger put three rushes on the palm of his hand. "I will +blow away the middle rush now," he said, "and the other two will stop as +they are." So they told him to do that, and he put the tops of two of +his fingers on the two outside rushes, and blew the middle one away. +"There is a trick now for you, Tadg O'Cealaigh," he said then. "By my +word, that is not a bad trick," said O'Cealaigh. But one of his men +said: "That there may be no good luck with him that did it. And give me +the half of that money now, Tadg," he said, "and I will do the same +trick for you myself." "I will give you the half of what I got if you +will do it," said the stranger. So the other put the rushes on his hand, +but if he did, when he tried to do the trick, his two finger-tips went +through the palm of his hand. "Ob-Ob-Ob!" said the stranger, "that is +not the way I did the trick. But as you have lost the money," he said, +"I will heal you again."</p> + +<p>"I could do another trick for you," he said; "I could wag the ear on +one side of my head and the ear on the other side would stay still." "Do +it then," said O'Cealaigh. So the man of tricks took hold of one of his +ears and wagged it up and down. "That is a good trick indeed," said +O'Cealaigh. "I will show you another one now," he said.</p> + +<p>With that he took from his bag a thread of silk, and gave a cast of it +up into the air, that it was made fast to a cloud. And then he took a +hare out of the same bag, and it ran up the thread; and then took out a +little dog and laid it on after the hare, and it followed yelping on its +track; and after that again he brought out a little serving-boy and bade +him to follow dog and hare up the thread. Then out of another bag he had +with him he brought out a beautiful, well-dressed young woman, and bade +her to follow after the hound and the boy, and to take care and not let +the hare be torn by the dog. She went up then quickly after them, and it +was a delight to Tadg O'Cealaigh to be looking at them and to be +listening to the sound of the hunt going on in the air.</p> + +<p>All was quiet then for a long time, and then the man of tricks said: "I +am afraid there is some bad work going on up there." "What is that?" +said O'Cealaigh. "I am thinking," said he, "the hound might be eating +the hare, and the serving-boy courting the girl." "It is likely enough +they are," said O'Cealaigh. With that the stranger drew in the thread, +and it is what he found, the boy making love to the girl and the hound +chewing the bones of the hare. There was great anger on the man of +tricks when he saw that, and he took his sword and struck the head off +the boy. "I do not like a thing of that sort to be done in my presence," +said Tadg O'Cealaigh. "If it did not please you, I can set all right +again," said the stranger. And with that he took up the head and made a +cast of it at the body, and it joined to it, and the young man stood +up, but if he did his face was turned backwards. "It would be better for +him to be dead than to be living like that," said O'Cealaigh. When the +man of tricks heard that, he took hold of the boy and twisted his head +straight, and he was as well as before.</p> + +<p>And with that the man of tricks vanished, and no one saw where was he +gone.</p> + +<p>That is the way Manannan used to be going round Ireland, doing tricks +and wonders. And no one could keep him in any place, and if he was put +on a gallows itself, he would be found safe in the house after, and some +other man on the gallows in his place. But he did no harm, and those +that would be put to death by him, he would bring them to life again +with a herb out of his bag.</p> + +<p>And all the food he would use would be a vessel of sour milk and a few +crab-apples. And there never was any music sweeter than the music he +used to be playing.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L21" id="L21" />CHAPTER X. HIS CALL TO BRAN</h2> + + +<p>And there were some that went to Manannan's country beyond the sea, and +that gave an account of it afterwards.</p> + +<p>One time Bran, son of Febal, was out by himself near his dun, and he +heard music behind him. And it kept always after him, and at last he +fell asleep with the sweetness of the sound. And when he awoke from his +sleep he saw beside him a branch of silver, and it having white +blossoms, and the whiteness of the silver was the same as the whiteness +of the blossoms.</p> + +<p>And he brought the branch in his hand into the royal house, and when all +his people were with him they saw a woman with strange clothing standing +in the house.</p> + +<p>And she began to make a song for Bran, and all the people were looking +at her and listening to her, and it is what she said:</p> + +<p>"I bring a branch of the apple-tree from Emhain, from the far island +around which are the shining horses of the Son of Lir. A delight of the +eyes is the plain where the hosts hold their games; curragh racing +against chariot in the White Silver Plain to the south.</p> + +<p>"There are feet of white bronze under it, shining through life and time; +a comely level land through the length of the world's age, and many +blossoms falling on it.</p> + +<p>"There is an old tree there with blossoms, and birds calling from among +them; every colour is shining there, delight is common, and music, in +the Gentle-Voiced Plain, in the Silver Cloud Plain to the south.</p> + +<p>"Keening is not used, or treachery, in the tilled familiar land; there +is nothing hard or rough, but sweet music striking on the ear.</p> + +<p>"To be without grief, without sorrow, without death, without any +sickness, without weakness; that is the sign of Emhain; it is not common +wonder that is.</p> + +<p>"There is nothing to liken its mists to, the sea washes the wave against +the land; brightness falls from its hair.</p> + +<p>"There are riches, there are treasures of every colour in the Gentle +Land, the Bountiful Land. Sweet music to be listening to; the best of +wine to drink.</p> + +<p>"Golden chariots in the Plain of the Sea, rising up to the sun with the +tide; silver chariots and bronze chariots on the Plain of Sports.</p> + +<p>"Gold-yellow horses on the strand, and crimson horses, and others with +wool on their backs, blue like the colour of the sky.</p> + +<p>"It is a day of lasting weather, silver is dropping on the land; a pure +white cliff on the edge of the sea, getting its warmth from the sun.</p> + +<p>"The host race over the Plain of Sports; it is beautiful and not weak +their game is; death or the ebbing of the tide will not come to them in +the Many-Coloured Land.</p> + +<p>"There will come at sunrise a fair man, lighting up the level lands; he +rides upon the plain that is beaten by the waves, he stirs the sea till +it is like blood.</p> + +<p>"An army will come over the clear sea, rowing to the stone that is in +sight, that a hundred sounds of music come from.</p> + +<p>"It sings a song to the army; it is not sad through the length of time; +it increases music with hundreds singing together; they do not look for +death or the ebb-tide.</p> + +<p>"There are three times fifty far islands in the ocean to the west of us, +and every one of them twice or three times more than Ireland.</p> + +<p>"It is not to all of you I am speaking, though I have made all these +wonders known. Let Bran listen from the crowd of the world to all the +wisdom that has been told him.</p> + +<p>"Do not fall upon a bed of sloth; do not be overcome by drunkenness; set +out on your voyage over the clear sea, and you may chance to come to the +Land of Women."</p> + +<p>With that the woman went from them, and they did not know where she +went. And she brought away her branch with her, for it leaped into her +hand from Bran's hand, and he had not the strength to hold it.</p> + +<p>Then on the morrow Bran set out upon the sea, and three companies of +nine along with him; and one of his foster-brothers and comrades was set +over each company of nine.</p> + +<p>And when they had been rowing for two days and two nights, they saw a +man coming towards them in a chariot, over the sea. And the man made +himself known to them, and he said that he was Manannan, son of Lir.</p> + +<p>And then Manannan spoke to him in a song, and it is what he said:</p> + +<p>"It is what Bran thinks, he is going in his curragh over the wonderful, +beautiful clear sea; but to me, from far off in my chariot, it is a +flowery plain he is riding on.</p> + +<p>"What is a clear sea to the good boat Bran is in, is a happy plain with +many flowers to me in my two-wheeled chariot.</p> + +<p>"It is what Bran sees, many waves beating across the clear sea; it is +what I myself see, red flowers without any fault.</p> + +<p>"The sea-horses are bright in summer-time, as far as Bran's eyes can +reach; there is a wood of beautiful acorns under the head of your little +boat.</p> + +<p>"A wood with blossom and with fruit, that has the smell of wine; a wood +without fault, without withering, with leaves of the colour of gold.</p> + +<p>"Let Bran row on steadily, it is not far to the Land of Women; before +the setting of the sun you will reach Emhain, of many-coloured +hospitality."</p> + +<p>With that Bran went from him; and after a while he saw an island, and he +rowed around it, and there was a crowd on it, wondering at them, and +laughing; and they were all looking at Bran and at his people, but they +would not stop to talk with them, but went on giving out gusts of +laughter. Bran put one of his men on the island then, but he joined with +the others, and began to stare the same way as the men of the island. +And Bran went on rowing round about the island; and whenever they went +past his own man, his comrades would speak to him, but he would not +answer them, but would only stare and wonder at them. So they went away +and left him on that island that is called the Island of Joy.</p> + +<p>It was not long after that they reached to the Land of Women. And they +saw the chief one of the women at the landing-place, and it is what she +said: "Come hither to land, Bran, son of Febal, it is welcome your +coming is." But Bran did not dare to go on shore. Then the woman threw a +ball of thread straight to him, and he caught it in his hand, and it +held fast to his palm, and the woman kept the thread in her own hand, +and she pulled the curragh to the landing-place.</p> + +<p>On that they went into a grand house, where there was a bed for every +couple, three times nine beds. And the food that was put on every dish +never came to an end, and they had every sort of food and of drink they +wished for.</p> + +<p>And it seemed to them they were only a year there when the desire of +home took hold on one of them, Nechtan, son of Collbrain, and his +kinsmen were begging and praying Bran to go back with him to Ireland. +The woman said there would be repentance on them if they went; but in +spite of that they set out in the end. And the woman said to them not to +touch the land when they would come to Ireland, and she bade them to +visit and to bring with them the man they left in the Island of Joy.</p> + +<p>So they went on towards Ireland till they came to a place called Srub +Bruin. And there were people on the strand that asked them who they were +that were coming over the sea. And Bran said: "I am Bran, son of Febal." +But the people said: "We know of no such man, though the voyage of Bran +is in our very old stories."</p> + +<p>Then Nechtan, son of Collbrain, made a leap out of the curragh, and no +sooner did he touch the shore of Ireland than he was a heap of ashes, +the same as if he had been in the earth through hundreds of years.</p> + +<p>And then Bran told the whole story of his wanderings to the people, +from the beginning. And after that he bade them farewell, and his +wanderings from that time are not known.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L22" id="L22" />CHAPTER XI. HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC</h2> + + +<p>And another that went to Manannan's country was Cormac, grandson of +Conn, King of Teamhair, and this is the way it happened. He was by +himself in Teamhair one time, and he saw an armed man coming towards +him, quiet, with high looks, and having grey hair; a shirt ribbed with +gold thread next his skin, broad shoes of white bronze between his feet +and the ground, a shining branch, having nine apples of red gold, on his +shoulder. And it is delightful the sound of that branch was, and no one +on earth would keep in mind any want, or trouble, or tiredness, when +that branch was shaken for him; and whatever trouble there might be on +him, he would forget it at the sound.</p> + +<p>Then Cormac and the armed man saluted one another, and Cormac asked +where did he come from. "I come," he said, "from a country where there +is nothing but truth, and where there is neither age nor withering away, +nor heaviness, nor sadness, nor jealousy nor envy, nor pride." "That is +not so with us," said Cormac, "and I would be well pleased to have your +friendship," he said. "I am well pleased to give it," said the stranger. +"Give me your branch along with it," said Cormac. "I will give it," said +the stranger, "if you will give me the three gifts I ask in return." "I +will give them to you indeed," said Cormac.</p> + +<p>Then the strange man left the branch and went away, and Cormac did not +know where was he gone to.</p> + +<p>He went back then into the royal house, and there was wonder on all the +people when they saw the branch. And he shook it at them, and it put +them all asleep from that day to the same time on the morrow.</p> + +<p>At the end of a year the strange man came back again, and he asked for +the first of his three requests. "You will get it," said Cormac. "I will +take your daughter, Aille, to-day," said the stranger.</p> + +<p>So he brought away the girl with him, and the women of Ireland gave +three loud cries after the king's daughter. But Cormac shook the branch +at them, until it put away sorrow from them, and put them all into their +sleep.</p> + +<p>That day month the stranger came again, and he brought Cormac's son, +Carpre Lifecar, away with him. There was crying and lamenting without +end in Teamhair after the boy, and on that night no one ate or slept, +and they were all under grief and very downhearted. But when Cormac +shook the branch their sorrow went from them.</p> + +<p>Then the stranger came the third time, and Cormac asked him what did he +want. "It is your wife, Ethne, I am asking this time," he said. And he +went away then, bringing Ethne, the queen, along with him.</p> + +<p>But Cormac would not bear that, and he went after them, and all his +people were following him. But in the middle of the Plain of the Wall, a +thick mist came on them, and when it was gone, Cormac found himself +alone on a great plain. And he saw a great dun in the middle of the +plain, with a wall of bronze around it, and in the dun a house of white +silver, and it half thatched with the white wings of birds. And there +was a great troop of the Riders of the Sidhe all about the house, and +their arms full of white birds' wings for thatching. But as soon as they +would put on the thatch, a blast of wind would come and carry it away +again.</p> + +<p>Then he saw a man kindling a fire, and he used to throw a thick +oak-tree upon it. And when he would come back with a second tree, the +first one would be burned out. "I will be looking at you no longer," +Cormac said then, "for there is no one here to tell me your story, and I +think I could find good sense in your meanings if I understood them," he +said.</p> + +<p>Then he went on to where there was another dun, very large and royal, +and another wall of bronze around it, and four houses within it. And he +went in and saw a great king's house, having beams of bronze and walls +of silver, and its thatch of the wings of white birds. And then he saw +on the green a shining well, and five streams flowing from it, and the +armies drinking water in turn, and the nine lasting purple hazels of +Buan growing over it. And they were dropping their nuts into the water, +and the five salmon would catch them and send their husks floating down +the streams. And the sound of the flowing of those streams is sweeter +than any music that men sing.</p> + +<p>Then he went into the palace, and he found there waiting for him a man +and a woman, very tall, and having clothes of many colours. The man was +beautiful as to shape, and his face wonderful to look at; and as to the +young woman that was with him, she was the loveliest of all the women of +the world, and she having yellow hair and a golden helmet. And there was +a bath there, and heated stones going in and out of the water of +themselves, and Cormac bathed himself in it.</p> + +<p>"Rise up, man of the house," the woman said after that, "for this is a +comely traveller is come to us; and if you have one kind of food or meat +better than another, let it be brought in." The man rose up then and he +said: "I have but seven pigs, but I could feed the whole world with +them, for the pig that is killed and eaten to-day, you will find it +alive again to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Another man came into the house then, having an axe in his right hand, +and a log in his left hand, and a pig behind him.</p> + +<p>"It is time to make ready," said the man of the house, "for we have a +high guest with us to-day."</p> + +<p>Then the man struck the pig and killed it, and he cut the logs and made +a fire and put the pig on it in a cauldron. "It is time for you to turn +it," said the master of the house after a while. "There would be no use +doing that," said the man, "for never and never will the pig be boiled +until a truth is told for every quarter of it." "Then let you tell yours +first," said the master of the house. "One day," said the man, "I found +another man's cows in my land, and I brought them with me into a cattle +pound. The owner of the cows followed me, and he said he would give me a +reward to let the cows go free. So I gave them back to him, and he gave +me an axe, and when a pig is to be killed, it is with the axe it is +killed, and the log is cut with it, and there is enough wood to boil the +pig, and enough for the palace besides. And that is not all, for the log +is found whole again in the morning. And from that time till now, that +is the way they are."</p> + +<p>"It is true indeed that story is," said the man of the house.</p> + +<p>They turned the pig in the cauldron then, and but one quarter of it was +found to be cooked. "Let us tell another true story," they said. "I will +tell one," said the master of the house. "Ploughing time had come, and +when we had a mind to plough that field outside, it is the way we found +it, ploughed, and harrowed, and sowed with wheat. When we had a mind to +reap it, the wheat was found in the haggard, all in one thatched rick. +We have been using it from that day to this, and it is no bigger and no +less."</p> + +<p>Then they turned the pig, and another quarter was found to be ready. "It +is my turn now," said the woman. "I have seven cows," she said, "and +seven sheep. And the milk of the seven cows would satisfy the whole of +the men of the world, if they were in the plain drinking it, and it is +enough for all the people of the Land of Promise, and it is from the +wool of the seven sheep all the clothes they wear are made." And at that +story the third quarter of the pig was boiled.</p> + +<p>"If these stories are true," said Cormac to the man of the house, "you +are Manannan, and this is Manannan's wife; for no one on the whole ridge +of the world owns these treasures but himself. It was to the Land of +Promise he went to look for that woman, and he got those seven cows with +her."</p> + +<p>They said to Cormac that it was his turn now. So Cormac told them how +his wife, and his son, and his daughter, had been brought away from him, +and how he himself had followed them till he came to that place.</p> + +<p>And with that the whole pig was boiled, and they cut it up, and Cormac's +share was put before him. "I never used a meal yet," said he, "having +two persons only in my company." The man of the house began singing to +him then, and put him asleep. And when he awoke, he saw fifty armed men, +and his son, and his wife, and his daughter, along with them. There was +great gladness and courage on him then, and ale and food were given out +to them all. And there was a gold cup put in the hand of the master of +the house, and Cormac was wondering at it, for the number of the shapes +on it, and for the strangeness of the work. "There is a stranger thing +yet about it," the man said; "let three lying words be spoken under it, +and it will break into three, and then let three true words be spoken +under it, and it will be as good as before." So he said three lying +words under it, and it broke in three pieces. "It is best to speak truth +now under it," he said, "and to mend it. And I give my word, Cormac," he +said, "that until to-day neither your wife or your daughter has seen the +face of a man since they were brought away from you out of Teamhair, and +that your son has never seen the face of a woman." And with that the cup +was whole again on the moment. "Bring away your wife and your children +with you now," he said, "and this cup along with them, the way you will +have it for judging between truth and untruth. And I will leave the +branch with you for music and delight, but on the day of your death they +will be taken from you again." "And I myself," he said, "am Manannan, son +of Lir, King of the Land of Promise, and I brought you here by +enchantments that you might be with me to-night in friendship.</p> + +<p>"And the Riders you saw thatching the house," he said, "are the men of +art and poets, and all that look for a fortune in Ireland, putting +together cattle and riches. For when they go out, all that they leave in +their houses goes to nothing, and so they go on for ever.</p> + +<p>"And the man you saw kindling the fire," he said, "is a young lord that +is more liberal than he can afford, and every one else is served while +he is getting the feast ready, and every one else profiting by it.</p> + +<p>"And the well you saw is the Well of Knowledge, and the streams are the +five streams through which all knowledge goes. And no one will have +knowledge who does not drink a draught out of the well itself or out of +the streams. And the people of many arts are those who drink from them +all."</p> + +<p>And on the morning of the morrow, when Cormac rose up, he found himself +on the green of Teamhair, and his wife, and his son, and his daughter, +along with him, and he having his branch and his cup. And it was given +the name of Cormac's Cup, and it used to judge between truth and +falsehood among the Gael. But it was not left in Ireland after the night +of Cormac's death, as Manannan had foretold him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L23" id="L23" />CHAPTER XII. CLIODNA'S WAVE</h2> + +<p>And it was in the time of the Fianna of Ireland that Ciabhan of the +Curling Hair, the king of Ulster's son, went to Manannan's country.</p> + +<p>Ciabhan now was the most beautiful of the young men of the world at that +time, and he was as far beyond all other kings' sons as the moon is +beyond the stars. And Finn liked him well, but the rest of the Fianna +got to be tired of him because there was not a woman of their women, wed +or unwed, but gave him her love. And Finn had to send him away at the +last, for he was in dread of the men of the Fianna because of the +greatness of their jealousy.</p> + +<p>So Ciabhan went on till he came to the Strand of the Cairn, that is +called now the Strand of the Strong Man, between Dun Sobairce and the +sea. And there he saw a curragh, and it having a narrow stern of copper. +And Ciabhan got into the curragh, and his people said: "Is it to leave +Ireland you have a mind, Ciabhan?" "It is indeed," he said, "for in +Ireland I get neither shelter or protection." He bade farewell to his +people then, and he left them very sorrowful after him, for to part with +him was like the parting of life from the body.</p> + +<p>And Ciabhan went on in the curragh, and great white shouting waves rose +up about him, every one of them the size of a mountain; and the +beautiful speckled salmon that are used to stop in the sand and the +shingle rose up to the sides of the curragh, till great dread came on +Ciabhan, and he said: "By my word, if it was on land I was I could make +a better fight for myself"</p> + +<p>And he was in this danger till he saw a rider coming towards him on a +dark grey horse having a golden bridle, and he would be under the sea +for the length of nine waves, and he would rise with the tenth wave, and +no wet on him at all. And he said: "What reward would you give to +whoever would bring you out of this great danger?" "Is there anything in +my hand worth offering you?" said Ciabhan. "There is," said the rider, +"that you would give your service to whoever would give you his help." +Ciabhan agreed to that, and he put his hand into the rider's hand.</p> + +<p>With that the rider drew him on to the horse, and the curragh came on +beside them till they reached to the shore of Tir Tairngaire, the Land +of Promise. They got off the horse there, and came to Loch Luchra, the +Lake of the Dwarfs, and to Manannan's city, and a feast was after being +made ready there, and comely serving-boys were going round with smooth +horns, and playing on sweet-sounding harps till the whole house was +filled with the music.</p> + +<p>Then there came in clowns, long-snouted, long-heeled, lean and bald and +red, that used to be doing tricks in Manannan's house. And one of these +tricks was, a man of them to take nine straight willow rods, and to +throw them up to the rafters of the house, and to catch them again as +they came down, and he standing on one leg, and having but one hand +free. And they thought no one could do that trick but themselves, and +they were used to ask strangers to do it, the way they could see them +fail.</p> + +<p>So this night when one of them had done the trick, he came up to +Ciabhan, that was beyond all the Men of Dea or the Sons of the Gael that +were in the house, in shape and in walk and in name, and he put the nine +rods in his hand. And Ciabhan stood up and he did the feat before them +all, the same as if he had never learned to do any other thing.</p> + +<p>Now Gebann, that was a chief Druid in Manannan's country, had a +daughter, Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that had never given her love to any +man. But when she saw Ciabhan she gave him her love, and she agreed to +go away with him on the morrow.</p> + +<p>And they went down to the landing-place and got into a curragh, and they +went on till they came to Teite's Strand in the southern part of +Ireland. It was from Teite Brec the Freckled the strand got its name, +that went there one time for a wave game, and three times fifty young +girls with her, and they were all drowned in that place.</p> + +<p>And as to Ciabhan, he came on shore, and went looking for deer, as was +right, under the thick branches of the wood; and he left the young girl +in the boat on the strand.</p> + +<p>But the people of Manannan's house came after them, having forty ships. +And Iuchnu, that was in the curragh with Cliodna, did treachery, and he +played music to her till she lay down in the boat and fell asleep. And +then a great wave came up on the strand and swept her away.</p> + +<p>And the wave got its name from Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that will be +long remembered.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L24" id="L24" />CHAPTER XIII. HIS CALL TO CONNLA</h2> + + +<p>And it is likely it was Manannan sent his messenger for Connla of the +Red Hair the time he went away out of Ireland, for it is to his country +Connla was brought; and this is the way he got the call.</p> + +<p>It chanced one day he was with his father Conn, King of Teamhair, on the +Hill of Uisnach, and he saw a woman having wonderful clothing coming +towards him. "Where is it you come from?" he asked her. "I come," she +said, "from Tir-nam-Beo, the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, where no +death comes. We use feasts that are lasting," she said, "and we do every +kind thing without quarrelling, and we are called the people of the +Sidhe." "Who are you speaking to, boy?" said Conn to him then, for no +one saw the strange woman but only Connla. "He is speaking to a high +woman that death or old age will never come to," she said. "I am asking +him to come to Magh Mell, the Pleasant Plain where the triumphant king +is living, and there he will be a king for ever without sorrow or fret. +Come with me, Connla of the Red Hair," she said, "of the fair freckled +neck and of the ruddy cheek; come with me, and your body will not wither +from its youth and its comeliness for ever."</p> + +<p>They could all hear the woman's words then, though they could not see +her, and it is what Conn said to Coran his Druid: "Help me, Coran, you +that sing spells of the great arts. There is an attack made on me that +is beyond my wisdom and beyond my power, I never knew so strong an +attack since the first day I was a king. There is an unseen figure +fighting with me; she is using her strength against me to bring away my +beautiful son; the call of a woman is bringing him away from the hands +of the king."</p> + +<p>Then Coran, the Druid, began singing spells against the woman of the +Sidhe, the way no one would hear her voice, and Connla could not see her +any more. But when she was being driven away by the spells of the Druid, +she threw an apple to Connla.</p> + +<p>And through the length of a month from that time, Connla used no other +food nor drink but that apple, for he thought no other food or drink +worth the using. And for all he ate of it, the apple grew no smaller, +but was whole all the while. And there was great trouble on Connla on +account of the woman he had seen.</p> + +<p>And at the end of a month Connla was at his father's side in Magh +Archomnim, and he saw the same woman coming towards him, and it is what +she said: "It is a high place indeed Connla has among dying people, and +death before him. But the Ever-Living Living Ones," she said, "are +asking you to take the sway over the people of Tethra, for they are +looking at you every day in the gatherings of your country among your +dear friends."</p> + +<p>When Conn, the king, heard her voice, he said to his people: "Call +Coran, the Druid to me, for I hear the sound of the woman's voice +again." But on that she said: "O Conn, fighter of a hundred, it is +little love and little respect the wonderful tribes of Traig Mor, the +Great Strand, have for Druids; and where its law comes, it scatters the +spells on their lips."</p> + +<p>Then Conn looked to his son Connla to see what he would say, and Connla +said: "My own people are dearer to me than any other thing, yet sorrow +has taken hold of me because of this woman." Then the woman spoke to him +again, and it is what she said: "Come now into my shining ship, if you +will come to the Plain of Victory. There is another country it would not +be worse for you to look for; though the bright sun is going down, we +shall reach to that country before night. That is the country that +delights the mind of every one that turns to me. There is no living race +in it but women and girls only."</p> + +<p>And when the woman had ended her song, Connla made a leap from his +people into the shining boat, and they saw him sailing away from them +far off and as if in a mist, as far as their eyes could see. It is away +across the sea they went, and they have never come back again, and only +the gods know where was it they went.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L25" id="L25" />CHAPTER XIV. TADG IN MANANNAN'S ISLANDS</h2> + + +<p>And another that went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, but that came +back again, was Tadg, son of Cian, son of Olioll; and this is the way +that happened.</p> + +<p>It was one time Tadg was going his next heir's round, into the west of +Munster, and his two brothers, Airnelach and Eoghan, along with him. And +Cathmann, son of Tabarn, that was king of the beautiful country of +Fresen that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain, was searching the +sea for what he could find just at that time, and nine of his ships with +him. And they landed at Beire do Bhunadas, to the west of Munster, and +the country had no stir in it, and so they slipped ashore, and no one +took notice of them till all were surrounded, both men and cattle. And +Tadg's wife Liban, daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh of the Red Brows, and +his two brothers, and a great many of the people of Munster, were taken +by the foreigners and brought away to the coasts of Fresen. And Cathmann +took Liban to be his own wife, and he put hardship on Tadg's two +brothers: Eoghan he put to work a common ferry across a channel of the +coast, and Airnelach to cut firing and to keep up fires for all the +people; and all the food they got was barley seed and muddy water.</p> + +<p>And as to Tadg himself, it was only by his courage and the use of his +sword he made his escape, but there was great grief and discouragement +on him, his wife and his brothers to have been brought away. But he had +forty of his fighting men left that had each killed a man of the +foreigners, and they had brought one in alive. And this man told them +news of the country he came from. And when Tadg heard that, he made a +plan in his own head, and he gave orders for a curragh to be built that +would be fit for a long voyage. Very strong it was, and forty ox-hides +on it of hard red leather, that was after being soaked in bark. And it +was well fitted with masts, and oars, and pitch, and everything that was +wanting. And they put every sort of meat, and drink, and of clothes in +it, that would last them through the length of a year.</p> + +<p>When all was ready, and the curragh out in the tide, Tadg said to his +people: "Let us set out now on the high sea, looking for our own people +that are away from us this long time."</p> + +<p>They set out then over the stormy, heavy flood, till at last they saw no +land before them or behind them, but only the hillsides of the great +sea. And farther on again they heard the singing of a great flock of +unknown birds; and pleasant white-bellied salmon were leaping about the +curragh on every side, and seals, very big and dark, were coming after +them, breaking through the shining wash of the oars; and great whales +after them again, so that the young men liked to be looking at them, for +they were not used to see the like before.</p> + +<p>They went on rowing through twenty days and twenty nights, and at the +end of that time they got sight of a high land, having a smooth coast. +And when they reached it they all landed, and they pulled up the curragh +and lit their fires, and food was given out to them, and they were not +long making an end of it. They made beds for themselves then on the +beautiful green grass, and enjoyed their sleep till the rising of the +sun on the morrow.</p> + +<p>Tadg rose up then and put on his arms, and went out, and thirty of his +men along with him, to search the whole island.</p> + +<p>They went all through it, but they found no living thing on it, man or +beast, but only flocks of sheep. And the size of the sheep was past all +telling, as big as horses they were, and the whole island was filled +with their wool. And there was one great flock beyond all the others, +all of very big rams, and one of them was biggest of all, nine horns he +had, and he charged on Tadg's chief men, attacking them and butting at +them.</p> + +<p>There was vexation on them then, and they attacked him again, and there +was a struggle between them. And at the first the ram broke through five +of their shields. But Tadg took his spear that there was no escape from, +and made a lucky cast at the ram and killed him. And they brought the +ram to the curragh and made it ready for the young men to eat, and they +stopped three nights on the island, and every night it was a sheep they +had for their food. And they gathered a good share of the wool and put +it in the curragh because of the wonder and the beauty of it. And they +found the bones of very big men on the island, but whether they died of +sickness or were killed by the rams they did not know.</p> + +<p>They left that island then and went forward till they found two strange +islands where there were great flocks of wonderful birds, like +blackbirds, and some of them the size of eagles or of cranes, and they +red with green heads on them, and the eggs they had were blue and pure +crimson. And some of the men began eating the eggs, and on the moment +feathers began to grow out on them. But they went bathing after that, +and the feathers dropped off them again as quick as they came.</p> + +<p>It was the foreigner they had with them gave them the course up to this +time, for he had been on the same track before. But now they went on +through the length of six weeks and never saw land, and he said then, +"We are astray on the great ocean that has no boundaries." Then the wind +with its sharp voice began to rise, and there was a noise like the +tramping of feet in the sea, and it rose up into great mountains hard to +climb, and there was great fear on Tadg's people, for they had never +seen the like. But he began to stir them up and to rouse them, and he +bade them to meet the sea like men. "Do bravery," he said, "young men of +Munster, and fight for your lives against the waves that are rising up +and coming at the sides of the curragh." Tadg took one side of the +curragh then and his men took the other side, and he was able to pull it +round against the whole twenty-nine of them, and to bale it out and keep +it dry along with that. And after a while they got a fair wind and put +up their sail, the way less water came into the curragh, and then the +sea went down and lay flat and calm, and there were strange birds of +many shapes singing around them in every part. They saw land before them +then, with a good coast, and with that courage and gladness came on +them.</p> + +<p>And when they came nearer to the land they found a beautiful inver, a +river's mouth, with green hills about it, and the bottom of it sandy and +as bright as silver, and red-speckled salmon in it, and pleasant woods +with purple tree-tops edging the stream. "It is a beautiful country +this is," said Tadg, "and it would be happy for him that would be always +in it; and let you pull up the ship now," he said, "and dry it out."</p> + +<p>A score of them went forward then into the country, and a score stopped +to mind the curragh. And for all the cold and discouragement and bad +weather they had gone through, they felt no wish at all for food or for +fire, but the sweet smell of the crimson branches in the place they were +come to satisfied them. They went on through the wood, and after a while +they came to an apple garden having red apples in it, and leafy +oak-trees, and hazels yellow with nuts. "It is a wonder to me," said +Tadg, "to find summer here, and it winter time in our own country."</p> + +<p>It was a delightful place they were in, but they went on into another +wood, very sweet smelling, and round purple berries in it, every one of +them bigger than a man's head, and beautiful shining birds eating the +berries, strange birds they were, having white bodies and purple heads +and golden beaks. And while they were eating the berries they were +singing sweet music, that would have put sick men and wounded men into +their sleep.</p> + +<p>Tadg and his men went farther on again till they came to a great smooth +flowery plain with a dew of honey over it, and three steep hills on the +plain, having a very strong dun on every one of them. And when they got +to the nearest hill they found a white-bodied woman, the best of the +women of the whole world, and it is what she said: "Your coming is +welcome, Tadg, son of Cian, and there will be food and provision for you +as you want it."</p> + +<p>"I am glad of that welcome," said Tadg; "and tell me now, woman of sweet +words," he said, "what is that royal dun on the hill, having walls of +white marble around it?" "That is the dun of the royal line of the kings +of Ireland, from Heremon, son of Miled, to Conn of the Hundred Battles, +that was the last to go into it." "What is the name of this country?" +Tadg said then. "It is Inislocha, the Lake Island," she said, "and there +are two kings over it, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb." And then +she told Tadg the whole story of Ireland, to the time of the coming of +the Sons of the Gael. "That is well," said Tadg then, "and you have good +knowledge and learning. And tell me now," he said, "who is living in +that middle dun that has the colour of gold?" "It is not myself will +tell you that," she said, "but go on to it yourself and you will get +knowledge of it." And with that she went from them into the dun of white +marble.</p> + +<p>Tadg and his men went on then till they came to the middle dun, and +there they found a queen of beautiful shape, and she wearing a golden +dress. "Health to you, Tadg," she said. "I thank you for that," said +Tadg. "It is a long time your coming on this journey was foretold," she +said. "What is your name?" he asked then. "I am Cesair," she said, "the +first that ever reached Ireland. But since I and the men that were with +me came out of that dark, unquiet land, we are living for ever in this +country."</p> + +<p>"Tell me, woman," said Tadg, "who is it lives in that dun having a wall +of gold about it?" "It is not hard to tell that," she said, "every king, +and every chief man, and every noble person that was in a high place of +all those that had power in Ireland, it is in that dun beyond they are; +Parthalon and Nemed, Firbolgs and Tuatha de Danaan." "It is good +knowledge and learning you have," said Tadg. "Indeed I have good +knowledge of the history of the world," she said, "and this island," she +said, "is the fourth paradise of the world; and as to the others, they +are Inis Daleb to the south, and Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's +Paradise in the east of the world." "Who is there living in that dun +with the silver walls?" said Tadg then. "I will not tell you that, +although I have knowledge of it," said the woman; "but go to the +beautiful hill where it is, and you will get knowledge of it."</p> + +<p>They went on then to the third hill, and on the top of the hill was a +very beautiful resting-place, and two sweethearts there, a boy and a +girl, comely and gentle. Smooth hair they had, shining like gold, and +beautiful green clothes of the one sort, and any one would think them to +have had the same father and mother. Gold chains they had around their +necks, and bands of gold above those again. And Tadg spoke to them: "O +bright, comely children," he said, "it is a pleasant place you have +here." And they answered him back, and they were praising his courage +and his strength and his wisdom, and they gave him their blessing.</p> + +<p>And it is how the young man was, he had a sweet-smelling apple, having +the colour of gold, in his hand, and he would eat a third part of it, +and with all he would eat, it would never be less. And that was the food +that nourished the two of them, and neither age or sorrow could touch +them when once they had tasted it.</p> + +<p>"Who are you yourself?" Tadg asked him then. "I am son to Conn of the +Hundred Battles," he said. "Is it Connla you are?" said Tadg. "I am +indeed," said the young man, "and it is this girl of many shapes that +brought me here." And the girl said: "I have given him my love and my +affection, and it is because of that I brought him to this place, the +way we might be looking at one another for ever, and beyond that we have +never gone."</p> + +<p>"That is a beautiful thing and a strange thing," said Tadg, "and a thing +to wonder at. And who is there in that grand dun with the silver +walls?" he said. "There is no one at all in it," said the girl. "What is +the reason of that?" said Tadg. "It is for the kings that are to rule +Ireland yet," she said; "and there will be a place in it for yourself, +Tadg. And come now," she said, "till you see it."</p> + +<p>The lovers went on to the dun, and it is hardly the green grass was bent +under their white feet. And Tadg and his people went along with them.</p> + +<p>They came then to the great wonderful house that was ready for the +company of the kings; it is a pleasant house that was, and any one would +like to be in it. Walls of white bronze it had, set with crystal and +with carbuncles, that were shining through the night as well as through +the day.</p> + +<p>Tadg looked out from the house then, and he saw to one side of him a +great sheltering apple-tree, and blossoms and ripe fruit on it. "What is +that apple tree beyond?" said Tadg. "It is the fruit of that tree is +food for the host in this house," said the woman. "And it was an apple +of that apple-tree brought Connla here to me; a good tree it is, with +its white-blossomed branches, and its golden apples that would satisfy +the whole house."</p> + +<p>And then Connla and the young girl left them, and they saw coming +towards them a troop of beautiful women. And there was one among them +was most beautiful of all, and when she was come to them she said: "A +welcome to you, Tadg." "I thank you for that welcome," said Tadg; "and +tell me," he said, "who are you yourself?" "I am Cliodna of the Fair +Hair," she said, "daughter of Gebann, son of Treon, of the Tuatha de +Danaan, a sweetheart of Ciabhan of the Curling Hair; and it is from me +Cliodna's wave on the coast of Munster got its name; and I am a long +time now in this island, and it is the apples of that tree you saw that +we use for food." And Tadg was well pleased to be listening to her talk, +but after a while he said: "It is best for us to go on now to look for +our people." "We will be well pleased if you stop longer with us," said +the woman.</p> + +<p>And while she was saying those words they saw three beautiful birds +coming to them, one of them blue and his head crimson, and one was +crimson and his head green, and the third was speckled and his head the +colour of gold, and they lit on the great apple-tree, and every bird of +them ate an apple, and they sang sweet music then, that would put sick +men into their sleep.</p> + +<p>"Those birds will go with you," Cliodna said then; "they will give you +guidance on your way, and they will make music for you, and there will +be neither sorrow or sadness on you, by land or by sea, till you come to +Ireland. And bring away this beautiful green cup with you," she said, +"for there is power in it, and if you do but pour water into it, it will +be turned to wine on the moment. And do not let it out of your hand," +she said, "but keep it with you; for at whatever time it will escape +from you, your death will not be far away. And it is where you will meet +your death, in the green valley at the side of the Boinn; and it is a +wandering wild deer will give you a wound, and after that, it is +strangers will put an end to you. And I myself will bury your body, and +there will be a hill over it, and the name it will get is Croidhe Essu."</p> + +<p>They went out of the shining house then, and Cliodna of the Fair Hair +went with them to the place they had left their ship, and she bade their +comrades a kindly welcome; and she asked them how long had they been in +that country. "It seems to us," they said, "we are not in it but one day +only." "You are in it through the whole length of a year," said she, +"and through all that time you used neither food nor drink. But however +long you would stop here," she said, "cold or hunger would never come on +you." "It would be a good thing to live this way always," said Tadg's +people when they heard that. But he himself said: "It is best for us to +go on and to look for our people. And we must leave this country, +although it is displeasing to us to leave it."</p> + +<p>Then Cliodna and Tadg bade farewell to one another, and she gave her +blessing to him and to his people. And they set out then over the ridges +of the sea; and they were downhearted after leaving that country until +the birds began to sing for them, and then their courage rose up, and +they were glad and light-hearted.</p> + +<p>And when they looked back they could not see the island they had come +from, because of a Druid mist that came on it and hid it from them.</p> + +<p>Then by the leading of the birds they came to the country of Fresen, and +they were in a deep sleep through the whole voyage. And then they +attacked the foreigners and got the better of them, and Tadg killed +Cathmann, the king, after a hard fight; and Liban his wife made no +delay, and came to meet her husband and her sweetheart, and it is glad +she was to see him.</p> + +<p>And after they had rested a while they faced the sea again, and Tadg and +his wife Liban, and his two brothers, and a great many other treasures +along with them, and they came home to Ireland safely at the last.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L26" id="L26" />CHAPTER XV. LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN</h2> + + +<p>And another that went to visit Magh Mell, the Happy Plain, was Laegaire, +son of the King of Connacht, Crimthan Cass.</p> + +<p>He was out one day with the king, his father, near Loch na-n Ean, the +Lake of Birds, and the men of Connacht with them, and they saw a man +coming to them through the mist. Long golden-yellow hair he had, and it +streaming after him, and at his belt a gold-hilted sword, and in his +hand two five-barbed darts, a gold-rimmed shield on his back, a +five-folded crimson cloak about his shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Give a welcome to the man that is coming towards you," said Laegaire, +that had the best name of all the men of Connacht, to his people. And to +the stranger he said: "A welcome to the champion we do not know."</p> + +<p>"I am thankful to you all," said he.</p> + +<p>"What is it you are come for, and where are you going?" said Laegaire +then.</p> + +<p>"I am come to look for the help of fighting men," said the stranger. +"And my name," he said, "is Fiachna, son of Betach, of the men of the +Sidhe; and it is what ails me, my wife was taken from my pillow and +brought away by Eochaid, son of Sal. And we fought together, and I +killed him, and now she is gone to a brother's son of his, Goll, son of +Dalbh, king of a people of Magh Mell. Seven battles I gave him, but they +all went against me; and on this very day there is another to be fought, +and I am come to ask help. And to every one that deserves it, I will +give a good reward of gold and of silver for that help."</p> + +<p>And it is what he said:</p> + +<p>"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; it is not +far from this; it is a host of the men of the Sidhe full of courage are +stirring up pools of blood upon it.</p> + +<p>"We have drawn red blood from the bodies of high nobles; many women are +keening them with cries and with tears.</p> + +<p>"The men of the host in good order go out ahead of their beautiful king; +they march among blue spears, white troops of fighters with curled hair.</p> + +<p>"They scatter the troops of their enemies, they destroy every country +they make an attack on; they are beautiful in battle, a host with high +looks, rushing, avenging.</p> + +<p>"It is no wonder they to have such strength: every one of them is the +son of a king and a queen; manes of hair they have of the colour of +gold.</p> + +<p>"Their bodies smooth and comely; their eyes blue and far-seeing; their +teeth bright like crystal, within their thin red lips.</p> + +<p>"White shields they have in their hands, with patterns on them of white +silver; blue shining swords, red horns set with gold.</p> + +<p>"They are good at killing men in battle; good at song-making, good at +chess-playing.</p> + +<p>"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; the men of +the Sidhe are stirring up pools of blood on it; it is not far from this +place."</p> + +<p>"It would be a shameful thing not to give our help to this man," said +Laegaire.</p> + +<p>Fiachna, son of Betach, went down into the lake then, for it was out of +it he had come, and Laegaire went down into it after him, and fifty +fighting men along with him.</p> + +<p>They saw a strong place before them then, and a company of armed men, +and Goll, son of Dalbh, at the head of them.</p> + +<p>"That is well," said Laegaire, "I and my fifty men will go out against +this troop." "I will answer you," said Goll, son of Dalbh.</p> + +<p>The two fifties attacked one another then, and Goll fell, but Laegaire +and his fifty escaped with their lives and made a great slaughter of +their enemies, that not one of them made his escape.</p> + +<p>"Where is the woman now?" said Laegaire. "She is within the dun of Magh +Mell, and a troop of armed men keeping guard about it," said Fiachna. +"Let you stop here, and I and my fifty will go there," said Laegaire.</p> + +<p>So he and his men went on to the dun, and Laegaire called out to the men +that were about it: "Your king has got his death, your chief men have +fallen, let the woman come out, and I will give you your own lives." The +men agreed to that, and they brought the woman out. And when she came +out she made this complaint:</p> + +<p>"It is a sorrowful day that swords are reddened for the sake of the dear +dead body of Goll, son of Dalbh. It was he that loved me, it was himself +I loved, it is little Laegaire Liban cares for that.</p> + +<p>"Weapons were hacked and were split by Goll; it is to Fiachna, son of +Betach, I must go; it is Goll son of Dalbh, I loved."</p> + +<p>And that complaint got the name of "The Lament of the Daughter of +Eochaid the Dumb."</p> + +<p>Laegaire went back with her then till he put her hand in Fiachna's hand. +And that night Fiachna's daughter, Deorgreine, a Tear of the Sun, was +given to Laegaire as his wife, and fifty other women were given to his +fifty fighting men, and they stopped with them there to the end of a +year.</p> + +<p>And at the end of that time, Laegaire said: "Let us go and ask news of +our own country." "If you have a mind to go," said Fiachna, "bring +horses with you; but whatever happens," he said, "do not get off from +them."</p> + +<p>So they set out then; and when they got back to Ireland, they found a +great gathering of the whole of the men of Connacht that were keening +them.</p> + +<p>And when the men of Connacht saw them coming they rose up to meet them, +and to bid them welcome. But Laegaire called out: "Do not come to us, +for it is to bid you farewell we are here." "Do not go from us again," +said Crimthan, his father, "and I will give you the sway over the three +Connachts, their silver and their gold, their horses and their bridles, +and their beautiful women, if you will not go from us."</p> + +<p>And it is what Laegaire said: "In the place we are gone to, the armies +move from kingdom to kingdom, they listen to the sweet-sounding music of +the Sidhe, they drink from shining cups, we talk with those we love, it +is beer that falls instead of rain.</p> + +<p>"We have brought from the dun of the Pleasant Plain thirty cauldrons, +thirty drinking horns; we have brought the complaint that was sung by +the Sea, by the daughter of Eochaid the Dumb.</p> + +<p>"There is a wife for every man of the fifty; my own wife to me is the +Tear of the Sun; I am made master of a blue sword; I would not give for +all your whole kingdom one night of the nights of the Sidhe."</p> + +<p>With that Laegaire turned from them, and went back to the kingdom. And +he was made king there along with Fiachna, son of Betach, and his +daughter, and he did not come out of it yet.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L27" id="L27" />BOOK FIVE: THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR</h2> + + +<p>Now at the time when the Tuatha de Danaan chose a king for themselves +after the battle of Tailltin, and Lir heard the kingship was given to +Bodb Dearg, it did not please him, and he left the gathering without +leave and with no word to any one; for he thought it was he himself had +a right to be made king. But if he went away himself, Bodb was given the +kingship none the less, for not one of the five begrudged it to him but +only Lir, And it is what they determined, to follow after Lir, and to +burn down his house, and to attack himself with spear and sword, on +account of his not giving obedience to the king they had chosen. "We +will not do that," said Bodb Dearg, "for that man would defend any place +he is in; and besides that," he said, "I am none the less king over the +Tuatha de Danaan, although he does not submit to me."</p> + +<p>All went on like that for a good while, but at last a great misfortune +came on Lir, for his wife died from him after a sickness of three +nights. And that came very hard on Lir, and there was heaviness on his +mind after her. And there was great talk of the death of that woman in +her own time.</p> + +<p>And the news of it was told all through Ireland, and it came to the +house of Bodb, and the best of the Men of Dea were with him at that +time. And Bodb said: "If Lir had a mind for it," he said, "my help and +my friendship would be good for him now, since his wife is not living to +him. For I have here with me the three young girls of the best shape, +and the best appearance, and the best name in all Ireland, Aobh, Aoife, +and Ailbhe, the three daughters of Oilell of Aran, my own three +nurselings." The Men of Dea said then it was a good thought he had, and +that what he said was true.</p> + +<p>Messages and messengers were sent then from Bodb Dearg to the place Lir +was, to say that if he had a mind to join with the Son of the Dagda and +to acknowledge his lordship, he would give him a foster-child of his +foster-children. And Lir thought well of the offer, and he set out on +the morrow with fifty chariots from Sidhe Fionnachaidh; and he went by +every short way till he came to Bodb's dwelling-place at Loch Dearg, and +there was a welcome before him there, and all the people were merry and +pleasant before him, and he and his people got good attendance that +night.</p> + +<p>And the three daughters of Oilell of Aran were sitting on the one seat +with Bodb Dearg's wife, the queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was +their foster-mother. And Bodb said: "You may have your choice of the +three young girls, Lir." "I cannot say," said Lir, "which one of them is +my choice, but whichever of them is the eldest, she is the noblest, and +it is best for me to take her." "If that is so," said Bodb, "it is Aobh +is the eldest, and she will be given to you, if it is your wish." "It is +my wish," he said. And he took Aobh for his wife that night, and he +stopped there for a fortnight, and then he brought her away to his own +house, till he would make a great wedding-feast.</p> + +<p>And in the course of time Aobh brought forth two children, a daughter +and a son, Fionnuala and Aodh their names were. And after a while she +was brought to bed again, and this time she gave birth to two sons, and +they called them Fiachra and Conn. And she herself died at their birth. +And that weighed very heavy on Lir, and only for the way his mind was +set on his four children he would have gone near to die of grief.</p> + +<p>The news came to Bodb Dearg's place, and all the people gave out three +loud, high cries, keening their nursling. And after they had keened her +it is what Bodb Dearg said: "It is a fret to us our daughter to have +died, for her own sake and for the sake of the good man we gave her to, +for we are thankful for his friendship and his faithfulness. However," +he said, "our friendship with one another will not be broken, for I will +give him for a wife her sister Aoife."</p> + +<p>When Lir heard that, he came for the girl and married her, and brought +her home to his house. And there was honour and affection with Aoife for +her sister's children; and indeed no person at all could see those four +children without giving them the heart's love.</p> + +<p>And Bodb Dearg used often to be going to Lir's house for the sake of +those children; and he used to bring them to his own place for a good +length of time, and then he would let them go back to their own place +again. And the Men of Dea were at that time using the Feast of Age in +every hill of the Sidhe in turn; and when they came to Lir's hill those +four children were their joy and delight, for the beauty of their +appearance; and it is where they used to sleep, in beds in sight of +their father Lir. And he used to rise up at the break of every morning, +and to lie down among his children.</p> + +<p>But it is what came of all this, that a fire of jealousy was kindled in +Aoife, and she got to have a dislike and a hatred of her sister's +children.</p> + +<p>Then she let on to have a sickness, that lasted through nearly the +length of a year. And the end of that time she did a deed of jealousy +and cruel treachery against the children of Lir.</p> + +<p>And one day she got her chariot yoked, and she took the four children +in it, and they went forward towards the house of Bodb Dearg; but +Fionnuala had no mind to go with her, for she knew by her she had some +plan for their death or their destruction, and she had seen in a dream +that there was treachery against them in Aoife's mind. But all the same +she was not able to escape from what was before her.</p> + +<p>And when they were on their way Aoife said to her people: "Let you kill +now," she said, "the four children of Lir, for whose sake their father +has given up my love, and I will give you your own choice of a reward +out of all the good things of the world." "We will not do that indeed," +said they; "and it is a bad deed you have thought of, and harm will come +to you out of it."</p> + +<p>And when they would not do as she bade them, she took out a sword +herself to put an end to the children with; but she being a woman and +with no good courage, and with no great strength in her mind, she was +not able to do it.</p> + +<p>They went on then west to Loch Dairbhreach, the Lake of the Oaks, and +the horses were stopped there. And Aoife bade the children of Lir to go +out and bathe in the lake, and they did as she bade them. And as soon as +Aoife saw them out in the lake she struck them with a Druid rod, and put +on them the shape of four swans, white and beautiful. And it is what she +said: "Out with you, children of the king, your luck is taken away from +you for ever; it is sorrowful the story will be to your friends; it is +with flocks of birds your cries will be heard for ever."</p> + +<p>And Fionnuala said: "Witch, we know now what your name is, you have +struck us down with no hope of relief; but although you put us from wave +to wave, there are times when we will touch the land. We shall get help +when we are seen; help, and all that is best for us; even though we +have to sleep upon the lake, it is our minds will be going abroad +early."</p> + +<p>And then the four children of Lir turned towards Aoife, and it is what +Fionnuala said: "It is a bad deed you have done, Aoife, and it is a bad +fulfilling of friendship, you to destroy us without cause; and vengeance +for it will come upon you, and you will fall in satisfaction for it, for +your power for our destruction is not greater than the power of our +friends to avenge it on you; and put some bounds now," she said, "to the +time this enchantment is to stop on us." "I will do that," said Aoife, +"and it is worse for you, you to have asked it of me. And the bounds I +set to your time are this, till the Woman from the South and the Man +from the North will come together. And since you ask to hear it of me," +she said, "no friends and no power that you have will be able to bring +you out of these shapes you are in through the length of your lives, +until you have been three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach, and three +hundred years on Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban, and three +hundred years at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire; and these are to be +your journeys from this out," she said.</p> + +<p>But then repentance came on Aoife, and she said: "Since there is no +other help for me to give you now, you may keep your own speech; and you +will be singing sweet music of the Sidhe, that would put the men of the +earth to sleep, and there will be no music in the world equal to it; and +your own sense and your own nobility will stay with you, the way it will +not weigh so heavy on you to be in the shape of birds. And go away out +of my sight now, children of Lir," she said, "with your white faces, +with your stammering Irish. It is a great curse on tender lads, they to +be driven out on the rough wind. Nine hundred years to be on the water, +it is a long time for any one to be in pain; it is I put this on you +through treachery, it is best for you to do as I tell you now.</p> + +<p>"Lir, that got victory with so many a good cast, his heart is a kernel +of death in him now; the groaning of the great hero is a sickness to me, +though it is I that have well earned his anger."</p> + +<p>And then the horses were caught for Aoife, and the chariot yoked for +her, and she went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a +welcome before her from the chief people of the place. And the son of +the Dagda asked her why she did not bring the children of Lir with her. +"I will tell you that," she said. "It is because Lir has no liking for +you, and he will not trust you with his children, for fear you might +keep them from him altogether."</p> + +<p>"I wonder at that," said Bodb Dearg, "for those children are dearer to +me than my own children." And he thought in his own mind it was deceit +the woman was doing on him, and it is what he did, he sent messengers to +the north to Sidhe Fionnachaidh. And Lir asked them what did they come +for. "On the head of your children," said they. "Are they not gone to +you along with Aoife?" he said. "They are not," said they; "and Aoife +said it was yourself would not let them come."</p> + +<p>It is downhearted and sorrowful Lir was at that news, for he understood +well it was Aoife had destroyed or made an end of his children. And +early in the morning of the morrow his horses were caught, and he set +out on the road to the south-west. And when he was as far as the shore +of Loch Dairbhreach, the four children saw the horses coming towards +them, and it is what Fionnuala said: "A welcome to the troop of horses I +see coming near to the lake; the people they are bringing are strong, +there is sadness on them; it is us they are following, it is for us they +are looking; let us move over to the shore, Aodh, Fiachra, and comely +Conn. Those that are coming can be no others in the world but only Lir +and his household."</p> + +<p>Then Lir came to the edge of the lake, and he took notice of the swans +having the voice of living people, and he asked them why was it they had +that voice.</p> + +<p>"I will tell you that, Lir," said Fionnuala. "We are your own four +children, that are after being destroyed by your wife, and by the sister +of our own mother, through the dint of her jealousy." "Is there any way +to put you into your own shapes again?" said Lir. "There is no way," +said Fionnuala, "for all the men of the world could not help us till we +have gone through our time, and that will not be," she said, "till the +end of nine hundred years."</p> + +<p>When Lir and his people heard that, they gave out three great heavy +shouts of grief and sorrow and crying.</p> + +<p>"Is there a mind with you," said Lir, "to come to us on the land, since +you have your own sense and your memory yet?" "We have not the power," +said Fionnuala, "to live with any person at all from this time; but we +have our own language, the Irish, and we have the power to sing sweet +music, and it is enough to satisfy the whole race of men to be listening +to that music. And let you stop here to-night," she said, "and we will +be making music for you."</p> + +<p>So Lir and his people stopped there listening to the music of the swans, +and they slept there quietly that night. And Lir rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and he made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"It is time to go out from this place. I do not sleep though I am in my +lying down. To be parted from my dear children, it is that is tormenting +my heart.</p> + +<p>"It is a bad net I put over you, bringing Aoife, daughter of Oilell of +Aran, to the house. I would never have followed that advice if I had +known what it would bring upon me.</p> + +<p>"O Fionnuala, and comely Conn, O Aodh, O Fiachra of the beautiful arms; +it is not ready I am to go away from you, from the border of the harbour +where you are."</p> + +<p>Then Lir went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a welcome +before him there; and he got a reproach from Bodb Dearg for not bringing +his children along with him. "My grief!" said Lir. "It is not I that +would not bring my children along with me; it was Aoife there beyond, +your own foster-child and the sister of their mother, that put them in +the shape of four white swans on Loch Dairbhreach, in the sight of the +whole of the men of Ireland; but they have their sense with them yet, +and their reason, and their voice, and their Irish."</p> + +<p>Bodb Dearg gave a great start when he heard that, and he knew what Lir +said was true, and he gave a very sharp reproach to Aoife, and he said: +"This treachery will be worse for yourself in the end, Aoife, than to +the children of Lir. And what shape would you yourself think worst of +being in?" he said.</p> + +<p>"I would think worst of being a witch of the air," she said. "It is into +that shape I will put you now," said Bodb. And with that he struck her +with a Druid wand, and she was turned into a witch of the air there and +then, and she went away on the wind in that shape, and she is in it yet, +and will be in it to the end of life and time.</p> + +<p>As to Bodb Dearg and the Tuatha de Danaan they came to the shore of Loch +Dairbhreach, and they made their camp there to be listening to the music +of the swans.</p> + +<p>And the Sons of the Gael used to be coming no less than the Men of Dea +to hear them from every part of Ireland, for there never was any music +or any delight heard in Ireland to compare with that music of the swans. +And they used to be telling stories, and to be talking with the men of +Ireland every day, and with their teachers and their fellow-pupils and +their friends. And every night they used to sing very sweet music of the +Sidhe; and every one that heard that music would sleep sound and quiet +whatever trouble or long sickness might be on him; for every one that +heard the music of the birds, it is happy and contented he would be +after it.</p> + +<p>These two gatherings now of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Sons of the +Gael stopped there around Loch Dairbhreach through the length of three +hundred years. And it is then Fionnuala said to her brothers: "Do you +know," she said, "we have spent all we have to spend of our time here, +but this one night only."</p> + +<p>And there was great sorrow on the sons of Lir when they heard that, for +they thought it the same as to be living people again, to be talking +with their friends and their companions on Loch Dairbhreach, in +comparison with going on the cold, fretful sea of the Maoil in the +north.</p> + +<p>And they came early on the morrow to speak with their father and with +their foster-father, and they bade them farewell, and Fionnuala made +this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"Farewell to you, Bodb Dearg, the man with whom all knowledge is in +pledge. And farewell to our father along with you, Lir of the Hill of +the White Field.</p> + +<p>"The time is come, as I think, for us to part from you, O pleasant +company; my grief it is not on a visit we are going to you.</p> + +<p>"From this day out, O friends of our heart, our comrades, it is on the +tormented course of the Maoil we will be, without the voice of any +person near us.</p> + +<p>"Three hundred years there, and three hundred years in the bay of the +men of Domnann, it is a pity for the four comely children of Lir, the +salt waves of the sea to be their covering by night.</p> + +<p>"O three brothers, with the ruddy faces gone from you, let them all +leave the lake now, the great troop that loved us, it is sorrowful our +parting is."</p> + +<p>After that complaint they took to flight, lightly, airily, till they +came to Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban. And that was a grief +to the men of Ireland, and they gave out an order no swan was to be +killed from that out, whatever chance there might be of killing one, all +through Ireland.</p> + +<p>It was a bad dwelling-place for the children of Lir they to be on Sruth +na Maoile. When they saw the wide coast about them, they were filled +with cold and with sorrow, and they thought nothing of all they had gone +through before, in comparison to what they were going through on that +sea.</p> + +<p>Now one night while they were there a great storm came on them, and it +is what Fionnuala said: "My dear brothers," she said, "it is a pity for +us not to be making ready for this night, for it is certain the storm +will separate us from one another. And let us," she said, "settle on +some place where we can meet afterwards, if we are driven from one +another in the night."</p> + +<p>"Let us settle," said the others, "to meet one another at Carraig na +Ron, the Rock of the Seals, for we all have knowledge of it."</p> + +<p>And when midnight came, the wind came on them with it, and the noise of +the waves increased, and the lightning was flashing, and a rough storm +came sweeping down, the way the children of Lir were scattered over the +great sea, and the wideness of it set them astray, so that no one of +them could know what way the others went. But after that storm a great +quiet came on the sea, and Fionnuala was alone on Sruth na Maoile; and +when she took notice that her brothers were wanting she was lamenting +after them greatly, and she made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"It is a pity for me to be alive in the state I am; it is frozen to my +sides my wings are; it is little that the wind has not broken my heart +in my body, with the loss of Aodh.</p> + +<p>"To be three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach without going into my own +shape, it is worse to me the time I am on Sruth na Maoile.</p> + +<p>"The three I loved, Och! the three I loved, that slept under the shelter +of my feathers; till the dead come back to the living I will see them no +more for ever.</p> + +<p>"It is a pity I to stay after Fiachra, and after Aodh, and after comely +Conn, and with no account of them; my grief I to be here to face every +hardship this night."</p> + +<p>She stopped all night there upon the Rock of the Seals until the rising +of the sun, looking out over the sea on every side till at last she saw +Conn coming to her, his feathers wet through and his head hanging, and +her heart gave him a great welcome; and then Fiachra came wet and +perished and worn out, and he could not say a word they could understand +with the dint of the cold and the hardship he had gone through. And +Fionnuala put him under her wings, and she said: "We would be well off +now if Aodh would but come to us."</p> + +<p>It was not long after that, they saw Aodh coming, his head dry and his +feathers beautiful, and Fionnuala gave him a great welcome, and she put +him in under the feathers of her breast, and Fiachra under her right +wing and Conn under her left wing, the way she could put her feathers +over them all. "And Och! my brothers," she said, "this was a bad night +to us, and it is many of its like are before us from this out."</p> + +<p>They stayed there a long time after that, suffering cold and misery on +the Maoil, till at last a night came on them they had never known the +like of before, for frost and snow and wind and cold. And they were +crying and lamenting the hardship of their life, and the cold of the +night and the greatness of the snow and the hardness of the wind. And +after they had suffered cold to the end of a year, a worse night again +came on them, in the middle of winter. And they were on Carraig na Ron, +and the water froze about them, and as they rested on the rock, their +feet and their wings and their feathers froze to the rock, the way they +were not able to move from it. And they made such a hard struggle to get +away, that they left the skin of their feet and their feathers and the +tops of their wings on the rock after them.</p> + +<p>"My grief, children of Lir," said Fionnuala, "it is bad our state is +now, for we cannot bear the salt water to touch us, and there are bonds +on us not to leave it; and if the salt water goes into our sores," she +said, "we will get our death." And she made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"It is keening we are to-night; without feathers to cover our bodies; it +is cold the rough, uneven rocks are under our bare feet.</p> + +<p>"It is bad our stepmother was to us the time she played enchantments on +us, sending us out like swans upon the sea.</p> + +<p>"Our washing place is on the ridge of the bay, in the foam of flying +manes of the sea; our share of the ale feast is the salt water of the +blue tide.</p> + +<p>"One daughter and three sons; it is in the clefts of the rocks we are; +it is on the hard rocks we are, it is a pity the way we are."</p> + +<p>However, they came on to the course of the Maoil again, and the salt +water was sharp and rough and bitter to them, but if it was itself, they +were not able to avoid it or to get shelter from it. And they were there +by the shore under that hardship till such time as their feathers grew +again, and their wings, and till their sores were entirely healed. And +then they used to go every day to the shore of Ireland or of Alban, but +they had to come back to Sruth na Maoile every night.</p> + +<p>Now they came one day to the mouth of the Banna, to the north of +Ireland, and they saw a troop of riders, beautiful, of the one colour, +with well-trained pure white horses under them, and they travelling the +road straight from the south-west.</p> + +<p>"Do you know who those riders are, sons of Lir?" said Fionnuala.</p> + +<p>"We do not," they said; "but it is likely they might be some troop of +the Sons of the Gael, or of the Tuatha de Danaan."</p> + +<p>They moved over closer to the shore then, that they might know who they +were, and when the riders saw them they came to meet them until they +were able to hold talk together.</p> + +<p>And the chief men among them were two sons of Bodb Dearg, Aodh +Aithfhiosach, of the quick wits, and Fergus Fithchiollach, of the chess, +and a third part of the Riders of the Sidhe along with them, and it was +for the swans they had been looking for a long while before that, and +when they came together they wished one another a kind and loving +welcome.</p> + +<p>And the children of Lir asked for news of all the Men of Dea, and above +all of Lir, and Bodb Dearg and their people.</p> + +<p>"They are well, and they are in the one place together," said they, "in +your father's house at Sidhe Fionnachaidh, using the Feast of Age +pleasantly and happily, and with no uneasiness on them, only for being +without yourselves, and without knowledge of what happened you from the +day you left Loch Dairbhreach."</p> + +<p>"That has not been the way with us," said Fionnuala, "for we have gone +through great hardship and uneasiness and misery on the tides of the sea +until this day."</p> + +<p>And she made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"There is delight to-night with the household of Lir! Plenty of ale with +them and of wine, although it is in a cold dwelling-place this night are +the four children of the king.</p> + +<p>"It is without a spot our bedclothes are, our bodies covered over with +curved feathers; but it is often we were dressed in purple, and we +drinking pleasant mead.</p> + +<p>"It is what our food is and our drink, the white sand and the bitter +water of the sea; it is often we drank mead of hazel-nuts from round +four-lipped drinking cups.</p> + +<p>"It is what our beds are, bare rocks out of the power of the waves; it +is often there used to be spread out for us beds of the breast-feathers +of birds.</p> + +<p>"Though it is our work now to be swimming through the frost and through +the noise of the waves, it is often a company of the sons of kings were +riding after us to the Hill of Bodb.</p> + +<p>"It is what wasted my strength, to be going and coming over the current +of the Maoil the way I never was used to, and never to be in the +sunshine on the soft grass.</p> + +<p>"Fiachra's bed and Conn's bed is to come under the cover of my wings on +the sea. Aodh has his place under the feathers of my breast, the four of +us side by side.</p> + +<p>"The teaching of Manannan without deceit, the talk of Bodb Dearg on the +pleasant ridge; the voice of Angus, his sweet kisses; it is by their +side I used to be without grief."</p> + +<p>After that the riders went on to Lir's house, and they told the chief +men of the Tuatha de Danaan all the birds had gone through, and the +state they were in. "We have no power over them," the chief men said, +"but we are glad they are living yet, for they will get help in the end +of time."</p> + +<p>As to the children of Lir, they went back towards their old place in the +Maoil, and they stopped there till the time they had to spend in it was +spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to leave this +place. And it is to Irrus Domnann we must go now," she said, "after our +three hundred years here. And indeed there will be no rest for us there, +or any standing ground, or any shelter from the storms. But since it is +time for us to go, let us set out on the cold wind, the way we will not +go astray."</p> + +<p>So they set out in that way, and left Sruth na Maoile behind them, and +went to the point of Irrus Domnann, and there they stopped, and it is a +life of misery and a cold life they led there. And one time the sea +froze about them that they could not move at all, and the brothers were +lamenting, and Fionnuala was comforting them, for she knew there would +help come to them in the end.</p> + +<p>And they stayed at Irrus Domnann till the time they had to spend there +was spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to go back +to Sidhe Fionnachaidh, where our father is with his household and with +all our own people."</p> + +<p>"It pleases us well to hear that," they said.</p> + +<p>So they set out flying through the air lightly till they came to Sidhe +Fionnachaidh; and it is how they found the place, empty before them, and +nothing in it but green hillocks and thickets of nettles, without a +house, without a fire, without a hearthstone. And the four pressed close +to one another then, and they gave out three sorrowful cries, and +Fionnuala made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"It is a wonder to me this place is, and it without a house, without a +dwelling-place. To see it the way it is now, Ochone! it is bitterness to +my heart.</p> + +<p>"Without dogs, without hounds for hunting, without women, without great +kings; we never knew it to be like this when our father was in it.</p> + +<p>"Without horns, without cups, without drinking in the lighted house; +without young men, without riders; the way it is to-night is a +foretelling of sorrow.</p> + +<p>"The people of the place to be as they are now, Ochone! it is grief to +my heart! It is plain to my mind to-night the lord of the house is not +living.</p> + +<p>"Och, house where we used to see music and playing and the gathering of +people! I think it a great change to see it lonely the way it is +to-night.</p> + +<p>"The greatness of the hardships we have gone through going from one wave +to another of the sea, we never heard of the like of them coming on any +other person.</p> + +<p>"It is seldom this place had its part with grass and bushes; the man is +not living that would know us, it would be a wonder to him to see us +here."</p> + +<p>However, the children of Lir stopped that night in their father's place +and their grandfather's, where they had been reared, and they were +singing very sweet music of the Sidhe. And they rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and went to Inis Gluaire, and all the birds of the +country gathered near them on Loch na-n Ean, the Lake of the Birds. And +they used to go out to feed every day to the far parts of the country, +to Inis Geadh and to Accuill, the place Donn, son of Miled, and his +people that were drowned were buried, and to all the western islands of +Connacht, and they used to go back to Inis Gluaire every night.</p> + +<p>It was about that time it happened them to meet with a young man of good +race, and his name was Aibric; and he often took notice of the birds, +and their singing was sweet to him and he loved them greatly, and they +loved him. And it is this young man that told the whole story of all +that had happened them, and put it in order.</p> + +<p>And the story he told of what happened them in the end is this.</p> + +<p>It was after the faith of Christ and blessed Patrick came into Ireland, +that Saint Mochaomhog came to Inis Gluaire. And the first night he came +to the island, the children of Lir heard the voice of his bell, ringing +near them. And the brothers started up with fright when they heard it +"We do not know," they said, "what is that weak, unpleasing voice we +hear."</p> + +<p>"That is the voice of the bell of Mochaomhog," said Fionnuala; "and it +is through that bell," she said, "you will be set free from pain and +from misery."</p> + +<p>They listened to that music of the bell till the matins were done, and +then they began to sing the low, sweet music of the Sidhe.</p> + +<p>And Mochaomhog was listening to them, and he prayed to God to show him +who was singing that music, and it was showed to him that the children +of Lir were singing it. And on the morning of the morrow he went forward +to the Lake of the Birds, and he saw the swans before him on the lake, +and he went down to them at the brink of the shore. "Are you the +children of Lir?" he said.</p> + +<p>"We are indeed," said they.</p> + +<p>"I give thanks to God for that," said he, "for it is for your sakes I am +come to this island beyond any other island, and let you come to land +now," he said, "and give your trust to me, that you may do good deeds +and part from your sins."</p> + +<p>They came to the land after that, and they put trust in Mochaomhog, and +he brought them to his own dwelling-place, and they used to be hearing +Mass with him. And he got a good smith and bade him make chains of +bright silver for them, and he put a chain between Aodh and Fionnuala, +and a chain between Conn and Fiachra. And the four of them were raising +his heart and gladdening his mind, and no danger and no distress that +was on the swans before put any trouble on them now.</p> + +<p>Now the king of Connacht at that time was Lairgnen, son of Colman, son +of Cobthach, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin, was his wife. And that was +the coming together of the Man from the North and the Woman from the +South, that Aoife had spoken of.</p> + +<p>And the woman heard talk of the birds, and a great desire came on her to +get them, and she bade Lairgnen to bring them to her, and he said he +would ask them of Mochaomhog.</p> + +<p>And she gave her word she would not stop another night with him unless +he would bring them to her. And she set out from the house there and +then. And Lairgnen sent messengers after her to bring her back, and they +did not overtake her till she was at Cill Dun. She went back home with +them then, and Lairgnen sent messengers to ask the birds of Mochaomhog, +and he did not get them.</p> + +<p>There was great anger on Lairgnen then, and he went himself to the place +Mochaomhog was, and he asked was it true he had refused him the birds. +"It is true indeed," said he. At that Lairgnen rose up, and he took hold +of the swans, and pulled them off the altar, two birds in each hand, to +bring them away to Deoch. But no sooner had he laid his hand on them +than their bird skins fell off, and what was in their place was three +lean, withered old men and a thin withered old woman, without blood or +flesh.</p> + +<p>And Lairgnen gave a great start at that, and he went out from the +place. It is then Fionnuala said to Mochaomhog: "Come and baptize us +now, for it is short till our death comes; and it is certain you do not +think worse of parting with us than we do of parting with you. And make +our grave afterwards," she said, "and lay Conn at my right side and +Fiachra on my left side, and Aodh before my face, between my two arms. +And pray to the God of Heaven," she said, "that you may be able to +baptize us."</p> + +<p>The children of Lir were baptized then, and they died and were buried as +Fionnuala had desired; Fiachra and Conn one at each side of her, and +Aodh before her face. And a stone was put over them, and their names +were written in Ogham, and they were keened there, and heaven was gained +for their souls.</p> + +<p>And that is the fate of the children of Lir so far.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L28" id="L28" />PART TWO: THE FIANNA.</h2> + +<h2>BOOK ONE: FINN, SON OF CUMHAL.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF FINN</h2> + + +<p>At the time Finn was born his father Cumhal, of the sons of Baiscne, +Head of the Fianna of Ireland, had been killed in battle by the sons of +Morna that were fighting with him for the leadership. And his mother, +that was beautiful long-haired Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of +the Tuatha de Danaan and of Ethlinn, mother of Lugh of the Long Hand, +did not dare to keep him with her; and two women, Bodhmall, the woman +Druid, and Liath Luachra, came and brought him away to care him.</p> + +<p>It was to the woods of Slieve Bladhma they brought him, and they nursed +him secretly, because of his father's enemies, the sons of Morna, and +they kept him there a long time.</p> + +<p>And Muirne, his mother, took another husband that was king of Carraighe; +but at the end of six years she came to see Finn, going through every +lonely place till she came to the wood, and there she found the little +hunting cabin, and the boy asleep in it, and she lifted him up in her +arms and kissed him, and she sang a little sleepy song to him; and then +she said farewell to the women, and she went away again.</p> + +<p>And the two women went on caring him till he came to sensible years; and +one day when he went out he saw a wild duck on the lake with her clutch, +and he made a cast at her that cut the wings off her that she could not +fly, and he brought her back to the cabin, and that was his first hunt.</p> + +<p>And they gave him good training in running and leaping and swimming. One +of them would run round a tree, and she having a thorn switch, and Finn +after her with another switch, and each one trying to hit at the other; +and they would leave him in a field, and hares along with him, and would +bid him not to let the hares quit the field, but to keep before them +whichever way they would go; and to teach him swimming they would throw +him into the water and let him make his way out.</p> + +<p>But after a while he went away with a troop of poets, to hide from the +sons of Morna, and they hid him in the mountain of Crotta Cliach; but +there was a robber in Leinster at that time, Fiacuil, son of Codhna, and +he came where the poets were in Fidh Gaible and killed them all. But he +spared the child and brought him to his own house, that was in a cold +marsh. But the two women, Bodhmall and Liath, came looking for him after +a while, and Fiacuil gave him up to them, and they brought him back to +the same place he was before.</p> + +<p>He grew up there, straight and strong and fair-haired and beautiful. And +one day he was out in Slieve Bladhma, and the two women along with him, +and they saw before them a herd of the wild deer of the mountain. "It is +a pity," said the old women, "we not to be able to get a deer of those +deer." "I will get one for you," said Finn; and with that he followed +after them, and caught two stags of them and brought them home to the +hunting cabin. And after that he used to be hunting for them every day. +But at last they said to him: "It is best for you to leave us now, for +the sons of Morna are watching again to kill you."</p> + +<p>So he went away then by himself, and never stopped till he came to Magh +Lifé, and there he saw young lads swimming in a lake, and they called to +him to swim against them. So he went into the lake, and he beat them at +swimming. "Fair he is and well shaped," they said when they saw him +swimming, and it was from that time he got the name of Finn, that is, +Fair. But they got to be jealous of his strength, and he went away and +left them.</p> + +<p>He went on then till he came to Loch Lein, and he took service there +with the King of Finntraigh; and there was no hunter like him, and the +king said: "If Cumhal had left a son, you would be that son."</p> + +<p>He went from that king after, and he went into Carraighe, and there he +took service with the king, that had taken his mother Muirne for his +wife. And one day they were playing chess together, and he won seven +games one after another. "Who are you at all?" said the king then. "I am +a son of a countryman of the Luigne of Teamhair," said Finn. "That is +not so," said the king, "but you are the son that Muirne my wife bore to +Cumhal. And do not stop here any longer," he said, "that you may not be +killed under my protection."</p> + +<p>From that he went into Connacht looking for his father's brother, +Crimall, son of Trenmor; and as he was going on his way he heard the +crying of a lone woman. He went to her, and looked at her, and tears of +blood were on her face. "Your face is red with blood, woman," he said. +"I have reason for it," said she, "for my only son is after being killed +by a great fighting man that came on us." And Finn followed after the +big champion and fought with him and killed him. And the man he killed +was the same man that had given Cumhal his first wound in the battle +where he got his death, and had brought away his treasure-bag with him.</p> + +<p>Now as to that treasure-bag, it is of a crane skin it was made, that was +one time the skin of Aoife, the beautiful sweetheart of Ilbrec, son of +Manannan, that was put into the shape of a crane through jealousy. And +it was in Manannan's house it used to be, and there were treasures kept +in it, Manannan's shirt and his knife, and the belt and the smith's hook +of Goibniu, and the shears of the King of Alban, and the helmet of the +King of Lochlann, and a belt of the skin of a great fish, and the bones +of Asal's pig that had been brought to Ireland by the sons of Tuireann. +All those treasures would be in the bag at full tide, but at the ebbing +of the tide it would be empty. And it went from Manannan to Lugh, son of +Ethlinn, and after that to Cumhal, that was husband to Muirne, Ethlinn's +daughter.</p> + +<p>And Finn took the bag and brought it with him till he found Crimall, +that was now an old man, living in a lonely place, and some of the old +men of the Fianna were with him, and used to go hunting for him. And +Finn gave him the bag, and told him his whole story.</p> + +<p>And then he said farewell to Crimall, and went on to learn poetry from +Finegas, a poet that was living at the Boinn, for the poets thought it +was always on the brink of water poetry was revealed to them. And he did +not give him his own name, but he took the name of Deimne. Seven years, +now, Finegas had stopped at the Boinn, watching the salmon, for it was +in the prophecy that he would eat the salmon of knowledge that would +come there, and that he would have all knowledge after. And when at the +last the salmon of knowledge came, he brought it to where Finn was, and +bade him to roast it, but he bade him not to eat any of it. And when +Finn brought him the salmon after a while he said: "Did you eat any of +it at all, boy?" "I did not," said Finn; "but I burned my thumb putting +down a blister that rose on the skin, and after doing that, I put my +thumb in my mouth." "What is your name, boy?" said Finegas. "Deimne," +said he. "It is not, but it is Finn your name is, and it is to you and +not to myself the salmon was given in the prophecy." With that he gave +Finn the whole of the salmon, and from that time Finn had the knowledge +that came from the nuts of the nine hazels of wisdom that grow beside +the well that is below the sea.</p> + +<p>And besides the wisdom he got then, there was a second wisdom came to +him another time, and this is the way it happened. There was a well of +the moon belonging to Beag, son of Buan, of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +whoever would drink out of it would get wisdom, and after a second drink +he would get the gift of foretelling. And the three daughters of Beag, +son of Buan, had charge of the well, and they would not part with a +vessel of it for anything less than red gold. And one day Finn chanced +to be hunting in the rushes near the well, and the three women ran out +to hinder him from coming to it, and one of them that had a vessel of +the water in her hand, threw it at him to stop him, and a share of the +water went into his mouth. And from that out he had all the knowledge +that the water of that well could give.</p> + +<p>And he learned the three ways of poetry; and this is the poem he made to +show he had got his learning well:—</p> + +<p>"It is the month of May is the pleasant time; its face is beautiful; the +blackbird sings his full song, the living wood is his holding, the +cuckoos are singing and ever singing; there is a welcome before the +brightness of the summer.</p> + +<p>"Summer is lessening the rivers, the swift horses are looking for the +pool; the heath spreads out its long hair, the weak white bog-down +grows. A wildness comes on the heart of the deer; the sad restless sea +is asleep.</p> + +<p>"Bees with their little strength carry a load reaped from the flowers; +the cattle go up muddy to the mountains; the ant has a good full feast.</p> + +<p>"The harp of the woods is playing music; there is colour on the hills, +and a haze on the full lakes, and entire peace upon every sail.</p> + +<p>"The corncrake is speaking, a loud-voiced poet; the high lonely +waterfall is singing a welcome to the warm pool, the talking of the +rushes has begun.</p> + +<p>"The light swallows are darting; the loudness of music is around the +hill; the fat soft mast is budding; there is grass on the trembling +bogs.</p> + +<p>"The bog is as dark as the feathers of the raven; the cuckoo makes a +loud welcome; the speckled salmon is leaping; as strong is the leaping +of the swift fighting man.</p> + +<p>"The man is gaining; the girl is in her comely growing power; every wood +is without fault from the top to the ground, and every wide good plain.</p> + +<p>"It is pleasant is the colour of the time; rough winter is gone; every +plentiful wood is white; summer is a joyful peace.</p> + +<p>"A flock of birds pitches in the meadow; there are sounds in the green +fields, there is in them a clear rushing stream.</p> + +<p>"There is a hot desire on you for the racing of horses; twisted holly +makes a leash for the hound; a bright spear has been shot into the +earth, and the flag-flower is golden under it.</p> + +<p>"A weak lasting little bird is singing at the top of his voice; the lark +is singing clear tidings; May without fault, of beautiful colours.</p> + +<p>"I have another story for you; the ox is lowing, the winter is creeping +in, the summer is gone. High and cold the wind, low the sun, cries are +about us; the sea is quarrelling.</p> + +<p>"The ferns are reddened and their shape is hidden; the cry of the wild +goose is heard; the cold has caught the wings of the birds; it is the +time of ice-frost, hard, unhappy."</p> + +<p>And after that, Finn being but a young lad yet, made himself ready and +went up at Samhain time to the gathering of the High King at Teamhair. +And it was the law at that gathering, no one to raise a quarrel or +bring out any grudge against another through the whole of the time it +lasted. And the king and his chief men, and Goll, son of Morna, that was +now Head of the Fianna, and Caoilte, son of Ronan, and Conan, son of +Morna, of the sharp words, were sitting at a feast in the great house of +the Middle Court; and the young lad came in and took his place among +them, and none of them knew who he was.</p> + +<p>The High King looked at him then, and the horn of meetings was brought +to him, and he put it into the boy's hand, and asked him who was he.</p> + +<p>"I am Finn, son of Cumhal," he said, "son of the man that used to be +head over the Fianna, and king of Ireland; and I am come now to get your +friendship, and to give you my service."</p> + +<p>"You are son of a friend, boy," said the king, "and son of a man I +trusted."</p> + +<p>Then Finn rose up and made his agreement of service and of faithfulness +to the king; and the king took him by the hand and put him sitting +beside his own son, and they gave themselves to drinking and to pleasure +for a while.</p> + +<p>Every year, now, at Samhain time, for nine years, there had come a man +of the Tuatha de Danaan out of Sidhe Finnachaidh in the north, and had +burned up Teamhair. Aillen, son of Midhna, his name was, and it is the +way he used to come, playing music of the Sidhe, and all the people that +heard it would fall asleep. And when they were all in their sleep, he +would let a flame of fire out of his mouth, and would blow the flame +till all Teamhair was burned.</p> + +<p>The king rose up at the feast after a while, and his smooth horn in his +hand, and it is what he said: "If I could find among you, men of +Ireland, any man that would keep Teamhair till the break of day +to-morrow without being burned by Aillen, son of Midhna, I would give +him whatever inheritance is right for him to have, whether it be much or +little."</p> + +<p>But the men of Ireland made no answer, for they knew well that at the +sound of the sweet pitiful music made by that comely man of the Sidhe, +even women in their pains and men that were wounded would fall asleep.</p> + +<p>It is then Finn rose up and spoke to the King of Ireland. "Who will be +your sureties that you will fulfil this?" he said. "The kings of the +provinces of Ireland," said the king, "and Cithruadh with his Druids." +So they gave their pledges, and Finn took in hand to keep Teamhair safe +till the breaking of day on the morrow.</p> + +<p>Now there was a fighting man among the followers of the King of Ireland, +Fiacha, son of Conga, that Cumhal, Finn's father, used to have a great +liking for, and he said to Finn: "Well, boy," he said, "what reward +would you give me if I would bring you a deadly spear, that no false +cast was ever made with?" "What reward are you asking of me?" said Finn. +"Whatever your right hand wins at any time, the third of it to be mine," +said Fiacha, "and a third of your trust and your friendship to be mine." +"I will give you that," said Finn. Then Fiacha brought him +the spear, unknown to the sons of Morna or to any other person, and he +said: "When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the +covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the +power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you."</p> + +<p>Then Finn rose up before all the men of Ireland, and he made a round of +the whole of Teamhair. And it was not long till he heard the sorrowful +music, and he stripped the covering from the head of the spear, and he +held the power of it to his forehead. And Aillen went on playing his +little harp, till he had put every one in their sleep as he was used; +and then he let a flame of fire out from his mouth to burn Teamhair. +And Finn held up his fringed crimson cloak against the flame, and it +fell down through the air and went into the ground, bringing the +four-folded cloak with it deep into the earth.</p> + +<p>And when Aillen saw his spells were destroyed, he went back to Sidhe +Finnachaidh on the top of Slieve Fuad; but Finn followed after him +there, and as Aillen was going in at the door he made a cast of the +spear that went through his heart. And he struck his head off then, and +brought it back to Teamhair, and fixed it on a crooked pole and left it +there till the rising of the sun over the heights and invers of the +country.</p> + +<p>And Aillen's mother came to where his body was lying, and there was +great grief on her, and she made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"Ochone! Aillen is fallen, chief of the Sidhe of Beinn Boirche; the slow +clouds of death are come on him. Och! he was pleasant, Och! he was kind. +Aillen, son of Midhna of Slieve Fuad.</p> + +<p>"Nine times he burned Teamhair. It is a great name he was always looking +for, Ochone, Ochone, Aillen!"</p> + +<p>And at the breaking of day, the king and all the men of Ireland came out +upon the lawn at Teamhair where Finn was. "King," said Finn, "there is +the head of the man that burned Teamhair, and the pipe and the harp that +made his music. And it is what I think," he said, "that Teamhair and all +that is in it is saved."</p> + +<p>Then they all came together into the place of counsel, and it is what +they agreed, the headship of the Fianna of Ireland to be given to Finn. +And the king said to Goll, son of Morna: "Well, Goll," he said, "is it +your choice to quit Ireland or to put your hand in Finn's hand?" "By my +word, I will give Finn my hand," said Goll.</p> + +<p>And when the charms that used to bring good luck had done their work, +the chief men of the Fianna rose up and struck their hands in Finn's +hand, and Goll, son of Morna, was the first to give him his hand the way +there would be less shame on the rest for doing it.</p> + +<p>And Finn kept the headship of the Fianna until the end; and the place he +lived in was Almhuin of Leinster, where the white dun was made by Nuada +of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was as white as if all the lime in Ireland +was put on it, and that got its name from the great herd of cattle that +died fighting one time around the well, and that left their horns there, +speckled horns and white.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn himself, he was a king and a seer and a poet; a Druid and +a knowledgeable man; and everything he said was sweet-sounding to his +people. And a better fighting man than Finn never struck his hand into a +king's hand, and whatever any one ever said of him, he was three times +better. And of his justice it used to be said, that if his enemy and his +own son had come before him to be judged, it is a fair judgment he would +have given between them. And as to his generosity it used to be said, he +never denied any man as long as he had a mouth to eat with, and legs to +bring away what he gave him; and he left no woman without her +bride-price, and no man without his pay; and he never promised at night +what he would not fulfil on the morrow, and he never promised in the day +what he would not fulfil at night, and he never forsook his right-hand +friend. And if he was quiet in peace he was angry in battle, and Oisin +his son and Osgar his son's son followed him in that. There was a young +man of Ulster came and claimed kinship with them one time, saying they +were of the one blood. "If that is so," said Oisin, "it is from the men +of Ulster we took the madness and the angry heart we have in battle." +"That is so indeed," said Finn.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L29" id="L29" />CHAPTER II. FINN'S HOUSEHOLD</h2> + + +<p>And the number of the Fianna of Ireland at that time was seven score and +ten chief men, every one of them having three times nine righting men +under him. And every man of them was bound to three things, to take no +cattle by oppression, not to refuse any man, as to cattle or riches; no +one of them to fall back before nine fighting men. And there was no man +taken into the Fianna until his tribe and his kindred would give +securities for him, that even if they themselves were all killed he +would not look for satisfaction for their death. But if he himself would +harm others, that harm was not to be avenged on his people. And there +was no man taken into the Fianna till he knew the twelve books of +poetry. And before any man was taken, he would be put into a deep hole +in the ground up to his middle, and he having his shield and a hazel rod +in his hand. And nine men would go the length of ten furrows from him +and would cast their spears at him at the one time. And if he got a +wound from one of them, he was not thought fit to join with the Fianna. +And after that again, his hair would be fastened up, and he put to run +through the woods of Ireland, and the Fianna following after him to try +could they wound him, and only the length of a branch between themselves +and himself when they started. And if they came up with him and wounded +him, he was not let join them; or if his spears had trembled in his +hand, or if a branch of a tree had undone the plaiting of his hair, or +if he had cracked a dry stick under his foot, and he running. And they +would not take him among them till he had made a leap over a stick the +height of himself, and till he had stooped under one the height of his +knee, and till he had taken a thorn out from his foot with his nail, +and he running his fastest. But if he had done all these things, he was +of Finn's people.</p> + +<p>It was good wages Finn and the Fianna got at that time; in every +district a townland, in every house the fostering of a pup or a whelp +from Samhain to Beltaine, and a great many things along with that. But +good as the pay was, the hardships and the dangers they went through for +it were greater. For they had to hinder the strangers and robbers from +beyond the seas, and every bad thing, from coming into Ireland. And they +had hard work enough in doing that.</p> + +<p>And besides the fighting men, Finn had with him his five Druids, the +best that ever came into the west, Cainnelsciath, of the Shining Shield, +one of them was, that used to bring down knowledge from the clouds in +the sky before Finn, and that could foretell battles. And he had his +five wonderful physicians, four of them belonging to Ireland, and one +that came over the sea from the east. And he had his five high poets and +his twelve musicians, that had among them Daighre, son of Morna, and +Suanach, son of Senshenn, that was Finn's teller of old stories, the +sweetest that ever took a harp in his hand in Ireland or in Alban. And +he had his three cup-bearers and his six door-keepers and his +horn-players and the stewards of his house and his huntsman, Comhrag of +the five hundred hounds, and his serving-men that were under +Garbhcronan, of the Rough Buzzing; and a great troop of others along +with them.</p> + +<p>And there were fifty of the best sewing-women in Ireland brought +together in a rath on Magh Feman, under the charge of a daughter of the +King of Britain, and they used to be making clothing for the Fianna +through the whole of the year. And three of them, that were a king's +daughters, used to be making music for the rest on a little silver +harp; and there was a very great candlestick of stone in the middle of +the rath, for they were not willing to kindle a fire more than three +times in the year for fear the smoke and the ashes might harm the +needlework.</p> + +<p>And of all his musicians the one Finn thought most of was Cnu Deireoil, +the Little Nut, that came to him from the Sidhe.</p> + +<p>It was at Slieve-nam-ban, for hunting, Finn was the time he came to him. +Sitting down he was on the turf-built grave that is there; and when he +looked around him he saw a small little man about four feet in height +standing on the grass. Light yellow hair he had, hanging down to his +waist, and he playing music on his harp. And the music he was making had +no fault in it at all, and it is much that the whole of the Fianna did +not fall asleep with the sweetness of its sound. He came up then, and +put his hand in Finn's hand. "Where do you come from, little one, +yourself and your sweet music?" said Finn. "I am come," he said, "out of +the place of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban, where ale is drunk and made; +and it is to be in your company for a while I am come here." "You will +get good rewards from me, and riches and red gold," said Finn, "and my +full friendship, for I like you well." "That is the best luck ever came +to you, Finn," said all the rest of the Fianna, for they were well +pleased to have him in their company. And they gave him the name of the +Little Nut; and he was good in speaking, and he had so good a memory he +never forgot anything he heard east or west; and there was no one but +must listen to his music, and all the Fianna liked him well. And there +were some said he was a son of Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long Hand.</p> + +<p>And the five musicians of the Fianna were brought to him, to learn the +music of the Sidhe he had brought from that other place; for there was +never any music heard on earth but his was better. These were the three +best things Finn ever got, Bran and Sceolan that were without fault, and +the Little Nut from the House of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L30" id="L30" />CHAPTER III. BIRTH OF BRAN.</h2> + + +<p>This, now, is the story of the birth of Bran.</p> + +<p>Finn's mother, Muirne, came one time to Almhuin, and she brought with +her Tuiren, her sister. And Iollan Eachtach, a chief man of the Fianna +of Ulster, was at Almhuin at the time, and he gave his love to Tuiren, +and asked her in marriage, and brought her to his own house. But before +they went, Finn made him gave his word he would bring her back safe and +sound if ever he asked for her, and he bade him find sureties for +himself among the chief men of the Fianna. And Iollan did that, and the +sureties he got were Caoilte and Goll and Lugaidh Lamha, and it was +Lugaidh gave her into the hand of Iollan Eachtach.</p> + +<p>But before Iollan made that marriage, he had a sweetheart of the Sidhe, +Uchtdealb of the Fair Breast; and there came great jealousy on her when +she knew he had taken a wife. And she took the appearance of Finn's +woman-messenger, and she came to the house where Tuiren was, and she +said: "Finn sends health and long life to you, queen, and he bids you to +make a great feast; and come with me now," she said, "till I speak a few +words with you, for there is hurry on me."</p> + +<p>So Tuiren went out with her, and when they were away from the house the +woman of the Sidhe took out her dark Druid rod from under her cloak and +gave her a blow of it that changed her into a hound, the most beautiful +that was ever seen. And then she went on, bringing the hound with her, +to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, king of the harbour of Gallimh. And +it is the way Fergus was, he was the most unfriendly man to dogs in the +whole world, and he would not let one stop in the same house with him. +But it is what Uchtdealb said to him: "Finn wishes you life and health, +Fergus, and he says to you to take good care of his hound till he comes +himself; and mind her well," she said, "for she is with young, and do +not let her go hunting when her time is near, or Finn will be no way +thankful to you." "I wonder at that message," said Fergus, "for Finn +knows well there is not in the world a man has less liking for dogs than +myself. But for all that," he said, "I will not refuse Finn the first +time he sent a hound to me."</p> + +<p>And when he brought the hound out to try her, she was the best he ever +knew, and she never saw the wild creature she would not run down; and +Fergus took a great liking for hounds from that out.</p> + +<p>And when her time came near, they did not let her go hunting any more, +and she gave birth to two whelps.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn, when he heard his mother's sister was not living with +Iollan Eachtach, he called to him for the fulfilment of the pledge that +was given to the Fianna. And Iollan asked time to go looking for Tuiren, +and he gave his word that if he did not find her, he would give himself +up in satisfaction for her. So they agreed to that, and Iollan went to +the hill where Uchtdealb was, his sweetheart of the Sidhe, and told her +the way things were with him, and the promise he had made to give +himself up to the Fianna. "If that is so," said she, "and if you will +give me your pledge to keep me as your sweetheart to the end of your +life, I will free you from that danger." So Iollan gave her his promise, +and she went to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, and she brought Tuiren +away and put her own shape on her again, and gave her up to Finn. And +Finn gave her to Lugaidh Lamha that asked her in marriage.</p> + +<p>And as to the two whelps, they stopped always with Finn, and the names +he gave them were Bran and Sceolan.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L31" id="L31" />CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S MOTHER.</h2> + + +<p>It happened one time Finn and his men were coming back from the hunting, +a beautiful fawn started up before them, and they followed after it, men +and dogs, till at last they were all tired and fell back, all but Finn +himself and Bran and Sceolan. And suddenly as they were going through a +valley, the fawn stopped and lay down on the smooth grass, and Bran and +Sceolan came up with it, and they did not harm it at all, but went +playing about it, licking its neck and its face.</p> + +<p>There was wonder on Finn when he saw that, and he went on home to +Almhuin, and the fawn followed after him playing with the hounds, and it +came with them into the house at Almhuin. And when Finn was alone late +that evening, a beautiful young woman having a rich dress came before +him, and she told him it was she herself was the fawn he was after +hunting that day. "And it is for refusing the love of Fear Doirche, the +Dark Druid of the Men of Dea," she said, "I was put in this shape. And +through the length of three years," she said, "I have lived the life of +a wild deer in a far part of Ireland, and I am hunted like a wild deer. +And a serving-man of the Dark Druid took pity on me," she said, "and he +said that if I was once within the dun of the Fianna of Ireland, the +Druid would have no more power over me. So I made away, and I never +stopped through the whole length of a day till I came into the district +of Almhuin. And I never stopped then till there was no one after me but +only Bran and Sceolan, that have human wits; and I was safe with them, +for they knew my nature to be like their own."</p> + +<p>Then Finn gave her his love, and took her as his wife, and she stopped +in Almhuin. And so great was his love for her, he gave up his hunting +and all the things he used to take pleasure in, and gave his mind to no +other thing but herself.</p> + +<p>But at last the men of Lochlann came against Ireland, and their ships +were in the bay below Beinn Edair, and they landed there.</p> + +<p>And Finn and the battalions of the Fianna went out against them, and +drove them back. And at the end of seven days Finn came back home, and +he went quickly over the plain of Almhuin, thinking to see Sadbh his +wife looking out from the dun, but there was no sign of her. And when he +came to the dun, all his people came out to meet him, but they had a +very downcast look. "Where is the flower of Almhuin, beautiful gentle +Sadbh?" he asked them. And it is what they said: "While you were away +fighting, your likeness, and the likeness of Bran and of Sceolan +appeared before the dun, and we thought we heard the sweet call of the +Dord Fiann. And Sadbh, that was so good and so beautiful, came out of +the house," they said, "and she went out of the gates, and she would not +listen to us, and we could not stop her." "Let me go meet my love," she +said, "my husband, the father of the child that is not born." And with +that she went running out towards the shadow of yourself that was before +her, and that had its arms stretched out to her. But no sooner did she +touch it than she gave a great cry, and the shadow lifted up a hazel +rod, and on the moment it was a fawn was standing on the grass. Three +times she turned and made for the gate of the dun, but the two hounds +the shadow had with him went after her and took her by the throat and +dragged her back to him. "And by your hand of valour, Finn," they said, +"we ourselves made no delay till we went out on the plain after her. But +it is our grief, they had all vanished, and there was not to be seen +woman, or fawn or Druid, but we could hear the quick tread of feet on +the hard plain, and the howling of dogs. And if you would ask every one +of us in what quarter he heard those sounds, he would tell you a +different one."</p> + +<p>When Finn heard that, he said no word at all, but he struck his breast +over and over again with his shut hands. And he went then to his own +inside room, and his people saw him no more for that day, or till the +sun rose over Magh Lifé on the morrow.</p> + +<p>And through the length of seven years from that time, whenever he was +not out fighting against the enemies of Ireland, he went searching and +ever searching in every far corner for beautiful Sadbh. And there was +great trouble on him all the time, unless he might throw it off for a +while in hunting or in battle. And through all that time he never +brought out to any hunting but the five hounds he had most trust in, +Bran and Sceolan and Lomaire and Brod and Lomluath, the way there would +be no danger for Sadbh if ever he came on her track.</p> + +<p>But after the end of seven years, Finn and some of his chief men were +hunting on the sides of Beinn Gulbain, and they heard a great outcry +among the hounds, that were gone into some narrow place. And when they +followed them there, they saw the five hounds of Finn in a ring, and +they keeping back the other hounds, and in the middle of the ring was a +young boy, with high looks, and he naked and having long hair. And he +was no way daunted by the noise of the hounds, and did not look at them +at all, but at the men that were coming up. And as soon as the fight was +stopped Bran and Sceolan went up to the little lad, and whined and +licked him, that any one would think they had forgotten their master. +Finn and the others came up to him then, and put their hands on his +head, and made much of him. And they brought him to their own hunting +cabin, and he ate and drank with them, and before long he lost his +wildness and was the same as themselves. And as to Bran and Sceolan, +they were never tired playing about him.</p> + +<p>And it is what Finn thought, there was some look of Sadbh in his face, +and that it might be he was her son, and he kept him always beside him. +And little by little when the boy had learned their talk, he told them +all he could remember. He used to be with a deer he loved very much, he +said, and that cared and sheltered him, and it was in a wide place they +used to be, having hills and valleys and streams and woods in it, but +that was shut in with high cliffs on every side, that there was no way +of escape from it. And he used to be eating fruits and roots in the +summer, and in the winter there was food left for him in the shelter of +a cave. And a dark-looking man used to be coming to the place, and +sometimes he would speak to the deer softly and gently, and sometimes +with a loud angry voice. But whatever way he spoke, she would always +draw away from him with the appearance of great dread on her, and the +man would go away in great anger. And the last time he saw the deer, his +mother, the dark man was speaking to her for a long time, from softness +to anger. And at the end he struck her with a hazel rod, and with that +she was forced to follow him, and she looking back all the while at the +child, and crying after him that any one would pity her. And he tried +hard to follow after her, and made every attempt, and cried out with +grief and rage, but he had no power to move, and when he could hear his +mother no more he fell on the grass and his wits went from him. And when +he awoke it is on the side of the hill he was, where the hounds found +him. And he searched a long time for the place where he was brought up, +but he could not find it.</p> + +<p>And the name the Fianna gave him was Oisin, and it is he was their maker +of poems, and their good fighter afterwards.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L32" id="L32" />CHAPTER V. THE BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA</h2> + + +<p>And while Oisin was in his young youth, Finn had other good men along +with him, and the best of them were Goll, son of Morna, and Caoilte, son +of Ronan, and Lugaidh's Son.</p> + +<p>As to Goll, that was of Connacht, he was very tall and light-haired, and +some say he was the strongest of all the Fianna. Finn made a poem in +praise of him one time when some stranger was asking what sort he was, +saying how hardy he was and brave in battle, and as strong as a hound or +as the waves, and with all that so kind and so gentle, and open-handed +and sweet-voiced, and faithful to his friends.</p> + +<p>And the chessboard he had was called the Solustairtech, the Shining +Thing, and some of the chessmen were made of gold, and some of them of +silver, and each one of them was as big as the fist of the biggest man +of the Fianna; and after the death of Goll it was buried in Slieve +Baune.</p> + +<p>And as to Caoilte, that was a grey thin man, he was the best runner of +them all. And he did a good many great deeds; a big man of the Fomor he +killed one time, and he killed a five-headed giant in a wheeling door, +and another time he made an end of an enchanted boar that no one else +could get near, and he killed a grey stag that had got away from the +Fianna through twenty-seven years. And another time he brought Finn out +of Teamhair, where he was kept by force by the High King, because of +some rebellion the Fianna had stirred up. And when Caoilte heard Finn +had been brought away to Teamhair, he went out to avenge him. And the +first he killed was Cuireach, a king of Leinster that had a great name, +and he brought his head up to the hill that is above Buadhmaic. And +after that he made a great rout through Ireland, bringing sorrow into +every house for the sake of Finn, killing a man in every place, and +killing the calves with the cows.</p> + +<p>And every door the red wind from the east blew on, he would throw it +open, and go in and destroy all before him, setting fire to the fields, +and giving the wife of one man to another.</p> + +<p>And when he came to Teamhair, he came to the palace, and took the +clothes off the door-keeper, and he left his own sword that was worn +thin in the king's sheath, and took the king's sword that had great +power in it. And he went into the palace then in the disguise of a +servant, to see how he could best free Finn.</p> + +<p>And when evening came Caoilte held the candle at the king's feast in the +great hall, and after a while the king said: "You will wonder at what I +tell you, Finn, that the two eyes of Caoilte are in my candlestick." "Do +not say that," said Finn, "and do not put reproach on my people although +I myself am your prisoner; for as to Caoilte," he said, "that is not the +way with him, for it is a high mind he has, and he only does high +deeds, and he would not stand serving with a candle for all the gold of +the whole world."</p> + +<p>After that Caoilte was serving the King of Ireland with drink, and when +he was standing beside him he gave out a high sorrowful lament. "There +is the smell of Caoilte's skin on that lament," said the king. And when +Caoilte saw he knew him he spoke out and he said: "Tell me what way I +can get freedom for my master." "There is no way to get freedom for him +but by doing one thing," said the king, "and that is a thing you can +never do. If you can bring me together a couple of all the wild +creatures of Ireland," he said, "I will give up your master to you +then."</p> + +<p>When Caoilte heard him say that he made no delay, but he set out from +Teamhair, and went through the whole of Ireland to do that work for the +sake of Finn. It is with the flocks of birds he began, though they were +scattered in every part, and from them he went on to the beasts. And he +gathered together two of every sort, two ravens from Fiodh da Bheann; +two wild ducks from Loch na Seillein; two foxes from Slieve Cuilinn; two +wild oxen from Burren; two swans from blue Dobhran; two owls from the +wood of Faradhruim; two polecats from the branchy wood on the side of +Druim da Raoin, the Ridge of the Victories; two gulls from the strand of +Loch Leith; four woodpeckers from white Brosna; two plovers from +Carraigh Dhain; two thrushes from Leith Lomard; two wrens from Dun +Aoibh; two herons from Corrain Cleibh; two eagles from Carraig of the +stones; two hawks from Fiodh Chonnach; two sows from Loch Meilghe; two +water-hens from Loch Erne; two moor-hens from Monadh Maith; two +sparrow-hawks from Dubhloch; two stonechats from Magh Cuillean; two +tomtits from Magh Tuallainn; two swallows from Sean Abhla; two +cormorants from Ath Cliath; two wolves from Broit Cliathach; two +blackbirds from the Strand of the Two Women; two roebucks from Luachair +Ire; two pigeons from Ceas Chuir; two nightingales from Leiter Ruadh; +two starlings from green-sided Teamhair; two rabbits from Sith Dubh +Donn; two wild pigs from Cluaidh Chuir; two cuckoos from Drom Daibh; two +lapwings from Leanain na Furraich; two woodcocks from Craobh Ruadh; two +hawks from the Bright Mountain; two grey mice from Luimneach; two otters +from the Boinn; two larks from the Great Bog; two bats from the Cave of +the Nuts; two badgers from the province of Ulster; two landrail from the +banks of the Sionnan; two wagtails from Port Lairrge; two curlews from +the harbour of Gallimh; two hares from Muirthemne; two deer from Sith +Buidhe; two peacocks from Magh Mell; two cormorants from Ath Cliath; two +eels from Duth Dur; two goldfinches from Slieve na-n Eun; two birds of +slaughter from Magh Bhuilg; two bright swallows from Granard; two +redbreasts from the Great Wood; two rock-cod from Cala Chairge; two +sea-pigs from the great sea; two wrens from Mios an Chuil; two salmon +from Eas Mhic Muirne; two clean deer from Gleann na Smoil; two cows from +Magh Mor; two cats from the Cave of Cruachan; two sheep from bright +Sidhe Diobhlain; two pigs of the pigs of the son of Lir; a ram and a +crimson sheep from Innis.</p> + +<p>And along with all these he brought ten hounds of the hounds of the +Fianna, and a horse and a mare of the beautiful horses of Manannan.</p> + +<p>And when Caoilte had gathered all these, he brought them to the one +place. But when he tried to keep them together, they scattered here and +there from him; the raven went away southward, and that vexed him +greatly, but he overtook it again in Gleann da Bheann, beside Loch +Lurcan. And then his wild duck went away from him, and it was not easy +to get it again, but he followed it through every stream to grey Accuill +till he took it by the neck and brought it back, and it no way willing.</p> + +<p>And indeed through the length of his life Caoilte remembered well all he +went through that time with the birds, big and little, travelling over +hills and ditches and striving to bring them with him, that he might set +Finn his master free.</p> + +<p>And when he came to Teamhair he had more to go through yet, for the king +would not let him bring them in before morning, but gave him a house +having nine doors in it to put them up in for the night. And no sooner +were they put in than they raised a loud screech all together, for a +little ray of light was coming to them through fifty openings, and they +were trying to make their escape. And if they were not easy in the +house, Caoilte was not easy outside it, watching every door till the +rising of the sun on the morrow.</p> + +<p>And when he brought out his troop, the name the people gave them was +"Caoilte's Rabble," and there was no wonder at all in that.</p> + +<p>But all the profit the King of Ireland got from them was to see them +together for that one time. For no sooner did Finn get his freedom than +the whole of them scattered here and there, and no two of them went by +the same road out of Teamhair.</p> + +<p>And that was one of the best things Caoilte, son of Ronan, ever did. And +another time he ran from the wave of Cliodna in the south to the wave of +Rudraige in the north. And Colla his son was a very good runner too, and +one time he ran a race backwards against the three battalions of the +Fianna for a chessboard. And he won the race, but if he did, he went +backward over Beinn Edair into the sea.</p> + +<p>And very good hearing Caoilte had. One time he heard the King of the +Luigne of Connacht at his hunting, and Blathmec that was with him said, +"What is that hunt, Caoilte?" "A hunt of three packs of hounds," he +said, "and three sorts of wild creatures before them. The first hunt," +he said, "is after stags and large deer and the second hunt is after +swift small hares, and the third is a furious hunt after heavy boars." +"And what is the fourth hunt, Caoilte?" said Blathmec. "It is the +hunting of heavy-sided, low-bellied badgers." And then they heard coming +after the hunt the shouts of the lads and of the readiest of the men and +the serving-men that were best at carrying burdens. And Blathmec went +out to see the hunting, and just as Caoilte had told him, that was the +way it was.</p> + +<p>And he understood the use of herbs, and one time he met with two women +that were very downhearted because their husbands had gone from them to +take other wives. And Caoilte gave them Druid herbs, and they put them +in the water of a bath and washed in it, and the love of their husbands +came back to them, and they sent away the new wives they had taken.</p> + +<p>And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was of Finn's blood, and another of the +best men of the Fianna, he was put into Finn's arms as a child, and he +was reared up by Duban's daughter, that had reared eight hundred +fighting men of the Fianna, till his twelfth year, and then she gave him +all he wanted of arms and of armour, and he went to Chorraig Conluain +and the mountains of Slieve Bladhma, where Finn and the Fianna were at +that time.</p> + +<p>And Finn gave him a very gentle welcome, and he struck his hand in +Finn's hand, and made his agreement of service with him. And he stopped +through the length of a year with the Fianna; but he was someway +sluggish through all that time, so that under his leading not more than +nine of the Fianna got to kill so much as a boar or a deer. And along +with that, he used to beat both his servants and his hounds.</p> + +<p>And at last the three battalions of the Fianna went to where Finn was, +at the Point of the Fianna on the edge of Loch Lein, and they made their +complaint against Lugaidh's Son, and it is what they said: "Make your +choice now, will you have us with you, or will you have Lugaidh's Son by +himself."</p> + +<p>Then Lugaidh's Son came to Finn, and Finn asked him, "What is it has put +the whole of the Fianna against you?" "By my word," said the lad, "I do +not know the reason, unless it might be they do not like me to be doing +my feats and casting my spears among them."</p> + +<p>Then Finn gave him an advice, and it is what he said: "If you have a +mind to be a good champion, be quiet in a great man's house; be surly in +the narrow pass. Do not beat your hound without a cause; do not bring a +charge against your wife without having knowledge of her guilt; do not +hurt a fool in fighting, for he is without his wits. Do not find fault +with high-up persons; do not stand up to take part in a quarrel; have no +dealings with a bad man or a foolish man. Let two-thirds of your +gentleness be showed to women and to little children that are creeping +on the floor, and to men of learning that make the poems, and do not be +rough with the common people. Do not give your reverence to all; do not +be ready to have one bed with your companions. Do not threaten or speak +big words, for it is a shameful thing to speak stiffly unless you can +carry it out afterwards. Do not forsake your lord so long as you live; +do not give up any man that puts himself under your protection for all +the treasures of the world. Do not speak against others to their lord, +that is not work for a good man. Do not be a bearer of lying stories, or +a tale-bearer that is always chattering. Do not be talking too much; do +not find fault hastily; however brave you may be, do not raise factions +against you. Do not be going to drinking-houses, or finding fault with +old men; do not meddle with low people; this is right conduct I am +telling you. Do not refuse to share your meat; do not have a niggard for +your friend; do not force yourself on a great man or give him occasion +to speak against you. Hold fast to your arms till the hard fight is well +ended. Do not give up your opportunity, but with that follow after +gentleness."</p> + +<p>That was good advice Finn gave, and he was well able to do that; for it +was said of him that he had all the wisdom of a little child that is +busy about the house, and the mother herself not understanding what he +is doing; and that is the time she has most pride in him.</p> + +<p>And as to Lugaidh's Son, that advice stayed always with him, and he +changed his ways, and after a while he got a great name among the poets +of Ireland and of Alban, and whenever they would praise Finn in their +poems, they would praise him as well.</p> + +<p>And Aoife, daughter of the King of Lochlann, that was married to Mal, +son of Aiel, King of Alban, heard the great praise the poets were giving +to Lugaidh's Son, and she set her love on him for the sake of those +stories.</p> + +<p>And one time Mal her husband and his young men went hunting to +Slieve-mor-Monaidh in the north of Alban. And when he was gone Aoife +made a plan in her sunny house where she was, to go over to Ireland, +herself and her nine foster-sisters. And they set out and went over the +manes of the sea till they came to Beinn Edair, and there they landed.</p> + +<p>And it chanced on that day there was a hunting going on, from Slieve +Bladhma to Beinn Edair. And Finn was in his hunting seat, and his +fosterling, brown-haired Duibhruinn, beside him. And the little lad was +looking about him on every side, and he saw a ship coming to the +strand, and a queen with modest looks in the ship, and nine women along +with her. They landed then, and they came up to where Finn was, bringing +every sort of present with them, and Aoife sat down beside him. And Finn +asked news of her, and she told him the whole story, and how she had +given her love to Lugaidh's Son, and was come over the sea looking for +him; and Finn made her welcome.</p> + +<p>And when the hunting was over, the chief men of the Fianna came back to +where Finn was, and every one asked who was the queen that was with him. +And Finn told them her name, and what it was brought her to Ireland. "We +welcome her that made that journey," said they all; "for there is not in +Ireland or in Alban a better man than the man she is come looking for, +unless Finn himself."</p> + +<p>And as to Lugaidh's Son, it was on the far side of Slieve Bladhma he was +hunting that day, and he was the last to come in. And he went into +Finn's tent, and when he saw the woman beside him he questioned Finn the +same as the others had done, and Finn told him the whole story. "And it +is to you she is come," he said; "and here she is to you out of my hand, +and all the war and the battles she brings with her; but it will not +fall heavier on you," he said, "than on the rest of the Fianna."</p> + +<p>And she was with Lugaidh's Son a month and a year without being asked +for. But one day the three battalions of the Fianna were on the Hill of +the Poet in Leinster, and they saw three armed battalions equal to +themselves coming, against them, and they asked who was bringing them. +"It is Mal, son of Aiel, is bringing them," said Finn, "to avenge his +wife on the Fianna. And it is a good time they are come," he said, "when +we are gathered together at the one spot."</p> + +<p>Then the two armies went towards one another, and Mal, son of Aiel, +took hold of his arms, and three times he broke through the Fianna, and +every time a hundred fell by him. And in the middle of the battle he and +Lugaidh's Son met, and they fought against one another with spear and +sword. And whether the fight was short or long, it was Mal fell by +Lugaidh's Son at the last.</p> + +<p>And Aoife stood on a hill near by, as long as the battle lasted. And +from that out she belonged to Lugaidh's Son, and was a mother of +children to him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L33" id="L33" />BOOK TWO: FINN'S HELPERS</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE LAD OF THE SKINS</h2> + + +<p>Besides all the men Finn had in his household, there were some that +would come and join him from one place or another. One time a young man +wearing a dress of skins came to Finn's house at Almhuin, and his wife +along with him, and he asked to take service with Finn.</p> + +<p>And in the morning, as they were going to their hunting, the Lad of the +Skins said to Finn: "Let me have no one with me but myself, and let me +go into one part of the country by myself, and you yourself with all +your men go to another part." "Is it on the dry ridges you will go," +said Finn, "or is it in the deep bogs and marshes, where there is danger +of drowning?" "I will go in the deep boggy places," said he.</p> + +<p>So they all went out from Almhuin, Finn and the Fianna to one part, and +the Lad of the Skins to another part, and they hunted through the day. +And when they came back at evening, the Lad of the Skins had killed more +than Finn and all his men together.</p> + +<p>When Finn saw that, he was glad to have so good a servant. But Conan +said to him: "The Lad of the Skins will destroy ourselves and the whole +of the Fianna of Ireland unless you will find some way to rid yourself +of him." "I never had a good man with me yet, Conan," said Finn, "but +you wanted me to put him away; and how could I put away a man like +that?" he said. "The way to put him away," said Conan, "is to send him +to the King of the Floods to take from him the great cauldron that is +never without meat, but that has always enough in it to feed the whole +world. And let him bring that cauldron back here with him to Almhuin," +he said.</p> + +<p>So Finn called to the Lad of the Skins, and he said: "Go from me now to +the King of the Floods and get the great cauldron that is never empty +from him, and bring it here to me." "So long as I am in your service I +must do your work," said the Lad of the Skins. With that he set out, +leaping over the hills and valleys till he came to the shore of the sea. +And then he took up two sticks and put one of them across the other, and +a great ship rose out of the two sticks. The Lad of the Skins went into +the ship then, and put up the sails and set out over the sea, and he +heard nothing but the whistling of eels in the sea and the calling of +gulls in the air till he came to the house of the King of the Floods. +And at that time there were hundreds of ships waiting near the shore; +and he left his ship outside them all, and then he stepped from ship to +ship till he stood on land.</p> + +<p>There was a great feast going on at that time in the king's house, and +the Lad of the Skins went up to the door, but he could get no farther +because of the crowd. So he stood outside the door for a while, and no +one looked at him, and he called out at last: "This is a hospitable +house indeed, and these are mannerly ways, not to ask a stranger if +there is hunger on him or thirst." "That is true," said the king; "and +give the cauldron of plenty now to this stranger," he said, "till he +eats his fill."</p> + +<p>So his people did that, and no sooner did the Lad of the Skins get a +hold of the cauldron than he made away to the ship and put it safe into +it. But when he had done that he said: "There is no use in taking the +pot by my swiftness, if I do not take it by my strength." And with that +he turned and went to land again. And the whole of the men of the army +of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was +the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till +the whole place was quiet.</p> + +<p>He went back to his ship then and raised the sails and set out again +for Ireland, and the ship went rushing back to the place where he made +it. And when he came there, he gave a touch of his hand to the ship, and +there was nothing left of it but the two sticks he made it from, and +they lying on the strand before him, and the cauldron of plenty with +them. And he took up the cauldron on his back, and brought it to Finn, +son of Cumhal, at Almhuin. And Finn gave him his thanks for the work he +had done.</p> + +<p>One day, now, Finn was washing himself at the well, and a voice spoke +out of the water, and it said: "You must give back the cauldron, Finn, +to the King of the Floods, or you must give him battle in place of it."</p> + +<p>Finn told that to the Lad of the Skins, but the answer he got from him +was that his time was up, and that he could not serve on time that was +past. "But if you want me to go with you," he said, "let you watch my +wife, that is Manannan's daughter, through the night; and in the middle +of the night, when she will be combing her hair, any request you make of +her, she cannot refuse it. And the request you will make is that she +will let me go with you to the King of the Floods, to bring the cauldron +to his house and to bring it back again."</p> + +<p>So Finn watched Manannan's daughter through the night, and when he saw +her combing her hair, he made his request of her. "I have no power to +refuse you," she said; "but you must promise me one thing, to bring my +husband back to me, alive or dead. And if he is alive," she said, "put +up a grey-green flag on the ship coming back; but if he is dead, put up +a red flag."</p> + +<p>So Finn promised to do that, and he himself and the Lad of the Skins set +out together for the dun of the King of the Floods, bringing the +cauldron with them.</p> + +<p>No sooner did the king see them than he gave word to all his armies to +make ready. But the Lad of the Skins made for them and overthrew them, +and he went into the king's dun, and Finn with him, and they overcame +him and brought away again the cauldron that was never empty.</p> + +<p>But as they were going back to Ireland, they saw a great ship coming +towards them. And when the Lad of the Skins looked at the ship, he said: +"I think it is an old enemy of my own is in that ship, that is trying to +bring me to my death, because of my wife that refused him her love." And +when the ship came alongside, the man that was in it called out: "I know +you well, and it is not by your dress I know you, son of the King of the +Hills." And with that he made a leap on to the ship, and the two fought +a great battle together, and they took every shape; they began young +like two little boys, and fought till they were two old men; they fought +from being two young pups until they were two old dogs; from being two +young horses till they were two old horses. And then they began to fight +in the shape of birds, and it is in that shape they killed one another +at the last. And Finn threw the one bird into the water, but the other, +that was the Lad of the Skins, he brought with him in the ship. And when +he came in sight of Ireland, he raised a red flag as he had promised the +woman.</p> + +<p>And when he came to the strand, she was there before him, and when she +saw Finn, she said: "It is dead you have brought him back to me." And +Finn gave her the bird, and she asked was that what she was to get in +the place of her husband. And she was crying over the bird, and she +brought it into a little boat with her, and she bade Finn to push out +the boat to sea.</p> + +<p>And he pushed it out, and it was driven by wind and waves till at last +she saw two birds flying, having a dead one between them. And the two +living birds let down the dead one on an island; and it was not long +till it rose up living, and the three went away together.</p> + +<p>And when Manannan's daughter saw that, she said: "There might be some +cure for my man on the island, the way there was for that dead bird."</p> + +<p>And the sea brought the boat to the island, and she went searching +around, but all she could find was a tree having green leaves. "It might +be in these leaves the cure is," she said; and she took some of the +leaves and brought them to where the Lad of the Skins was, and put them +about him. And on that moment he stood up as well and as sound as ever +he was.</p> + +<p>They went back then to Ireland, and they came to Almhuin at midnight, +and the Lad of the Skins knocked at the door, and he said: "Put me out +my wages." "There is no man, living or dead, has wages on me but the Lad +of the Skins," said Finn; "and I would sooner see him here to-night," he +said, "than the wages of three men." "If that is so, rise up and you +will see him," said he.</p> + +<p>So Finn rose up and saw him, and gave him a great welcome, and paid him +his wages.</p> + +<p>And after that he went away and his wife with him to wherever his own +country was; but there were some said he was gone to the country of his +wife's father, Manannan, Son of the Sea.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L34" id="L34" />CHAPTER II. BLACK, BROWN, AND GREY</h2> + + +<p>Finn was hunting one time near Teamhair of the Kings, and he saw three +strange men coming towards him, and he asked what were their names. +"Dubh and Dun and Glasan, Black, Brown, and Grey, are our names," they +said, "and we are come to find Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the Fianna, +and to take service with him."</p> + +<p>So Finn took them into his service, and when evening came he said: "Let +each one of you watch through a third part of the night." And there was +a trunk of a tree there, and he bade them make three equal parts of it, +and he gave a part to each of the three men, and he said: "When each one +of you begins his watch, let him set fire to his own log, and as long as +the wood burns let him watch."</p> + +<p>Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Dubh to go on the first watch. +So he set fire to his log, and he went out around the place, and Bran +with him. He went farther and farther till at last he saw a bright +light, and when he came to the place where it was, he saw a large house. +He went inside, and there was a great company of very strange-looking +men in it, and they drinking out of a single cup. One of the men, that +seemed to be the highest, gave the cup to the man nearest him; and after +he had drunk his fill he passed it on to the next, and so on to the +last. And while it was going round, he said: "This is the great cup that +was taken from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred years ago, and however +many men may be together, every man of them can drink his fill from it, +of whatever sort of drink he has a mind for."</p> + +<p>Dubh was sitting near the door, on the edge of the crowd, and when the +cup came to him he took a drink from it, and then he slipped away in the +dark, bringing it with him. And when he came to the place where Finn +was, his log was burned out.</p> + +<p>Then it was the turn of Dun to go out, for the second lot had fallen on +him, and he put a light to his log, and went out, and Bran with him.</p> + +<p>He walked on through the night till he saw a fire that was shining from +a large house, and when he went in he saw a crowd of men, and they +fighting. And a very old man that was in a high place above the rest +called out: "Stop fighting now, for I have a better gift for you than +the one you lost to-night." And with that he drew a knife out of his +belt and held it up, and said: "This is the wonderful knife, the small +knife of division, that was stolen from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred +years ago; and you have but to cut on a bone with that knife and you +will get your fill of the best meat in the world." Then he gave the +knife to the man nearest him, and a bare bone with it, and the man began +to cut, and there came off the bone slices of the best meat in the +world.</p> + +<p>The knife and the bone were sent round then from man to man till they +came to Dun, and as soon as he had the knife in his hand he slipped out +unknown and hurried back, and he had just got to the well where Finn +was, when his part of the log burned out.</p> + +<p>Then Glasan lighted his log and went out on his watch till he came to +the house, the same way the others did. And he looked in and he saw the +floor full of dead bodies, and he thought to himself: "There must be +some great wonder here. And if I lie down on the floor and put some of +the bodies over me," he said, "I will be able to see all that happens."</p> + +<p>So he lay down and pulled some of the bodies over him, and he was not +long there till he saw an old hag coming into the house, having one leg +and one arm and one upper tooth, that was long enough to serve her in +place of a crutch. And when she came inside the door she took up the +first dead body she met with, and threw it aside, for it was lean. And +as she went on, she took two bites out of every fat body she met with, +and threw away every lean one.</p> + +<p>She had her fill of flesh and blood before she came to Glasan, and she +dropped down on the floor and fell asleep, and Glasan thought that every +breath she drew would bring down the roof on his head. He rose up then +and looked at her, and wondered at the bulk of her body. And at last he +drew his sword and hit her a slash that killed her; but if he did, three +young men leaped out of her body. And Glasan made a stroke that killed +the first of them, and Bran killed the second, but the third made his +escape.</p> + +<p>Glasan made his way back then, and just when he got to where Finn was, +his log of wood was burned out, and the day was beginning to break.</p> + +<p>And when Finn rose up in the morning he asked news of the three +watchers, and they gave him the cup and the knife and told him all they +had seen, and he gave great praise to Dubh and to Dun; but to Glasan he +said: "It might have been as well for you to have left that old hag +alone, for I am in dread the third young man may bring trouble on us +all."</p> + +<p>It happened at the end of twenty-one years, Finn and the Fianna were at +their hunting in the hills, and they saw a Red-Haired Man coming +towards them, and he spoke to no one, but came and stood before Finn. +"What is it you are looking for?" said Finn. "I am looking for a master +for the next twenty-one years," he said. "What wages are you asking?" +said Finn. "No wages at all, but only if I die before the twenty-one +years are up, to bury me on Inis Caol, the Narrow Island." "I will do +that for you," said Finn.</p> + +<p>So the Red-Haired Man served Finn well through the length of twenty +years. But in the twenty-first year he began to waste and to wither +away, and he died.</p> + +<p>And when he was dead, the Fianna were no way inclined to go to Inis Caol +to bury him. But Finn said he would break his word for no man, and that +he himself would bring his body there. And he took an old white horse +that had been turned loose on the hills, and that had got younger and +not older since it was put out, and he put the body of the Red-Haired +Man on its back, and let it take its own way, and he himself followed +it, and twelve men of the Fianna.</p> + +<p>And when they came to Inis Caol they saw no trace of the horse or of the +body. And there was an open house on the island, and they went in. And +there were seats for every man of them inside, and they sat down to rest +for a while.</p> + +<p>But when they tried to rise up it failed them to do it, for there was +enchantment on them. And they saw the Red-Haired Man standing before +them in that moment.</p> + +<p>"The time is come now," he said, "for me to get satisfaction from you +for the death of my mother and my two brothers that were killed by +Glasan in the house of the dead bodies." He began to make an attack on +them then, and he would have made an end of them all, but Finn took +hold of the Dord Fiann, and blew a great blast on it.</p> + +<p>And before the Red-Haired Man was able to kill more than three of them, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that had heard the sound of the Dord +Fiann, came into the house and made an end of him, and put an end to the +enchantment. And Finn, with the nine that were left of the Fianna, came +back again to Almhuin.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L35" id="L35" />CHAPTER III. THE HOUND</h2> + + +<p>One day the three battalions of the Fianna came to Magh Femen, and there +they saw three young men waiting for them, having a hound with them; and +there was not a colour in the world but was on that hound, and it was +bigger than any other hound.</p> + +<p>"Where do you come from, young men?" said Finn. "Out of the greater +Iruath in the east," said they; "and our names are Dubh, the Dark, and +Agh, the Battle, and Ilar, the Eagle." "What is it you came for?" "To +enter into service, and your friendship," said they. "What good will it +do us, you to be with us?" said Finn. "We are three," said they, "and +you can make a different use of each one of us." "What uses are those?" +said Finn. "I will do the watching for all the Fianna of Ireland and of +Alban," said one of them. "I will take the weight of every fight and +every battle that will come to them, the way they can keep themselves in +quiet," said the second. "I will meet every troublesome thing that might +come to my master," said the third; "and let all the wants of the world +be told to me and I will satisfy them. And I have a pipe with me," he +said; "and all the men of the world would sleep at the sound of it, and +they in their sickness. And as to the hound," he said, "as long as there +are deer in Ireland he will get provision for the Fianna every second +night. And I myself," he said, "will get it on the other nights." "What +will you ask of us to be with us like that?" said Finn. "We will ask +three things," they said: "no one to come near to the place where we +have our lodging after the fall of night; nothing to be given out to us, +but we to provide for ourselves; and the worst places to be given to us +in the hunting." "Tell me by your oath now," said Finn, "why is it you +will let no one see you after nightfall?" "We have a reason," said they; +"but do not ask it of us, whether we are short or long on the one path +with you. But we will tell you this much," they said, "every third +night, one of us three is dead and the other two are watching him, and +we have no mind for any one to be looking at us."</p> + +<p>So Finn promised that; but if he did there were some of the Fianna were +not well pleased because of the ways of those three men, living as they +did by themselves, and having a wall of fire about them, and they would +have made an end of them but for Finn protecting them.</p> + +<p>About that time there came seven men of poetry belonging to the people +of Cithruadh, asking the fee for a poem, three times fifty ounces of +gold and the same of silver to bring back to Cithruadh at Teamhair. +"Whatever way we get it, we must find some way to get that," said a man +of the Fianna. Then the three young men from Iruath said: "Well, men of +learning," they said, "would you sooner get the fee for your poem +to-night or to-morrow?" "To-morrow will be time enough," said they.</p> + +<p>And the three young men went to the place where the hound had his bed a +little way off from the rath, and the hound threw out of his mouth +before them the three times fifty ounces of gold and three times fifty +of silver, and they gave them to the men of poetry, and they went away.</p> + +<p>Another time Finn said: "What can the three battalions of the Fianna do +to-night, having no water?" And one of the men of Iruath said: "How many +drinking-horns are with you?" "Three hundred and twelve," said Caoilte. +"Give me the horns into my hand," said the young man, "and whatever you +will find in them after that, you may drink it." He filled the horns +then with beer and they drank it, and he did that a second and a third +time; and with the third time of filling they were talkative and their +wits confused. "This is a wonderful mending of the feast," said Finn. +And they gave the place where all that happened the name of the Little +Rath of Wonders.</p> + +<p>And one time after that again there came to Finn three bald red clowns, +holding three red hounds in their hands, and three deadly spears. And +there was poison on their clothes and on their hands and their feet, and +on everything they touched. And Finn asked them who were they. And they +said they were three sons of Uar, son of Indast of the Tuatha de Danaan; +and it was by a man of the Fianna, Caoilte son of Ronan, their father +was killed in the battle of the Tuatha de Danaan on Slieve nan Ean, the +Mountain of Birds, in the east. "And let Caoilte son of Ronan give us +the blood-fine for him now," they said. "What are your names?" said +Finn. "Aincel and Digbail and Espaid; Ill-wishing and Harm and Want are +our names. And what answer do you give us now, Finn?" they said. "No one +before me ever gave a blood-fine for a man killed in battle, and I will +not give it," said Finn. "We will do revenge and robbery on you so," +said they. "What revenge is that?" said Finn. "It is what I will do," +said Aincel, "if I meet with two or three or four of the Fianna, I will +take their feet and their hands from them." "It is what I will do," +said Digbail, "I will not leave a day without loss of a hound or a +serving-boy or a fighting man to the Fianna of Ireland." "And I myself +will be always leaving them in want of people, or of a hand, or of an +eye," said Espaid. "Without we get some help against them," said +Caoilte, "there will not be one of us living at the end of a year." +"Well," said Finn, "we will make a dun and stop here for a while, for I +will not be going through Ireland and these men following after me, till +I find who are the strongest, themselves or ourselves."</p> + +<p>So the Fianna made little raths for themselves all about Slieve Mis, and +they stopped there through a month and a quarter and a year. And through +all that time the three red bald-headed men were doing every sort of +hurt and harm upon them.</p> + +<p>But the three sons of the King of Iruath came to speak with Finn, and it +is what they said: "It is our wish, Finn, to send the hound that is with +us to go around you three times in every day, and however many may be +trying to hurt or to rob you, they will not have power to do it after +that. But let there be neither fire nor arms nor any other dog in the +house he goes into," they said. "I will let none of these things go into +the one house with him," said Finn, "and he will go safe back to you." +So every day the hound would be sent to Finn, having his chain of ridges +of red gold around his neck, and he would go three times around Finn, +and three times he would put his tongue upon him. And to the people that +were nearest to the hound when he came into the house it would seem like +as if a vat of mead was being strained, and to others there would come +the sweet smell of an apple garden.</p> + +<p>And every harm and sickness the three sons of Uar would bring on the +Fianna, the three sons of the King of Iruath would take it off them +with their herbs and their help and their healing.</p> + +<p>And after a while the High King of Ireland came to Slieve Mis with a +great, troop of his men, to join with Finn and the Fianna. And they told +the High King the whole story, and how the sons of Uar were destroying +them, and the three sons of the King of Iruath were helping them against +them. "Why would not the men that can do all that find some good spell +that would drive the sons of Uar out of Ireland?" said the High King.</p> + +<p>With that Caoilte went looking for the three young men from Iruath and +brought them to the High King. "These are comely men," said the High +King, "good in their shape and having a good name. And could you find +any charm, my sons," he said, "that will drive out these three enemies +that are destroying the Fianna of Ireland?" "We would do that if we +could find those men near us," said they; "and it is where they are +now," they said, "at Daire's Cairn at the end of the raths." "Where are +Garb-Cronan, the Rough Buzzing One, and Saltran of the Long Heel?" said +Finn. "Here we are, King of the Fianna," said they. "Go out to those men +beyond, and tell them I will give according to the judgment of the King +of Ireland in satisfaction for their father." The messengers went out +then and brought them in, and they sat down on the bank of the rath.</p> + +<p>Then the High King said: "Rise up, Dubh, son of the King of Iruath, and +command these sons of Uar with a spell to quit Ireland." And Dubh rose +up, and he said: "Go out through the strength of this spell and this +charm, you three enemies of the Fianna, one-eyed, lame-thighed, +left-handed, of the bad race. And go out on the deep bitter sea," he +said, "and let each one of you strike a blow of his sword on the head +of his brothers. For it is long enough you are doing harm and +destruction on the King of the Fianna, Finn, son of Cumhal."</p> + +<p>With that the hound sent a blast of wind under them that brought them +out into the fierce green sea, and each of them struck a blow on the +head of the others. And that was the last that was seen of the three +destroying sons of Uar, Aincel and Digbail and Espaid.</p> + +<p>But after the time of the Fianna, there came three times in the one +year, into West Munster, three flocks of birds from the western sea +having beaks of bone and fiery breath, and the wind from their wings was +as cold as a wind of spring. And the first time they came was at reaping +time, and every one of them brought away an ear of corn from the field. +And the next time they came they did not leave apple on tree, or nut on +bush, or berry on the rowan; and the third time they spared no live +thing they could lift from the ground, young bird or fawn or silly +little child. And the first day they came was the same day of the year +the three sons of Uar were put out in the sea.</p> + +<p>And when Caoilte, that was one of the last of the Fianna, and that was +living yet, heard of them, he remembered the sons of Uar, and he made a +spell that drove them out into the sea again, and they perished there by +one another.</p> + +<p>It was about the length of a year the three sons of the King of Iruath +stopped with Finn. And at the end of that time Donn and Dubhan, two sons +of the King of Ulster, came out of the north to Munster. And one night +they kept watch for the Fianna, and three times they made a round of the +camp. And it is the way the young men from Iruath used to be, in a place +by themselves apart from the Fianna, and their hound in the middle +between them; and at the fall of night there used a wall of fire to be +around them, the way no one could look at them.</p> + +<p>And the third time the sons of the King of Ulster made the round of the +camp, they saw the fiery wall, and Donn said: "It is a wonder the way +those three young men are through the length of a year now, and their +hound along with them, and no one getting leave to look at them."</p> + +<p>With that he himself and his brother took their arms in their hands, and +went inside the wall of fire, and they began looking at the three men +and at the hound. And the great hound they used to see every day at the +hunting was at this time no bigger than a lap-dog that would be with a +queen or a high person. And one of the young men was watching over the +dog, and his sword in his hand, and another of them was holding a vessel +of white silver to the mouth of the dog; and any drink any one of the +three would ask for, the dog would put it out of his mouth into the +vessel.</p> + +<p>Then one of the young men said to the hound: "Well, noble one and brave +one and just one, take notice of the treachery that is done to you by +Finn." When the dog heard that he turned to the King of Ulster's sons, +and there rose a dark Druid wind that blew away the shields from their +shoulders and the swords from their sides into the wall of fire. And +then the three men came out and made an end of them; and when that was +done the dog came and breathed on them, and they turned to ashes on the +moment, and there was never blood or flesh or bone of them found after.</p> + +<p>And the three battalions of the Fianna divided themselves into companies +of nine, and went searching through every part of Ireland for the King +of Ulster's two sons.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn, he went to Teamhair Luachra, and no one with him but the +serving-lads and the followers of the army. And the companies of nine +that were looking for the King of Ulster's sons came back to him there +in the one night; but they brought no word of them, if they were dead or +living.</p> + +<p>But as to the three sons of the King of Iruath and the hound that was +with them, they were seen no more by Finn and the Fianna.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L36" id="L36" />CHAPTER IV. RED RIDGE</h2> + + +<p>There was another young man came and served Finn for a while; out of +Connacht he came, and he was very daring, and the Red Ridge was the name +they gave him. And he all but went from Finn one time, because of his +wages that were too long in coming to him. And the three battalions of +the Fianna came trying to quiet him, but he would not stay for them. And +at the last Finn himself came, for it is a power he had, if he would +make but three verses he would quiet any one. And it is what he said: +"Daring Red Ridge," he said, "good in battle, if you go from me to-day +with your great name it is a good parting for us. But once at Rath Cro," +he said, "I gave you three times fifty ounces in the one day; and at Cam +Ruidhe I gave you the full of my cup of silver and of yellow gold. And +do you remember," he said, "the time we were at Rath Ai, when we found +the two women, and when we ate the nuts, myself and yourself were there +together."</p> + +<p>And after that the young man said no more about going from him.</p> + +<p>And another helper came to Finn one time he was fighting at a ford, and +all his weapons were used or worn with the dint of the fight. And there +came to him a daughter of Mongan of the Sidhe, bringing him a flat stone +having a chain of gold to it. And he took the stone and did great deeds +with it. And after the fight the stone fell into the ford, that got the +name of Ath Liag Finn.</p> + +<p>And that stone will never be found till the Woman of the Waves will find +it, and will bring it to land on a Sunday morning; and on that day seven +years the world will come to an end.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L37" id="L37" />BOOK THREE: THE BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE ENEMIES OF IRELAND</h2> + + +<p>Of all the great battles the Fianna fought to keep the foreigners out of +Ireland, the greatest was the one that was fought at Finntraigh the +White Strand, in Munster; and this is the whole story of it, and of the +way the Fianna came to have so great a name.</p> + +<p>One time the enemies of Ireland gathered together under Daire Donn, High +King of the Great World, thinking to take Ireland and to put it under +tribute.</p> + +<p>The King of Greece was of them, and the King of France, and the King of +the Eastern World, and Lughman of the Broad Arms, King of the Saxons, +and Fiacha of the Long Hair, King of the Gairean, and Tor the son of +Breogan, King of the Great Plain, and Sligech, son of the King of the +Men of Cepda, and Comur of the Crooked Sword, King of the Men of the +Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads, and Caisel +of the Feathers, King of Lochlann, and Madan of the Bent Neck, son of +the King of the Marshes, and three kings from the rising of the sun in +the east, and Ogarmach, daughter of the King of Greece, the best +woman-warrior that ever came into the world, and a great many other +kings and great lords.</p> + +<p>The King of the World asked then: "Who is there can give me knowledge of +the harbours of Ireland?" "I will do that for you, and I will bring you +to a good harbour," said Glas, son of Bremen, that had been put out of +Ireland by Finn for doing some treachery.</p> + +<p>Then the armies set out in their ships, and they were not gone far when +the wind rose and the waves, and they could hear nothing but the wild +playing of the sea-women, and the screams of frightened birds, and the +breaking of ropes and of sails. But after a while, when the wind found +no weakness in the heroes, it rose from them and went up into its own +high place. And then the sea grew quiet and the waves grew tame and the +harbours friendly, and they stopped for a while at an island that was +called the Green Rock. But the King of the World said then: "It is not a +harbour like this you promised me, Glas, son of Dremen, but a shore of +white sand where my armies could have their fairs and their gatherings +the time they would not be fighting." "I know a harbour of that sort in +the west of Ireland," said Glas, "the Harbour of the White Strand in +Corca Duibhne." So they went into their ships again, and went on over +the sea towards Ireland.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L38" id="L38" />CHAPTER II. CAEL AND CREDHE</h2> + + +<p>Now as to Finn, when it was shown to him that the enemies of Ireland +were coming, he called together the seven battalions of the Fianna. And +the place where they gathered was on the hill that was called +Fionntulach, the White Hill, in Munster. They often stopped on that hill +for a while, and spear-shafts with spells on them were brought to them +there, and they had every sort of thing for food, beautiful +blackberries, haws of the hawthorn, nuts of the hazels of Cenntire, +tender twigs of the bramble bush, sprigs of wholesome gentian, +watercress at the beginning of summer. And there would be brought to +their cooking-pots birds out of the oak-woods, and squirrels from +Berramain, and speckled eggs from the cliffs, and salmon out of +Luimnech, and eels of the Sionnan, and woodcocks of Fidhrinne, and +otters from the hidden places of the Doile, and fish from the coasts of +Buie and Beare, and dulse from the bays of Cleire.</p> + +<p>And as they were going to set out southwards, they saw one of their +young men, Gael, grandson of Nemhnain, coming towards them. "Where are +you come from, Cael?" Finn asked him. "From Brugh na Boinne," said he. +"What were you asking there?" said Finn. "I was asking to speak with +Muirenn, daughter of Derg, that was my own nurse," said he. "For what +cause?" said Finn. "It was about a high marriage and a woman of the +Sidhe that was showed to me in a dream; Credhe it was I saw, daughter of +the King of Ciarraighe Luachra." "Do you know this, Cael," said Finn, +"that she is the greatest deceiver of all the women of Ireland; and +there is hardly a precious thing in Ireland but she has coaxed it away +to her own great dun." "Do you know what she asks of every man that +comes asking for her?" said Cael. "I know it," said Finn; "she will let +no one come unless he is able to make a poem setting out the report of +her bowls and her horns and her cups, her grand vessels and all her +palaces." "I have all that ready," said Cael; "it was given to me by my +nurse, Muirenn, daughter of Derg."</p> + +<p>They gave up the battle then for that time, and they went on over every +hilly place and every stony place till they came to Loch Cuire in the +west; and they came to the door of the hill of the Sidhe and knocked at +it with the shafts of their long gold-socketted spears. And there came +young girls having yellow hair to the windows of the sunny houses; and +Credhe herself, having three times fifty women with her, came out to +speak with them. "It is to ask you in marriage we are come," said Finn. +"Who is it is asking for me?" said she. "It is Cael, the hundred-killer, +grandson of Nemhnain, son of the King of Leinster in the east." "I have +heard talk of him, but I have never seen him," said Credhe. "And has he +any poem for me?" she said. "I have that," said Cael, and he rose up +then and sang his poem:</p> + +<p>"A journey I have to make, and it is no easy journey, to the house of +Credhe against the breast of the mountain, at the Paps of Dana; it is +there I must be going through hardships for the length of seven days. It +is pleasant her house is, with men and boys and women, with Druids and +musicians, with cup-bearer and door-keeper, with horse-boy that does not +leave his work, with distributer to share food; and Credhe of the Fair +Hair having command over them all.</p> + +<p>"It would be delightful to me in her dun, with coverings and with down, +if she has but a mind to listen to me.</p> + +<p>"A bowl she has with juice of berries in it to make her eyebrows black; +crystal vats of fermenting grain; beautiful cups and vessels. Her house +is of the colour of lime; there are rushes for beds, and many silken +coverings and blue cloaks; red gold is there, and bright drinking-horns. +Her sunny house is beside Loch Cuire, made of silver and yellow gold; +its ridge is thatched without any fault, with the crimson wings of +birds. The doorposts are green, the lintel is of silver taken in battle. +Credhe's chair on the left is the delight of delights, covered with gold +of Elga; at the foot of the pleasant bed it is, the bed that was made of +precious stones by Tuile in the east. Another bed there is on the right, +of gold and silver, it is made without any fault, curtains it has of the +colour of the foxglove, hanging on rods of copper.</p> + +<p>"The people of her house, it is they have delight, their cloaks are not +faded white, they are not worn smooth; their hair is fair and curling. +Wounded men in their blood would sleep hearing the birds of the Sidhe +singing in the eaves of the sunny house.</p> + +<p>"If I have any thanks to give to Credhe, for whom the cuckoo calls, she +will get better praise than this; if this love-service I have done is +pleasing to her, let her not delay, let her say, 'Your coming is +welcome to me.'</p> + +<p>"A hundred feet there are in her house, from one corner to another; +twenty feet fully measured is the width of her great door; her roof has +its thatch of the wings of blue and yellow birds, the border of her well +is of crystals and carbuncles.</p> + +<p>"There is a vat there of royal bronze; the juice of pleasant malt is +running from it; over the vat is an apple-tree with its heavy fruit; +when Credhe's horn is filled from the vat, four apples fall into it +together.</p> + +<p>"She that owns all these things both at low water and at flood, Credhe +from the Hill of the Three Peaks, she is beyond all the women of Ireland +by the length of a spear-cast.</p> + +<p>"Here is this song for her, it is no sudden bride-gift it is, no hurried +asking; I bring it to Credhe of the beautiful shape, that my coming may +be very bright to her."</p> + +<p>Then Credhe took him for her husband, and the wedding-feast was made, +and the whole of the Fianna stopped there through seven days, at +drinking and pleasure, and having every good thing.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L39" id="L39" />CHAPTER III. CONN CRITHER</h2> + + +<p>Finn now, when he had turned from his road to go to Credhe's house, had +sent out watchmen to every landing-place to give warning when the ships +of the strangers would be in sight. And the man that was keeping watch +at the White Strand was Conn Crither, son of Bran, from Teamhair +Luachra.</p> + +<p>And after he had been a long time watching, he was one night west from +the Round Hill of the Fianna that is called Cruachan Adrann, and there +he fell asleep. And while he was in his sleep the ships came; and what +roused him was the noise of the breaking of shields and the clashing of +swords and of spears, and the cries of women and children and of dogs +and horses that were under flames, and that the strangers were making an +attack on.</p> + +<p>Conn Crither started up when he heard that, and he said: "It is great +trouble has come on the people through my sleep; and I will not stay +living after this," he said, "for Finn and the Fianna of Ireland to see +me, but I will rush into the middle of the strangers," he said, "and +they will fall by me till I fall by them."</p> + +<p>He put on his suit of battle then and ran down towards the strand. And +on the way he saw three women dressed in battle clothes before him, and +fast as he ran he could not overtake them. He took his spear then to +make a cast of it at the woman was nearest him, but she stopped on the +moment, and she said: "Hold your hand and do not harm us, for we are not +come to harm you but to help you." "Who are you yourselves?" said Conn +Crither. "We are three sisters," she said, "and we are come from Tir nan +Og, the Country of the Young, and we have all three given you our love, +and no one of us loves you less than the other, and it is to give you +our help we are come." "What way will you help me?" said Conn. "We will +give you good help," she said, "for we will make Druid armies about you +from stalks of grass and from the tops of the watercress, and they will +cry out to the strangers and will strike their arms from their hands, +and take from them their strength and their eyesight. And we will put a +Druid mist about you now," she said, "that will hide you from the armies +of the strangers, and they will not see you when you make an attack on +them. And we have a well of healing at the foot of Slieve Iolair, the +Eagle's Mountain," she said, "and its waters will cure every wound made +in battle. And after bathing in that well you will be as whole and as +sound as the day you were born. And bring whatever man you like best +with you," she said, "and we will heal him along with you."</p> + +<p>Conn Crither gave them his thanks for that, and he hurried on to the +strand. And it was at that time the armies of the King of the Great +Plain were taking spoils from Traigh Moduirn in the north to Finntraighe +in the south. And Conn Crither came on them, and the Druid army with +him, and he took their spoils from them, and the Druid army took their +sight and their strength from them, and they were routed, and they made +away to where the King of the Great Plain was, and Conn Crither +followed, killing and destroying. "Stop with me, king-hero," said the +King of the Great Plain, "that I may fight with you on account of my +people, since there is not one of them that turns to stand against you."</p> + +<p>So the two set their banners in the earth and attacked one another, and +fought a good part of the day until Conn Crither struck off the king's +head. And he lifted up the head, and he was boasting of what he had +done. "By my word," he said, "I will not let myself be parted from this +body till some of the Fianna, few or many, will come to me."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L40" id="L40" />CHAPTER IV. GLAS, SON OF BREMEN</h2> + + +<p>The King of the World heard that, and he said: "It is a big word that +man is saying," he said; "and rise up now, Glas, son of Dremen, and see +which of the Fianna of Ireland it is that is saying it."</p> + +<p>Glas left the ship then, and he went to where Conn</p> + +<p>Crither was, and he asked who was he. "I am Conn Crither, son of Bran, +from Teamhair Luachra," said he. "If that is so," said Glas, "you are of +the one blood with myself, for I am Glas, son of Bremen from Teamhair +Luachra." "It is not right for you to come fighting against me from +those foreigners, so," said Conn. "It is a pity indeed," said Glas; "and +but for Finn and the Fianna driving me from them, I would not fight +against you or against one of themselves for all the treasures of the +whole world." "Do not say that," said Conn, "for I swear by my hand of +valour," he said, "if you had killed Finn's own son and the sons of his +people along with him, you need not be in dread of him if only you came +under his word and his protection." "I think indeed the day is come for +me to fight beside you," said Glas, "and I will go back and tell that to +the King of the World."</p> + +<p>He went back then to where the king was, and the king asked him which of +the men of the Fianna was in it. "It is a kinsman of my own is in it, +High King," said Glas; "and it is weak my heart is, he to be alone, and +I have a great desire to go and help him." "If you go," said the King of +the World, "it is what I ask you, to come and to tell me every day how +many of the Fianna of Ireland have fallen by me; and if a few of my own +men should fall," he said, "come and tell me who it was they fell by." +"It is what I ask you," said Glas, "not to let your armies land till the +Fianna come to us, but to let one man only come to fight with each of us +until that time," he said.</p> + +<p>So two of the strangers were sent against them that day, and they got +their death by Glas and by Conn Crither. Then they asked to have two men +sent against each of them, and that was done; and three times nine fell +by them before night. And Conn Crither was covered with wounds after +the day, and he said to Glas: "Three women came to me from the Country +of the Young, and they promised to put me in a well of healing for my +wounds. And let you watch the harbour to-night," he said, "and I will go +look for them." So he went to them, and they bathed him in the well of +healing, and he was whole of his wounds.</p> + +<p>And as to Glas, son of Dremen, he went down to the harbour, and he said: +"O King of the World," he said, "there is a friend of mine in the ships, +Madan of the Bent Neck, son of the King of the Marshes; and it is what +he said in the great world in the east, that he himself would be enough +to take Ireland for you, and that he would bring it under tribute to you +by one way or another. And I ask you to let him come alone against me +to-night, till we see which of us will fight best for Ireland."</p> + +<p>So Madan came to the land, and the two attacked one another, and made a +very hard fight; but as it was not in the prophecy that Glas would find +his death there, it was the son of the King of the Marshes that got his +death by him.</p> + +<p>And not long after that Conn Crither came back to Glas, and he gave Glas +great praise for all he had done.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L41" id="L41" />CHAPTER V. THE HELP OF THE MEN OF DEA</h2> + + +<p>Then Taistellach that was one of Finn's messengers came to the White +Strand asking news; and Conn bade him go back to where Finn was and tell +him the way things were. But Taistellach would not go until he had +wetted his sword in the blood of one of the enemies of Ireland, the same +as the others had done. And he sent a challenge to the ships, and +Coimhleathan, a champion that was very big and tall, came and fought +with him on the strand, and took him in his arms to bring him back +living to the ship of the High King; but Taistellach struck his head off +in the sea and brought it back to land.</p> + +<p>"Victory and blessing be with you!" said Conn Crither. "And go now +to-night," he said, "to the house of Bran, son of Febal my father at +Teamhair Luachra, and bid him to gather all the Tuatha de Danaan to help +us; and go on to-morrow to the Fianna of Ireland." So Taistellach went +on to Bran's house, and he told him the whole story and gave him the +message.</p> + +<p>Then Bran, son of Febal, went out to gather the Tuatha de Danaan, and he +went to Dun Sesnain in Ui Conall Gabra, where they were holding a feast +at that time. And there he found three of the best young men of the +Tuatha de Danaan, Ilbrec the Many Coloured, son of Manannan, and +Nemanach the Pearly, son of Angus Og, and Sigmall, grandson of Midhir, +and they made him welcome and bade him to stop with them. "There is a +greater thing than this for you to do, Men of Dea," said Bran; and he +told them the whole story, and the way Conn Crither his son was. "Stop +with me to-night," said Sesnan, "and my son Dolb will go to Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, and gather in the Tuatha de Danaan to us."</p> + +<p>So he stopped there, and Dolb, son of Sesnan, went to Sidhe Bean Finn +above Magh Femen, and Bodb Dearg was there at that time, and Dolb gave +him his message. "Young man," said Bodb Dearg, "we are no way bound to +help the men of Ireland out of that strait." "Do not say that," said +Dolb, "for there is not a king's son or a prince or a leader of the +Fianna of Ireland without having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother +or a sweetheart of the Tuatha de Danaan; and it is good help they have +given you every time you were in want of it." "I give my word," said +Bodb Dearg, "it is right to give a good answer to so good a messenger." +With that he sent word to the Tuatha de Danaan in every place where they +were, and they gathered to him. And from that they went on to Dun +Sesnain, and they stopped there through the night And they rose up in +the morning and put on their shirts of the dearest silk and their +embroidered coats of rejoicing, and they took their green shields and +their swords and their spears. And their leaders at that time besides +Bodb Dearg were Midhir of Bri Leith, and Lir of Sidhe Finnachaidh, and +Abarthach, son of Ildathach, and Ilbrec, son of Manannan, and Fionnbhar +of Magh Suil, and Argat Lamh, the Silver Hand, from the Sionnan, and the +Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn.</p> + +<p>And the whole army of them came into Ciarraighe Luachra, and to +red-haired Slieve Mis, and from that to the harbour of the White Strand. +"O Men of Dea," said Abarthach then, "let a high mind and high courage +rise within you now in the face of the battle. For the doings of every +one among you," he said, "will be told till the end of the world; and +let you fulfil now the big words you have spoken in the +drinking-houses." "Rise up, Glas, son of Dremen," said Bodb Dearg then, +"and tell out to the King of the World that I am come to do battle." +Glas went then to the King of the World. "Are those the Fianna of +Ireland I see?" said the king. "They are not," said Glas, "but another +part of the men of Ireland that do not dare to be on the face of the +earth, but that live in hidden houses under the earth, and it is to give +warning of battle from them I am come." "Who will answer the Tuatha de +Danaan for me?" said the King of the World. "We will go against them," +said two of the kings that were with him, Comur Cromchenn, King of the +Men of the Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads. +And they had five red-armed battalions with them, and they went to the +shore like great red waves. "Who is there to match with the King of the +Dog-Heads for me?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will go against him," said Lir of +Sidhe Finnachaidh, "though I heard there is not in the world a man with +stronger hands than himself." "Who will be a match for the King of the +Cat-Heads?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will be a match for him," said +Abarthach, son of Ildathach.</p> + +<p>So Lir and the King of the Dog-Heads attacked one another, and they made +a hard fight; but after a while Lir was getting the worst of it. "It is +a pity the way Lir is," said Bodb Dearg; "and let some of you rise up +and help him," he said. Then Ilbrec, son of Manannan, went to his help; +but if he did, he got a wound himself and could do nothing. Then Sigmal, +grandson of Midhir, went to his help, and after him the five sons of +Finnaistucan, and others of the Men of Dea, but they were all driven off +by the King of the Dog-Heads. But at that time Abarthach had made an end +of the King of the Cat-Heads, and he rose on his spear, and made a leap, +and came down between Lir and his enemy. "Leave off now and look on at +the fight," he said to Lir, "and leave it to me and the foreigner." With +that he took his sword in his left hand and made a thrust with his spear +in through the king's armour. And as the king was raising up his shield, +he struck at him with the sword that was in his left hand, and cut off +both his legs at the knees, and the king let fall his shield then, and +Abarthach struck off his head. And the two kings being dead, their +people broke away and ran, but the Men of Dea followed them and made an +end of them all; but if they did, they lost a good many of their own +men.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L42" id="L42" />CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA</h2> + + +<p>Ana Finn and the Fianna were at the house of Credhe yet, and they saw +Taistellach coming towards them. It was the custom, now, with Finn when +he sent any one looking for news, that it was to himself it was to be +told first, the way that if he got bad news he would let on not to mind +it; and if it was good news he got, he would have the satisfaction of +telling it himself. So Taistellach told him how the foreigners were come +to the harbour of the White Strand.</p> + +<p>Then Finn turned to his chief men, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland, +there never came harm or danger to Ireland to be put aside this great +danger that is come against us now. And you get great tribute and great +service from the chief men of Ireland," he said, "and if you take that +from them it is right for you to defend them now."</p> + +<p>And the Fianna all said they would not go back one step from the defence +of Ireland. And as to Credhe, she gave every one of them a battle dress, +and they were taking leave of her, and Finn said: "Let the woman come +along with us till we know is it good or bad the end of this journey +will be." So she came with them, bringing a great herd of cattle; and +through the whole length of the battle, that lasted a year and a day, +she had new milk for them, and it was to her house the wounded were +brought for healing.</p> + +<p>Then the Fianna set out, and they went to the borders of Ciarraighe +Luachra and across by the shores of the Bannlid with their left hand to +Slieve Mis, and they made shelters for themselves that night, and +kindled fires.</p> + +<p>But Caoilte and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son said to one another they would +go on to the harbour, the way they would have time to redden their hands +in the blood of the foreigners before the rest of the Fianna would come.</p> + +<p>And at that time the King of the World bade some of his chief men to go +on shore and to bring him back some spoils. So they went to land and +they gave out a great shout, and the people of the ships gave out a +great shout at the same time. "I swear by the oath my people swear by," +said Caoilte, "I have gone round the whole world, but I never heard so +many voices together in the one place." And with that he himself and +Oisin and Lugaidh's Son made an attack on the strangers, and struck +great blows at them. And when Conn Crither and Glas, son of Bremen, +heard the noise of those blows, they knew they were struck by some of +the Fianna of Ireland, and they came and joined with them, and did great +destruction on the strangers, till there was not one left of all that +had come to land.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L43" id="L43" />CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS</h2> + + +<p>And in the morning they saw Finn and all his people coming to the rath +that is above the harbour. "My father Finn," said Oisin than, "let us +fight now with the whole of the foreigners altogether." "That is not my +advice," said Finn, "for the number of their armies is too great for us, +and we could not stand against them. But we will send out every day," +he said, "some son of a king or of a leader against some king of the +kings of the world that is equal in blood to ourselves. And let none of +you redden your arms," he said, "but against a king or a chief man at +first, for when a king is fallen, his people will be more inclined to +give way. And who will give out a challenge of battle from me now?" he +said. "I will do that," said the son of Cuban, leader of the Fianna of +Munster. "Do not go, my son," said Finn, "for it is not showed to me +that you will have good luck in the battle, and I never sent out any man +to fight without I knew he would come back safe to me." "Do not say +that," said Cuban's son, "for I would not for the treasure of the whole +world go back from a fight on account of a bad foretelling. And as it is +my own country they have done their robbery in first," he said, "I will +defend it for you." "It is sorrowful I am for that," said Finn, "for +whichever of the kings of the world will meet you to-day, yourself and +himself will fall together."</p> + +<p>Then Glas, son of Dremen, gave out a challenge of fight from Cuban's +son, and the King of Greece answered it. And the two fought hand to +hand, and the King of Greece made a great cast of his thick spear at +Cuban's son, that went through his body and broke his back in two. But +he did not take that blow as a gift, but he paid for it with a strong +cast of his own golden spear that went through the ringed armour of the +King of Greece. And those two fell together, sole to sole, and lip to +lip. "There is grief on me, Cuban's son to have fallen," said Finn, "for +no one ever went from his house unsatisfied; and a man that I would not +keep, or the High King of Ireland would not keep for a week, he would +keep him in his house through the length of a year. And let Follamain, +his son, be called to me now," he said, "and I will give him his +father's name and place."</p> + +<p>They stopped there then till the next morning. "Who will go and fight +to-day?" said Finn then. "I will do that," said Goll Garb, son of the +King of Alban and of the daughter of Goll, son of Morna.</p> + +<p>So he put on his battle dress, and there came against him the three +kings from the rising of the sun in the east, and their three battalions +with them. And Goll Garb rushed among their men, and wounded and maimed +and destroyed them, and blinded their eyes for ever, so that their wits +went from them, and they called to him to stop his deadly sword for a +while. So he did that; and it is what they agreed to take their three +kings and to give them over to Goll Garb that he might stop doing +destruction with his sword.</p> + +<p>"Who will go out and fight to-day?" said Finn, on the morning of the +morrow. "I will go," said Oisin, "and the chief men of the sons of +Baiscne with me; for we get the best share of all the pleasant things of +Ireland, and we should be first to defend her." "I will answer that +challenge," said the King of France, "for it is against Finn I am come +to Ireland, on account of my wife that he brought away from me; and +these men will fall by me now," he said, "and Finn himself at the last; +for when the branches of a tree are cut off, it is not hard to cut down +the tree itself."</p> + +<p>So the King of France and Oisin met one another at the eastern end of +the strand, and they struck their banners of soft silk into the green +hill, and bared their swords and made a quick attack on one another. And +at one time the king struck such a great blow that he knocked a groan +out of Oisin. But for all that he was worsted in the end, and great fear +came on him, like the fear of a hundred horses at the sound of thunder, +and he ran from Oisin, and he rose like a swallow, that his feet never +touched the earth at all; and he never stopped till he came to Gleann +na-n Gealt, the Valley of Wild Men. And ever since that time, people +that have lost their wits make for that valley; and every mad person in +Ireland, if he had his way, would go there within twenty-four hours.</p> + +<p>And there rose great cries of lamentation from the armies of the World +when they saw him going from them, and the Fianna of Ireland raised +great shouts of joy.</p> + +<p>And when the night was coming on, it is what Finn said: "It is sad and +gloomy the King of the World is to-night; and it is likely he will make +an attack on us. And which of you will keep watch over the harbour +through the night?" he said. "I will," said Oisin, "with the same number +that was fighting along with me to-day; for it is not too much for you +to fight for the Fianna of Ireland through a day and a night," he said.</p> + +<p>So they went down to the harbour, and it was just at that time the King +of the World was saying, "It seems to me, men of the World, that our +luck of battle was not good to-day. And let a share of you rise up now," +he said, "and make an attack on the Fianna of Ireland." Then there rose +up the nine sons of Garb, King of the Sea of Icht, that were smiths, and +sixteen hundred of their people along with them, and they all went on +shore but Dolar Durba that was the eldest of them. And the sons of +Baiscne were ready for them, and they fought a great battle till the +early light of the morrow. And not one of them was left alive on either +side that could hold a weapon but only Oisin and one of the sons of +Garb. And they made rushes at one another, and threw their swords out of +their hands, and closed their arms about one another, and wrestled +together, so that it was worth coming from the east to the west of the +world to see the fight of those two. Then the foreigner gave a sudden +great fall to Oisin, to bring him into the sea, for he was a great +swimmer, and he thought to get the better of him there. And Oisin +thought it would not be worthy of him to refuse any man his place of +fighting. So they went into the water together, and they were trying to +drown one another till they came to the sand and the gravel of the clear +sea. And it was a torment to the heart of the Fianna, Oisin to be in +that strait. "Rise up, Fergus of the Sweet Lips," said Finn then, "and +go praise my son and encourage him." So Fergus went down to the edge of +the sea, and he said: "It is a good fight you are making, Oisin, and +there are many to see it, for the armies of the whole world are looking +at you, and the Fianna of Ireland. And show now," he said, "your ways +and your greatness, for you never went into any place but some woman of +high beauty or some king's daughter set her love on you." Then Oisin's +courage increased, and anger came on him and he linked his hands behind +the back of the foreigner and put him down on the sand under the sea +with his face upwards, and did not let him rise till the life was gone +from him. And he brought the body to shore then, and struck off his head +and brought it to the Fianna.</p> + +<p>But there was great grief and anger on Dolar Durba, the eldest of the +sons of Garb, that had stopped in the ship, and he made a great oath +that he would have satisfaction for his brothers. And he went to the +High King, and he said: "I will go alone to the strand, and I will kill +a hundred men every day till I have made an end of the whole of the +armies of Ireland; and if any one of your own men comes to interfere +with me," he said, "I will kill him along with them."</p> + +<p>The next morning Finn asked who would lead the battle that day. "I +will," said Dubhan, son of Donn. "Do not," said Finn, "but let some +other one go."</p> + +<p>But Dubhan went to the strand, and a hundred men along with him; and +there was no one there before him but Dolar Durba, and he said he was +there to fight with the whole of them. And Dubhan's men gave a great +shout of laughter when they heard that; but Dolar Durba rushed on them, +and he made an end of the whole hundred, without a man of them being +able to put a scratch on him. And then he took a hurling stick and a +ball, and he threw up the ball and kept it in the air with the hurl from +the west to the east of the strand without letting it touch the ground +at all. And then he put the ball on his right foot and kicked it high +into the air, and when it was coming down he gave it a kick of his left +foot and kept it in the air like that, and he rushing like a blast of +March wind from one end of the strand to the other. And when he had done +that he walked up and down on the strand making great boasts, and +challenging the men of Ireland to do the like of those feats. And every +day he killed a hundred of the men that were sent against him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L44" id="L44" />CHAPTER VIII. THE KING OF ULSTER'S SON</h2> + + +<p>Now it chanced at that time that news of the great battle that was going +on reached to the court of the King of Ulster. And the king's son, that +was only twelve years of age, and that was the comeliest of all the +young men of Ireland, said to his father: "Let me go to help Finn, son +of Cumhal, and his men." "You are not old enough, or strong enough, boy; +your bones are too soft," said the king. And when the boy went on +asking, his father shut him up in some close place, and put twelve +young men, his foster-brothers, in charge of him.</p> + +<p>There was great anger on the young lad then, and he said to his +foster-brothers: "It is through courage and daring my father won a great +name for himself in his young youth, and why does he keep me from +winning a name for myself? And let you help me now," he said, "and I +will be a friend to you for ever." And he went on talking to them and +persuading them till he got round them all, and they agreed to go with +him to join Finn and the Fianna. And when the king was asleep, they went +into the house where the arms were kept, and every lad of them brought +away with him a shield and a sword and a helmet and two spears and two +greyhound whelps. And they went across Ess Ruadh in the north, and +through Connacht of many tribes, and through Caille an Chosanma, the +Woods of Defence, that were called the choice of every king and the true +honour of every poet, and into Ciarraighe, and so on to the White +Strand.</p> + +<p>And when they came there Dolar Durba was on the strand, boasting before +the men of Ireland. And Oisin was rising up to go against him, for he +said he would sooner die fighting with him than see the destruction he +was doing every day on his people. And all the wise men and the fighting +men and the poets and the musicians of the Fianna gave a great cry of +sorrow when they heard Oisin saying that.</p> + +<p>And the King of Ulster's son went to Finn and stood before him and +saluted him, and Finn asked who was he, and where did he come from. "I +am the son of the King of Ulster," he said; "and I am come here, myself +and my twelve foster-brothers, to give you what help we can." "I give +you a welcome," said Finn.</p> + +<p>Just then they heard the voice of Dolar Durba, very loud and boastful. +"Who is that I hear?" said the king's son. "It is a man of the +foreigners asking for a hundred of my men to go and meet him," said +Finn.</p> + +<p>Now, when the twelve foster-brothers heard that, they said no word but +went down to the strand, unknown to the king's son and to Finn.</p> + +<p>"You are not a grown man," said Conan; "and neither yourself or your +comrades are fit to face any fighting man at all." "I never saw the +Fianna of Ireland till this day," said the young lad; "but I know well +that you are Conan Maol, that never says a good word of any man. And you +will see now," he said, "if I am in dread of that man on the strand, or +of any man in the world, for I will go out against him by myself."</p> + +<p>But Finn kept him back and was talking with him; but then Conan began +again, and he said: "It is many men Dolar Durba has made an end of, and +there was not a man of all those that could not have killed a hundred of +the like of you every day."</p> + +<p>When the king's son heard that, there was great anger on him, and he +leaped up, and just then Dolar Durba gave a great shout on the strand. +"What is he giving, that shout for?" said the king's son. "He is shouting +for more men to come against him," said Conan, "for he is just after +killing your twelve comrades." "That is a sorrowful story," said the +king's son.</p> + +<p>And with that he took hold of his arms, and no one could hold him or +hinder him, and he rushed down to the strand where Dolar Durba was. And +all the armies of the strangers gave a great shout of laughter, for they +thought all Finn's men had been made an end of, when he sent a young lad +like that against their best champion. And when the boy heard that, his +courage grew the greater, and he fell on Dolar Durba and gave him many +wounds before he knew he was attacked at all. And they fought a very +hard fight together, till their shields and their swords were broken in +pieces. And that did not stop the battle, but they grappled together +and fought and wrestled that way, till the tide went over them and +drowned them both. And when the sea went over them the armies on each +side gave out a great sorrowful cry.</p> + +<p>And after the ebb-tide on the morrow, the two bodies were found cold and +quiet, each one held fast by the other. But Dolar Durba was beneath the +king's son, so they knew it was the young lad was the best and had got +the victory. And they buried him, and put a flag-stone over his grave, +and keened him there.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L45" id="L45" />CHAPTER IX. THE HIGH KING'S SON</h2> + + +<p>Then Finn said he would send a challenge himself to Daire Bonn, the King +of the Great World. But Caoilte asked leave to do that day's fighting +himself. And Finn said he would agree to that if he could find enough of +men to go with him. And he himself gave him a hundred men, and Oisin did +the same, and so on with the rest. And he gave out his challenge, and it +was the son of the King of the Great Plain that answered it. And while +they were in the heat of the fight, a fleet of ships came into the +harbour, and Finn thought they were come to help the foreigners. But +Oisin looked at them, and he said: "It is seldom your knowledge fails +you, Finn, but those are friends of our own: Fiachra, son of the King of +the Fianna of the Bretons, and Duaban Donn, son of the King of +Tuathmumain with his own people."</p> + +<p>And when those that were in the ships came on shore, they saw Caoilte's +banner going down before the son of the King of the Great Plain. And +they all went hurrying on to his help, and between them they made an +end of the king's son and of all his people.</p> + +<p>"Who will keep watch to-night?" said Finn then. "We will," said the nine +Garbhs of the Fianna, of Slieve Mis, and Slieve Cua, and Slieve Clair, +and Slieve Crot, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve Fuad, and Slieve Atha +Moir, and Dun Sobairce and Dundealgan.</p> + +<p>And they were not long watching till they saw the King of the Men of +Dregan coming towards them, and they fought a fierce battle; and at the +end of the night there were left standing but three of the Garbhs, and +the King of the Men of Dregan. And they fought till their wits were gone +from them; and those four fell together, sole against sole, and lip +against lip.</p> + +<p>And the fight went on from day to day, and from week to week, and there +were great losses on both sides. And when Fergus of the Sweet Lips saw +that so many of the Fianna were fallen, he asked no leave but went to +Teamhair of the Kings, where the High King of Ireland was, and he told +him the way it was with Finn and his people. "That is good," said the +High King, "Finn to be in that strait; for there is no labouring man +dares touch a pig or a deer or a salmon if he finds it dead before him +on account of the Fianna; and there is no man but is in dread to go from +one place to another without leave from Finn, or to take a wife till he +knows if she has a sweetheart among the Fianna of Ireland. And it is +often Finn has given bad judgments against us," he said, "and it would +be better for us the foreigners to gain the day than himself."</p> + +<p>Then Fergus went out to the lawn where the High King's son was playing +at ball. "It is no good help you are giving to Ireland," said Fergus +then, "to be playing a game without lasting profit, and strangers taking +away your country from you." And he was urging him and blaming him, and +great shame came on the young man, and he threw away the stick and went +through the people of Teamhair and brought together all the young men, a +thousand and twenty of them that were in it. And they asked no leave and +no advice from the High King, but they set out and went on till they +came to Finntraigh. And Fergus went to where Finn was, and told him the +son of the High King of Ireland was come with him; and all the Fianna +rose up before the young man and bade him welcome. And Finn said: "Young +man," he said, "we would sooner see you coming at a time when there +would be musicians and singers and poets and high-up women to make +pleasure for you than at the time we are in the straits of battle the +way we are now." "It is not for playing I am come," said the young man, +"but to give you my service in battle." "I never brought a lad new to +the work into the breast of battle," said Finn, "for it is often a lad +coming like that finds his death, and I would not wish him to fall +through me." "I give my word," said the young man, "I will do battle +with them on my own account if I may not do it on yours." Then Fergus of +the Fair Lips went out to give a challenge of battle from the son of the +High King of Ireland to the King of the World.</p> + +<p>"Who will answer the King of Ireland's son for me?" said the King of the +World. "I will go against him," said Sligech, King of the Men of Cepda; +and he went on shore, and his three red battalions with him. And the +High King's son went against them, and his comrades were near him, and +they were saying to him: "Take a good heart now into the fight, for the +Fianna will be no better pleased if it goes well with you than if it +goes well with the foreigner." And when the High King's son heard that, +he made a rush through the army of the foreigners, and began killing and +overthrowing them, till their chief men were all made an end of. Then +Sligech their king came to meet him, very angry and destroying, and +they struck at one another and made a great fight, but at the last the +King of Ireland's son got the upper hand, and he killed the King of the +Men of Cepda and struck off his head.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L46" id="L46" />CHAPTER X. THE KING OF LOCHLANN AND HIS SONS</h2> + + +<p>And the fighting went on from day to day, and at last Finn said to +Fergus of the Sweet Lips: "Go out, Fergus, and see how many of the +Fianna are left for the fight to-day." And Fergus counted them, and he +said: "There is one battalion only of the Fianna left in good order; but +there are some of the men of it," he said, "are able to fight against +three, and some that are able to fight against nine or thirty or a +hundred." "If that is so," said Finn, "rise up and go to where the King +of the World is, and bid him to come out to the great battle."</p> + +<p>So Fergus went to the King of the World, and it is the way he was, on +his bed listening to the music of harps and pipes. "King of the World," +said Fergus, "it is long you are in that sleep; and that is no shame for +you," he said, "for it will be your last sleep. And the whole of the +Fianna are gone out to their place of battle," he said, "and let you go +out and answer them." "In my opinion," said the King of the World, +"there is not a man of them is able to fight against me; and how many +are there left of the Fianna of Ireland?" "One battalion only that is in +good order," said Fergus. "And how many of the armies of the World are +there left?" he said. "Thirty battalions came with me to Ireland; and +there are twenty of them fallen by the Fianna, and what is left of them +is ten red battalions in good order. And there are eight good fighters +of them," he said, "that would put down the men of the whole world if +they were against me; that is, myself, and Conmail my son, and Ogarmach, +the daughter of the King of Greece, that is the best hand in battle of +the whole world after myself, and Finnachta of the Teeth, the chief of +my household, and the King of Lochlann, Caisel Clumach of the Feathers, +and his three sons, Tocha, and Forne of the Broad Shoulders, and Mongach +of the Sea."</p> + +<p>"I swear by the oath of my people," said the King of Lochlann then, "if +any man of the armies goes out against the Fianna before myself and my +three sons, we will not go at all, for we would not get the satisfaction +we are used to, unless our swords get their fill of blood." "I will go +out against them alone," said Forne, the youngest son of the King of +Lochlann. With that he put on his battle suit, and he went among the +Fianna of Ireland, and a red-edged sword in each of his hands. And he +destroyed those of their young men that were sent against him, and he +made the strand narrow with their bodies.</p> + +<p>And Finn saw that, and it was torment to his heart, and danger of death +and loss of wits to him, and he was encouraging the men of Ireland +against Forne. And Fergus of the True Lips stood up, and it is what he +said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "it is a pity the way you are under +hardship and you defending Ireland. And one man is taking her from you +to-day," he said, "and you are like no other thing but a flock of little +birds looking for shelter in a bush from a hawk that is after them. And +it is going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Caoilte you are," he +said; "and not one of you is better than another, and none of you sets +his face against the foreigner." "By my oath," said Oisin, "all that is +true, and no one of us tries to do better than another keeping him off." +"There is not one of you is better than another," said Fergus. Then +Oisin gave out a great shout against the King of Lochlann's son. "Stop +here with me, king's son," he said, "until I fight with you for the +Fianna." "I give my word it is short the delay will be," said Forne.</p> + +<p>Then he himself and Oisin made an attack on one another, and it seemed +for a while that the battle was going against Oisin. "By my word, Man of +Poetry," said Finn then to Fergus of the True Lips, "it is a pity the +way you sent my son against the foreigner. And rise up and praise him +and hearten him now," he said. So Fergus went down to where the fight +was, and he said: "There is great shame on the Fianna, Oisin, seeing you +so low in this fight; and there is many a foot messenger and many a +horsemen from the daughters of the kings and princes of Ireland looking +at you now," he said. And great courage rose in Oisin then, and he drove +his spear through the body of Forne, the King of Lochlann's son. And he +himself came back to the Fianna of Ireland.</p> + +<p>Then the armies of the World gave out a great cry, keening Forne; and +there was anger and not fear on his brothers, for they thought it no +right thing he to have fallen by a man of the Fianna. And Tocha, the +second son of the King of Lochlann, went on shore to avenge his brother. +And he went straight into the middle of the Fianna, and gave his sword +good feeding on their bodies, till they broke away before him and made +no stand till Lugaidh's Son turned round against him. And those two +fought a great fight, till their swords were bent and their spears +crumbled away, and they lost their golden shields. And at the last +Lugaidh's Son made a stroke of his sword that cut through the +foreigner's sword, and then he made another stroke that cut his heart +in two halves. And he came back high and proud to the Fianna.</p> + +<p>Then the third son of the King of Lochlann, Mongach of the Sea, rose up, +and all the armies rose up along with him. "Stop here, Men of the +World," he said, "for it is not you but myself that has to go and ask +satisfaction for the bodies of my brothers." So he went on shore; and it +is the way he was, with a strong iron flail in his hand having seven +balls of pure iron on it, and fifty iron chains, and fifty apples on +every chain, and fifty deadly thorns on every apple. And he made a rush +through the Fianna to break them up entirely and to tear them into +strings, and they gave way before him. And great shame came on Fidach, +son of the King of the Bretons, and he said: "Come here and praise me, +Fergus of the True Lips, till I go out and fight with the foreigner." +"It is easy to praise you, son," said Fergus, and he was praising him +for a long time.</p> + +<p>Then the two looked at one another and used fierce, proud words. And +then Mongach of the Sea raised his iron flail and made a great blow at +the King of the Bretons' son. But he made a quick leap to one side and +gave him a blow of his sword that cut off his two hands at the joint; +and he did not stop at that, but made a blow at his middle that cut him +into two halves. But as he fell, an apple of the flail with its deadly +thorns went into Fidach's comely mouth and through his brain, and it was +foot to foot those two fell, and lip to lip.</p> + +<p>And the next that came to fight on the strand was the King of Lochlann +himself, Caisel of the Feathers. And he came to the battle having his +shield on his arm; and it is the way the shield was, that was made for +him by the smith of the Fomor, there were red flames coming from it; and +if it was put under the sea itself, not one of its flames would stop +blazing. And when he had that shield on his arm no man could come near +him.</p> + +<p>And there was never such destruction done on the men of Ireland as on +that day, for the flames of fire that he sent from his shield went +through the bodies of men till they blazed up like a splinter of oak +that was after hanging through the length of a year in the smoke of a +chimney; and any one that would touch the man that was burning would +catch fire himself. And every other harm that ever came into Ireland +before was small beside this.</p> + +<p>Then Finn said: "Lift up your hands, Fianna of Ireland, and give three +shouts of blessing to whoever will hinder this foreigner." And the +Fianna gave those three shouts; and the King of Lochlann gave a great +laugh when he heard them. And Druimderg, grandson of the Head of the +Fianna of Ulster, was near him, and he had with him a deadly spear, the +Croderg, the Red-Socketed, that came down from one to another of the +sons of Rudraighe. And he looked at the King of Lochlann, and he could +see no part of him without armour but his mouth that was opened wide, +and he laughing at the Fianna. Then Druimderg made a cast with the +Croderg that hit him in the open mouth, and he fell, and his shield fell +along with its master, and its flame went out. And Druimderg struck the +head from his body, and made great boasts of the things he had done.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L47" id="L47" />CHAPTER XI. LABRAN'S JOURNEY</h2> + + +<p>It is then Fergus of the True Lips set out again and went through the +length of Ireland till he came to the house of Tadg, son of Nuada, that +was grandfather to Finn.</p> + +<p>And there was great grief on Muirne, Finn's mother, and on Labran of the +Long Hand her brother, and on all her people, when they knew the great +danger he was in. And Tadg asked his wife who did she think would escape +with their lives from the great fighting at the White Strand. "It is a +pity the way they are there," said she; "for if all the living men of +the world were on one side, Daire Donn, the King of the World, would put +them all down; for there are no weapons in the world that will ever be +reddened on him. And on the night he was born, the smith of the Fomor +made a shield and a sword, and it is in the prophecy that he will fall +by no other arms but those. And it is to the King of the Country of the +Fair Men he gave them to keep, and it is with him they are now." "If +that is so," said Tadg, "you might be able to get help for Finn, son of +Cumhal, the only son of your daughter. And bid Labran Lamfada to go and +ask those weapons of him," he said. "Do not be asking me," said she, "to +go against Daire Donn that was brought up in my father's house." But +after they had talked for a while, they went out on the lawn, and they +sent Labran looking for the weapons in the shape of a great eagle.</p> + +<p>And he went on from sea to sea, till at noon on the morrow he came to +the dun of the King of the Country of the Fair Men; and he went in his +own shape to the dun and saluted the king, and the king bade him +welcome, and asked him to stop with him for a while. "There is a thing I +want more than that," said Labran, "for the wife of a champion of the +Fianna has given me her love, and I cannot get her without fighting for +her; and it is the loan of that sword and that shield you have in your +keeping I am come asking now," he said.</p> + +<p>There were seven rooms, now, in the king's house that opened into one +another, and on the first door was one lock, and on the second two +locks, and so on to the door of the last room that had seven locks; and +it was in that the sword and the shield that were made by the smith of +the Fomor were kept. And they were brought out and were given to Labran, +and stalks of luck were put with them, and they were bound together with +shield straps.</p> + +<p>Then Labran of the Long Hand went back across the seas again, and he +reached his father's dun between the crowing of the cock and the full +light of day; and the weakness of death came on him. "It is a good +message you are after doing, my son," said Tadg, "and no one ever went +that far in so short a time as yourself." "It is little profit that is +to me," said Labran, "for I am not able to bring them to Finn in time +for the fight to-morrow."</p> + +<p>But just at that time one of Tadg's people saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, that +was as quick as the wind over a plain till the middle of every day, and +after that, there was no man quicker than he was. "You are come at a +good time," said Tadg. And with that he gave him the sword and the +shield to bring to Finn for the battle.</p> + +<p>So Aedh, son of Aebinn, went with the swiftness of a hare or of a fawn +or a swallow, till at the rising of the day on the morrow he came to the +White Strand. And just at that time Fergus of the True Lips was rousing +up the Fianna for the great fight, and it is what he said: "Fianna of +Ireland," he said, "if there was the length of seven days in one day, +you would have work to fill it now; for there never was and there never +will be done in Ireland a day's work like the work of to-day."</p> + +<p>Then the Fianna of Ireland rose up, and they saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, +coming towards them with his quick running, and Finn asked news from +him. "It is from the dun of Tadg, son of Nuada, I am come," he said, +"and it is to yourself I am sent, to ask how it is you did not redden +your weapons yet upon the King of the World." "I swear by the oath of my +people," said Finn, "if I do not redden my weapons on him, I will crush +his body within his armour." "I have here for you, King of the Fianna," +said Aedh then, "the deadly weapons that will bring him to his death; +and it was Labran of the Long Hand got them for you through his Druid +arts." He put them in Finn's hand then, and Finn took the coverings off +them, and there rose from them flashes of fire and deadly bubbles; and +not one of the Fianna could stay looking at them, but it put great +courage into them to know they were with Finn. "Rise up now," said Finn +to Fergus of the True Lips, "and go where the King of the World is, and +bid him to come out to the place of the great fight."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L48" id="L48" />CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT FIGHT</h2> + + +<p>Then the King of the World came to the strand, and all his armies with +him; and all that were left of the Fianna went out against them, and +they were like thick woods meeting one another, and they made great +strokes, and there were swords crashing against bones, and bodies that +were hacked, and eyes that were blinded, and many a mother was left +without her son, and many a comely wife without her comrade.</p> + +<p>Then the creatures of the high air answered to the battle, foretelling +the destruction that would be done that day; and the sea chattered of +the losses, and the waves gave heavy shouts keening them, and the +water-beasts roared to one another, and the rough hills creaked with the +danger of the battle, and the woods trembled mourning the heroes, and +the grey stones cried out at their deeds, and the wind sobbed telling +them, and the earth shook, foretelling the slaughter; and the cries of +the grey armies put a blue cloak over the sun, and the clouds were dark; +and the hounds and the whelps and the crows, and the witches of the +valley, and the powers of the air, and the wolves of the forests, howled +from every quarter and on every side of the armies, urging them against +one another.</p> + +<p>It was then Conan, son of Morna, brought to mind that himself and his +kindred had done great harm to the sons of Baiscne, and he had a wish to +do some good thing for them on account of that, and he raised up his +sword and did great deeds.</p> + +<p>And Finn was over the battle, encouraging the Fianna; and the King of +the World was on the other side encouraging the foreigners. "Rise up +now, Fergus," said Finn, "and praise Conan for me that his courage may +be the greater, for it is good work he is doing on my enemies." So +Fergus went where Conan was, and at that time he was heated with the +dust of the fight, and he was gone outside to let the wind go about him.</p> + +<p>"It is well you remember the old quarrel between the sons of Morna and +the sons of Baiscne, Conan," said Fergus; "and you would be ready to go +to your own death if it would bring harm on the sons of Baiscne," he +said. "For the love of your good name, Man of Poetry," said Conan, "do +not be speaking against me without cause, and I will do good work on the +foreigners when I get to the battle again." "By my word," said Fergus, +"that would be a good thing for you to do." He sang a verse of praise +for him then, and Conan went back into the battle, and his deeds were +not worse this time than they were before. And Fergus went back to where +Finn was.</p> + +<p>"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "Duban, son of Cas, a +champion of your own people," said Fergus, "for he never gives but the +one stroke to any man, and no man escapes with his life from that +stroke, and three times nine and eighty men have fallen by him up to +this time." And Duban Donn, great-grandson of the King of Tuathmumhain, +was there listening to him, and it is what he said: "By my oath, +Fergus," he said, "all you are saying is true, for there is not a son of +a king or of a lord is better in the battle than Duban, son of Cas; and +I will go to my own death if I do not go beyond him." With that he went +rushing through the battle like flames over a high hill that is thick +with furze. Nine times he made a round of the battle, and he killed nine +times nine in every round.</p> + +<p>"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn, after a while. "It is Duban +Donn that is after going from us," said Fergus. "For there has been no +one ahead of him since he was in his seventh year, and there is no one +ahead of him now." "Rise up and praise him that his courage may be the +greater," said Finn. "It is right to praise him," said Fergus, "and the +foreigners running before him on every side as they would run from a +heavy drenching of the sea." So Fergus praised him for a while, and he +went back then to Finn.</p> + +<p>"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "It is Osgar is best in it +now," said Fergus, "and he is fighting alone against two hundred Franks +and two hundred of the men of Gairian, and the King of the Men of +Gairian himself. And all these are beating at his shield," he said, "and +not one of them has given him a wound but he gave him a wound back for +it." "What way is Caoilte, son of Ronan?" said Finn. "He is in no great +strait after the red slaughter he has made," said Fergus. "Go to him +then," said Finn, "and bid him to keep off a share of the foreigners +from Osgar." So Fergus went to him. "Caoilte," he said, "it is great +danger your friend Osgar is in under the blows of the foreigners, and +let you rise up and give him some help," he said.</p> + +<p>Caoilte went then to the place where Osgar was, and he gave a straight +blow of his sword at the man who was nearest him, that made two halves +of him. Osgar raised his head then and looked at him. "It is likely, +Caoilte," he said, "you did not dare redden your sword on any one till +you struck down a man that was before my sword. And it is a shame for +you," he said, "all the men of the great world and the Fianna of Ireland +to be in the one battle, and you not able to make out a fight for +yourself without coming to take a share of my share of the battle. And I +give my oath," he said, "I would be glad to see you put down in your bed +of blood on account of that thing." Caoilte's mind changed when he heard +that, and he turned again to the army of the foreigners with the redness +of anger on his white face; and eighty fighting men fell in that rout.</p> + +<p>"What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is a pity," said Fergus, +"there never came and there never will come any one that can tell the +way it is now. For by my word," he said, "the tree-tops of the thickest +forest in the whole of the western world are not closer together than +the armies are now. For the bosses of their shields are in one another's +hands. And there is fire coming from the edges of their swords," he +said, "and blood is raining down like a shower on a day of harvest; and +there were never so many leaves torn by the wind from a great forest as +there are locks of long golden hair, and of black curled hair, cut off +by sharp weapons, blowing into the clouds at this time. And there is no +person could tell one man from another, now," he said, "unless it might +be by their voices." With that he went into the very middle of the fight +to praise and to hearten the men of the Fianna.</p> + +<p>"Who is first in the battle now, Fergus?" said Finn, when he came back +to him. "By my oath, it is no friend of your own is first in it," said +Fergus, "for it is Daire Donn, the King of the World; and it is for you +he is searching through the battle," he said, "and three times fifty of +his own people were with him. But two of the men of your Fianna fell on +them," he said, "Cairell the Battle Striker, and Aelchinn of Cruachan, +and made an end of them. But they were not able to wound the King of the +World," he said, "but the two of them fell together by him."</p> + +<p>Then the King of the World came towards Finn, and there was no one near +him but Arcallach of the Black Axe, the first that ever brought a wide +axe into Ireland. "I give my word," said Arcallach, "I would never let +Finn go before me into any battle." He rose up then and made a terrible +great blow of his axe at the king, that went through his royal crown to +the hair of his head, but that did not take a drop of blood out of him, +for the edge of the axe turned and there went balls of fire over the +plain from that blow. And the King of the World struck back at +Arcallach, and made two halves of him.</p> + +<p>Then Finn and the King of the World turned on one another. And when the +king saw the sword and the shield in Finn's hand, he knew those were the +weapons that were to bring him to his death, and great dread came on +him, and his comeliness left him, and his fingers were shaking, and his +feet were unsteady, and the sight of his eyes was weakened.</p> + +<p>And then the two fought a great fight, striking at one another like two +days of judgment for the possession of the world.</p> + +<p>But the king, that had never met with a wound before, began to be +greatly weakened in the fight. And Finn gave great strokes that broke +his shield and his sword, and that cut off his left foot, and at the +last he struck off his head. But if he did, he himself fell into a faint +of weakness with the dint of the wounds he had got.</p> + +<p>Then Finnachta of the Teeth, the first man of the household of the King +of the World, took hold of the royal crown of the king, and brought it +where Conmail his son was, and put it on his head.</p> + +<p>"That this may bring you success in many battles, my son," he said. And +he gave him his father's weapons along with it; and the young man went +through the battle looking for Finn, and three fifties of the men of the +Fianna fell by him. Then Goll Garbh the Rough, son of the King of Alban, +saw him and attacked him, and they fought a hard fight. But the King of +Albain's son gave him a blow under the shelter of the shield, in his +left side, that made an end of him.</p> + +<p>Finnachta of the Teeth saw that, and he made another rush at the royal +crown, and brought it to where Ogarmach was, the daughter of the King of +Greece. "Put on that crown, Ogarmach," he said, "as it is in the +prophecy the world will be owned by a woman; and it will never be owned +by any woman higher than yourself," he said.</p> + +<p>She went then to look for Finn in the battle, and Fergus of the True +Lips saw her, and he went where Finn was. "O King of the Fianna," he +said then, "bring to mind the good fight you made against the King of +the World and all your victories before that; for it is a great danger +is coming to you now," he said, "and that is Ogarmach, daughter of the +King of Greece."</p> + +<p>With that the woman-fighter came towards him. "O Finn," she said, "it is +little satisfaction you are to me for all the kings and lords that have +fallen by you and by your people; but for all that," she said, "there is +nothing better for me to get than your own self and whatever is left of +your people." "You will not get that," said Finn, "for I will lay your +head in its bed of blood the same as I did to every other one." Then +those two attacked one another like as if there had risen to smother +one another the flooded wave of Cliodna, and the seeking wave of Tuaigh, +and the big brave wave of Rudraighe. And though the woman-warrior fought +for a long time, a blow from Finn reached to her at last and cut through +the royal crown, and with a second blow he struck her head off. And then +he fell himself in his bed of blood, and was the same as dead, but that +he rose again.</p> + +<p>And the armies of the World and the Fianna of Ireland were fallen side +by side there, and there were none left fit to stand but Cael, son of +Crimthan of the Harbours, and the chief man of the household of the King +of the World, Finnachta of the Teeth. And Finnachta went among the dead +bodies and lifted up the body of the King of the World and brought it +with him to his ship, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, +"although it is bad this battle was for the armies of the World, it was +worse for yourselves; and I am going back to tell that in the East of +the World," he said. Finn heard him saying that, and he lying on the +ground in his blood, and the best men of the sons of Baiscne about him, +and he said: "It is a pity I not to have found death before I heard the +foreigner saying those words. And nothing I myself have done, or the +Fianna of Ireland, is worth anything since there is left a man of the +foreigners alive to go back into the great world again to tell that +story. And is there any one left living near me?" he said. "I am," said +Fergus of the True Lips. "What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is +a pity the way it is," said Fergus, "for, by my word," he said, "since +the armies met together to-day, no man of the foreigners or of the men +of Ireland took a step backward from one another till they all fell foot +to foot, and sole to sole. And there is not so much as a blade of grass +or a grain of sand to be seen," he said, "with the bodies of fighting +men that are stretched on them; and there is no man of the two armies +that is not stretched in that bed of blood, but only the chief man of +the household of the King of the World, and your own foster-son, Cael, +son of Crimthan of the Harbours." "Rise up and go to him," said Finn. So +Fergus went where Cael was, and asked what way was he. "It is a pity the +way I am," said Cael, "for I swear by my word that if my helmet and my +armour were taken from me, there is no part of my body but would fall +from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that +man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I +leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to +the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the +foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus +lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming +after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for +he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when +he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him. +And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it, +and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then +their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the +sand and the gravel of the clear sea.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L49" id="L49" />CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT</h2> + + +<p>Then there came the women and the musicians and the singers and the +physicians of the Fianna of Ireland to search out the kings and the +princes of the Fianna, and to bury them; and every one that might be +healed was brought to a place of healing.</p> + +<p>And Credhe, wife of Cael, came with the others, and went looking +through the bodies for her comely comrade, and crying as she went. And +as she was searching, she saw a crane of the meadows and her two +nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching the nestlings; and +when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, he would make a rush +at the other bird, the way she had to stretch herself out over the +birds; and she would sooner have got her own death by the fox than her +nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was looking at that, and she +said: "It is no wonder I to have such love for my comely sweetheart, and +the bird in that distress about her nestlings."</p> + +<p>Then she heard a stag in Druim Ruighlenn above the harbour, that was +making great lamentations for his hind from place to place, for they had +been nine years together, and had lived in the wood at the foot of the +harbour, Fidh Leis, and Finn had killed the hind, and the stag was +nineteen days without tasting grass or water, lamenting after the hind. +"It is no shame for me," said Credhe, "I to die for grief after Cael, +since the stag is shortening his life sorrowing after the hind."</p> + +<p>Then she met with Fergus of the True Lips. "Have you news of Cael for +me, Fergus?" she said. "I have news," said Fergus, "for he and the last +man that was left of the foreigners, Finnachta Fiaclach, are after +drowning one another in the sea."</p> + +<p>And at that time the waves had put Cael back on the strand, and the +women and the men of the Fianna that were looking for him raised him up, +and brought him to the south of the White Strand.</p> + +<p>And Credhe came to where he was, and she keened him and cried over him, +and she made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"The harbour roars, O the harbour roars, over the rushing race of the +Headland of the Two Storms, the drowning of the hero of the Lake of the +Two Dogs, that is what the waves are keening on the strand.</p> + +<p>"Sweet-voiced is the crane, O sweet-voiced is the crane in the marshes +of the Ridge of the Two Strong Men; it is she cannot save her nestlings, +the wild dog of two colours is taking her little ones.</p> + +<p>"Pitiful the cry, pitiful the cry the thrush is making in the Pleasant +Ridge, sorrowful is the cry of the blackbird in Leiter Laeig.</p> + +<p>"Sorrowful the call, O sorrowful the call of the deer in the Ridge of +Two Lights; the doe is lying dead in Druim Silenn, the mighty stag cries +after her.</p> + +<p>"Sorrowful to me, O sorrowful to me the death of the hero that lay +beside me; the son of the woman of the Wood of the Two Thickets, to be +with a bunch of grass under his head.</p> + +<p>"Sore to me, O sore to me Cael to be a dead man beside me, the waves to +have gone over his white body; it is his pleasantness that has put my +wits astray.</p> + +<p>"A woeful shout, O a woeful shout the waves are making on the strand; +they that took hold of comely Cael, a pity it is he went to meet them.</p> + +<p>"A woeful crash, O a woeful crash the waves are making on the strand to +the north, breaking against the smooth rock, crying after Cael now he is +gone.</p> + +<p>"A sorrowful fight, O a sorrowful fight, the sea is making with the +strand to the north; my beauty is lessened; the end of my life is +measured.</p> + +<p>"A song of grief, O a song of grief is made by the waves of Tulcha Leis; +all I had is gone since this story came to me. Since the son of +Crimthann is drowned I will love no one after him for ever; many a king +fell by his hand; his shield never cried out in the battle."</p> + +<p>After she had made that complaint, Credhe laid herself down beside Cael +and died for grief after him. And they were put in the one grave, and +it was Caoilte raised the stone over them.</p> + +<p>And after that great battle of the White Strand, that lasted a year and +a day, there was many a sword and shield left broken, and many a dead +body lying on the ground, and many a fighting man left with a foolish +smile on his face.</p> + +<p>And the great name that was on the armies of the World went from them to +the Fianna of Ireland; and they took the ships and the gold and the +silver and all the spoils of the armies of the World. And from that time +the Fianna had charge of the whole of Ireland, to keep it from the Fomor +and from any that might come against it.</p> + +<p>And they never lost power from that time until the time of their last +battle, the sorrowful battle of Gabhra.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L50" id="L50" />BOOK FOUR: HUNTINGS AND ENCHANTMENTS.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE KING OF BRITAIN'S SON</h2> + + +<p>Arthur, son of the King of Britain, came one time to take service with +Finn, and three times nine men along with him. And they went hunting one +day on Beinn Edair, and Finn took his place on the Cairn of the Fianna +between the hill and the sea, and Arthur took his stand between the hunt +and the sea, the way the deer would not escape by swimming.</p> + +<p>And while Arthur was there he took notice of three of Finn's hounds, +Bran, and Sceolan and Adhnuall, and he made a plan in his mind to go +away across the sea, himself and his three nines, bringing those three +hounds along with him. So he did that, and he himself and his men +brought away the hounds and crossed the sea, and the place where they +landed was Inver Mara Gamiach on the coast of Britain. And after they +landed, they went to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir, to hunt on it.</p> + +<p>And as to the Fianna, after their hunting was done they gathered +together on the hill; and as the custom was, all Finn's hounds were +counted. Three hundred full-grown hounds he had, and two hundred whelps; +and it is what the poets used to say, that to be counting them was like +counting the branches on a tree.</p> + +<p>Now on this day when they were counted, Bran and Sceolan and Adhnuall +were missing; and that was told to Finn. He bade his people to search +again through the three battalions of the Fianna, but search as they +would, the hounds were not to be found.</p> + +<p>Then Finn sent for a long-shaped basin of pale gold, and water in it, +and he put his face in the water, and his hand over his face, and it was +showed him what had happened, and he said: "The King of Britain's son +has brought away the hound. And let nine men be chosen out to follow +after them," he said. So nine men were chosen out, Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne; Goll, son of Morna; Oisin, son of Finn; Faolan, the friend of +the hounds, son of a woman that had come over the sea to give her love +to Finn; Ferdoman, son of Bodb Dearg; two sons of Finn, Raighne Wide Eye +and Cainche the Crimson-Red; Glas, son of Enchered Bera, with Caoilte +and Lugaidh's Son. And their nine put their helmets on their heads, and +took their long spears in their hands, and they felt sure they were a +match for any four hundred men from the east to the west of the world.</p> + +<p>They set out then, till they came to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir; +and they were not long there till they heard talk of men that were +hunting in that place.</p> + +<p>Arthur of Britain and his people were sitting on a hunting mound just at +that time, and the nine men of the Fianna made an attack on them and +killed all of them but Arthur, that Goll, son of Morna, put his two arms +about and saved from death. Then they turned to go back to Ireland, +bringing Arthur with them, and the three hounds. And as they were going, +Goll chanced to look around him and he saw a dark-grey horse, having a +bridle with fittings of worked gold. And then he looked to the left and +saw a bay mare that was not easy to get hold of, and it having a bridle +of silver rings and a golden bit. And Goll took hold of the two, and he +gave them into Oisin's hand, and he gave them on to Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>They went back to Finn then, bringing his three hounds with them, and +the King of Britain's son as a prisoner; and Arthur made bonds with +Finn, and was his follower till he died.</p> + +<p>And as to the horse and the mare, they gave them to Finn; and the mare +bred eight times, at every birth eight foals, and it is of that seed +came all the horses of the fair Fianna of the Gael, for they had used +no horses up to that time.</p> + +<p>And that was not the only time Finn was robbed of some of his hounds. +For there was a daughter of Roman was woman-Druid to the Tuatha de +Danaan, and she set her love on Finn. But Finn said, so long as there +was another woman to be found in the world, he would not marry a witch. +And one time, three times fifty of Finn's hounds passed by the hill +where she was; and she breathed on the hounds and shut them up in the +hill, and they never came out again. It was to spite Finn she did that, +and the place got the name of Duma na Conn, the Mound of the Hounds.</p> + +<p>And as to Adhnuall, one of the hounds Finn thought most of, and that was +brought back from the King of Britain's son, this is the way he came to +his death afterwards.</p> + +<p>There was a great fight one time between the Fianna and Macoon, son of +Macnia, at some place in the province of Leinster, and a great many of +the Fianna were killed. And the hound Adhnuall went wandering northward +from the battle and went astray; and three times he went round the whole +of Ireland, and then he came back to the place of the battle, and to a +hill where three young men of the Fianna that had fallen there were +buried after their death, and three daughters of a King of Alban that +had died for love of them. And when Adhnuall came to that hill, he gave +three loud howls and he stretched himself out and died.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L51" id="L51" />CHAPTER II. THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN</h2> + + +<p>Finn called for a great hunt one time on the plains of Magh Chonaill and +in the forest parts of Cairbre of the Nuts. And he himself went up to +the top of Ceiscoran, and his two dogs Bran and Sceolan with him.</p> + +<p>And the Fianna were shouting through the whole country where they were +hunting, the way the deer were roused in their wild places and the +badgers in their holes, and foxes in their wanderings, and birds on the +wing.</p> + +<p>And Conaran, son of Imidd, of the Tuatha de Danaan, had the sway in +Ceiscoran at that time, and when he heard the shouting and the cry of +the hounds all around, he bade his three daughters that had a great +share of enchantments, to do vengeance on Finn for his hunting.</p> + +<p>The three women went then to the opening of a cave that was in the +hills, and there they sat down together, and they put three strong +enchanted hanks of yarn on crooked holly-sticks, and began to reel them +off outside the cave.</p> + +<p>They were not long there till Finn and Conan came towards them, and saw +the three ugly old hags at their work, their coarse hair tossed, their +eyes red and bleary, their teeth sharp and crooked, their arms very +long, their nails like the tips of cows' horns, and the three spindles +in their hands.</p> + +<p>Finn and Conan passed through the hanks of yarn to get a better look at +the hags. And no sooner had they done that, than a deadly trembling came +on them and a weakness, and the bold hags took hold of them and put them +in tight bonds.</p> + +<p>Two other men of the Fianna came up then, and the sons of Menhann along +with them, and they went through the spindles to where Finn and Conan +were, and their strength went from them in the same way, and the hags +tied them fast and carried them into the cave.</p> + +<p>They were not long there till Caoilte and Lugaidh's Son came to the +place, and along with them the best men of the sons of Baiscne. The sons +of Morna came as well, and no sooner did they see the hanks than their +strength and their bravery went out of them the same as it went from the +others.</p> + +<p>And in the end the whole number of them, gentle and simple, were put in +bonds by the hags, and brought into the cave. And there began at the +mouth of the cave a great outcry of hounds calling for their masters +that had left them there. And there was lying on the hillside a great +heap of deer, and wild pigs, and hares, and badgers, dead and torn, that +were brought as far as that by the hunters that were tied up now in the +cave.</p> + +<p>Then the three women came in, having swords in their hands, to the place +where they were lying, to make an end of them. But first they looked out +to see was there ever another man of the Fianna to bring in and to make +an end of with the rest.</p> + +<p>And they saw coming towards them a very tall man that was Goll, son of +Morna, the Flame of Battle. And when the three hags saw him they went to +meet him, and they fought a hard battle with him. And great anger came +on Goll, and he made great strokes at the witches, and at the last he +raised up his sword, and with one blow he cut the two that were nearest +him through and through.</p> + +<p>And then the oldest of the three women wound her arms about Goll, and he +beheading the two others, and he turned to face her and they wrestled +together, till at last Goll gave her a great twist and threw her on the +ground. He tied her fast then with the straps of a shield, and took his +sword to make an end of her. But the hag said: "O champion that was +never worsted, strong man that never went back in battle, I put my body +and my life under the protection of your bravery. And it is better for +you," she said, "to get Finn and the Fianna safe and whole than to have +my blood; and I swear by the gods my people swear by," she said, "I will +give them back to you again."</p> + +<p>With that Goll set her free, and they went together into the hill where +the Fianna were lying. And Goll said: "Loose off the fastenings first +from Fergus of the True Lips and from the other learned men of the +Fianna; and after that from Finn, and Oisin, and the twenty-nine sons of +Morna, and from all the rest."</p> + +<p>She took off the fastenings then, and the Fianna made no delay, but rose +up and went out and sat down on the side of the hill. And Fergus of the +Sweet Lips looked at Goll, son of Morna, and made great praises of him, +and of all that he had done.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L52" id="L52" />CHAPTER III. DONN SON OF MIDHIR</h2> + + +<p>One time the Fianna were at their hunting at the island of Toraig to the +north of Ireland, and they roused a fawn that was very wild and +beautiful, and it made for the coast, and Finn and six of his men +followed after it through the whole country, till they came to +Slieve-nam-Ban. And there the fawn put down its head and vanished into +the earth, and none of them knew where was it gone to.</p> + +<p>A heavy snow began to fall then that bent down the tops of the trees +like a willow-gad, and the courage and the strength went from the Fianna +with the dint of the bad weather, and Finn said to Caoilte: "Is there +any place we can find shelter to-night?" Caoilte made himself supple +then, and went over the elbow of the hill southward.</p> + +<p>And when he looked around him he saw a house full of light, with cups +and horns and bowls of different sorts in it. He stood a good while +before the door of the house, that he knew to be a house of the Sidhe, +thinking would it be best go in and get news of it, or to go back to +Finn and the few men that were with him. And he made up his mind to go +into the house, and there he sat down on a shining chair in the middle +of the floor; and he looked around him, and he saw, on the one side, +eight-and-twenty armed men, each of them having a well-shaped woman +beside him. And on the other side he saw six nice young girls, +yellow-haired, having shaggy gowns from their shoulders. And in the +middle there was another young girl sitting in a chair, and a harp in +her hand, and she playing on it and singing. And every time she stopped, +a man of them would give her a horn to drink from, and she would give it +back to him again, and they were all making mirth around her.</p> + +<p>She spoke to Caoilte then. "Caoilte, my life," she said, "give us leave +to attend on you now." "Do not," said Caoilte, "for there is a better +man than myself outside, Finn, son of Cumhal, and he has a mind to eat +in this house to-night." "Rise up, Caoilte, and go for Finn," said a man +of the house then; "for he never refused any man in his own house, and +he will get no refusal from us."</p> + +<p>Caoilte went back then to Finn, and when Finn saw him he said: "It is +long you are away from us, Caoilte, for from the time I took arms in my +hands I never had a night that put so much hardship on me as this one."</p> + +<p>The six of them went then into the lighted house and their shields and +their arms with them. And they sat down on the edge of a seat, and a +girl having yellow hair came and brought them to a shining seat in the +middle of the house, and the newest of every food, and the oldest of +every drink was put before them. And when the sharpness of their hunger +and their thirst was lessened, Finn said: "Which of you can I question?" +"Question whoever you have a mind to," said the tallest of the men that +was near him. "Who are you yourself then?" said Finn, "for I did not +think there were so many champions in Ireland, and I not knowing them."</p> + +<p>"Those eight-and-twenty armed men you see beyond," said the tall man, +"had the one father and mother with myself; and we are the sons of +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and our mother is Fionnchaem, the fair, +beautiful daughter of the King of the Sidhe of Monaid in the east. And +at one time the Tuatha de Danaan had a gathering, and gave the kingship +to Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, at his bright hospitable place, and he +began to ask hostages of myself and of my brothers; but we said that +till all the rest of the Men of Dea had given them, we would not give +them. Bodb Dearg said then to our father: 'Unless you will put away your +sons, we will wall up your dwelling-place on you.' So the +eight-and-twenty brothers of us came out to look for a place for +ourselves; and we searched all Ireland till we found this secret hidden +place, and we are here ever since. And my own name," he said, "is Donn, +son of Midhir. And we had every one of us ten hundred armed men +belonging to himself, but they are all worn away now, and only the +eight-and-twenty of us left." "What is it is wearing you away?" said +Finn. "The Men of Dea," said Donn, "that come three times in every year +to give battle to us on the green outside." "What is the long new grave +we saw on the green outside?" said Finn. "It is the grave of Diangalach, +a man of enchantments of the Men of Dea; and that is the greatest loss +came on them yet," said Donn; "and it was I myself killed him," he +said. "What loss came next to that?" said Finn. "All the Tuatha de +Danaan had of jewels and riches and treasures, horns and vessels and +cups of pale gold, we took from them at the one time." "What was the +third greatest loss they had?" said Finn. "It was Fethnaid, daughter of +Feclach, the woman-harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, their music and the +delight of their minds," said Donn.</p> + +<p>"And to-morrow," he said, "they will be coming to make an attack on us, +and there is no one but myself and my brothers left; and we knew we +would be in danger, and that we could make no stand against them. And we +sent that bare-headed girl beyond to Toraig in the North in the shape of +a foolish fawn, and you followed her here. It is that girl washing +herself, and having a green cloak about her, went looking for you.</p> + +<p>"And the empty side of the house," he said, "belonged to our people that +the Men of Dea have killed."</p> + +<p>They spent that night in drinking and in pleasure. And when they rose up +in the morning of the morrow, Donn, son of Midhir, said to Finn, "Come +out with me now on the lawn till you see the place where we fight the +battles every year." They went out then and they looked at the graves +and the flag-stones, and Donn said: "It is as far as this the Men of Dea +come to meet us." "Which of them come here?" said Finn.</p> + +<p>"Bodb Dearg with his seven sons," said Donn; "and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda, with his seven sons; and Finnbharr of Cnoc Medha with his +seventeen sons; Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh with his twenty-seven sons and +their sons; Tadg, son of Nuada, out of the beautiful hill of Almhuin; +Donn of the Island and Donn of the Vat; the two called Glas from the +district of Osraige; Dobhran Dubthaire from the hill of Liamhain of the +Smooth Shirt; Aedh of the Island of Rachrainn in the north; Ferai and +Aillinn and Lir and Fainnle, sons of Eogobal, from Cnoc Aine in Munster; +Cian and Coban and Conn, three sons of the King of Sidhe Monaid in +Alban; Aedh Minbhreac of Ess Ruadh with his seven sons; the children of +the Morrigu, the Great Queen, her six-and-twenty women warriors, the two +Luaths from Magh Life; Derg and Drecan out of the hill of Beinn Edair in +the east; Bodb Dearg himself with his great household, ten hundred ten +score and ten. Those are the chief leaders of the Tuatha de Danaan that +come to destroy our hill every year."</p> + +<p>Finn went back into the hill then, and told all that to his people.</p> + +<p>"My people," he said, "it is in great need and under great oppression +the sons of Midhir are, and it is into great danger we are come +ourselves. And unless we make a good fight now," he said, "it is likely +we will never see the Fianna again."</p> + +<p>"Good Finn," every one of them said then, "did you ever see any +drawing-back in any of us that you give us that warning?" "I give my +word," said Finn, "if I would go through the whole world having only +this many of the Fianna of Ireland along with me, I would not know fear +nor fright. And good Donn," he said, "is it by day or by night the Men +of Dea come against you?" "It is at the fall of night they come," said +Donn, "the way they can do us the most harm."</p> + +<p>So they waited till night came on, and then Finn said: "Let one of you +go out now on the green to keep watch for us, the way the Men of Dea +will not come on us without word or warning."</p> + +<p>And the man they set to watch was not gone far when he saw five strong +battalions of the Men of Dea coming towards him. He went back then to +the hill and he said: "It is what I think, that the troops that are come +against us this time and are standing now around the grave of the Man +of Enchantments are a match for any other fighting men."</p> + +<p>Finn called to his people then, and he said: "These are good fighters +are come against you, having strong red spears. And let you all do well +now in the battle. And it is what you have to do," he said, "to keep the +little troop of brothers, the sons of Midhir, safe in the fight; for it +would be a treachery to friendship any harm to come on them, and we +after joining them; and myself and Caoilte are the oldest among you, and +leave the rest of the battle to us."</p> + +<p>Then from the covering time of evening to the edge of the morning they +fought the battle. And the loss of the Tuatha de Danaan was no less a +number than ten hundred ten score and ten men. Then Bodb Dearg and +Midhir and Fionnbhar said to one another: "What are we to do with all +these? And let Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh give us an advice," they said, +"since he is the oldest of us." And Lir said: "It is what I advise, let +every one carry away his friends and his fosterlings, his sons and his +brothers, to his own place. And as for us that stop here," he said, "let +a wall of fire be made about us on the one side, and a wall of water on +the other side." Then the Men of Dea put up a great heap of stones, and +brought away their dead; and of all the great slaughter that Finn and +his men and the sons of Midhir had made, there was not left enough for a +crow to perch upon.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn and his men, they went back into the hill, hurt and +wounded and worn-out.</p> + +<p>And they stopped in the hill with the sons of Midhir through the whole +length of a year, and three times in the year the Men of Dea made an +attack on the hill, and a battle was fought.</p> + +<p>And Conn, son of Midhir, was killed in one of the battles; and as to the +Fianna, there were so many wounds on them that the clothing was held +off from their bodies with bent hazel sticks, and they lying in their +beds, and two of them were like to die. And Finn and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son went out on the green, and Caoilte said: "It was a bad +journey we made coming to this hill, to leave two of our comrades after +us." "It is a pity for whoever will face the Fianna of Ireland," said +Lugaidh's Son, "and he after leaving his comrades after him." "Whoever +will go back and leave them, it will not be myself," said Finn. Then +Bonn, son of Midhir, came to them. "Good Donn," said Finn, "have you +knowledge of any physician that can cure our men?" "I only know one +physician could do that," said Donn; "a physician the Tuatha de Danaan +have with them. And unless a wounded man has the marrow of his back cut +through, he will get relief from that physician, the way he will be +sound at the end of nine days." "How can we bring that man here," said +Finn, "for those he is with are no good friends to us?" "He goes out +every morning at break of day," said Donn, "to gather healing herbs +while the dew is on them." "Find some one, Donn," said Caoilte, "that +will show me that physician, and, living or dead, I will bring him with +me."</p> + +<p>Then Aedh and Flann, two of the sons of Midhir, rose up. "Come with us, +Caoilte," they said, and they went on before him to a green lawn with +the dew on it; and when they came to it they saw a strong young man +armed and having a cloak of the wool of the seven sheep of the Land of +Promise, and it full of herbs of healing he was after gathering for the +Men of Dea that were wounded in the battle. "Who is that man?" said +Caoilte. "That is the man we came looking for," said Aedh. "And mind him +well now," he said, "that he will not make his escape from us back to +his own people."</p> + +<p>They ran at him together then, and Caoilte took him by the shoulders +and they brought him away with them to the ford of the Slaine in the +great plain of Leinster, where the most of the Fianna were at that time; +and a Druid mist rose up about them that they could not be seen.</p> + +<p>And they went up on a little hill over the ford, and they saw before +them four young men having crimson fringed cloaks and swords with gold +hilts, and four good hunting hounds along with them. And the young man +could not see them because of the mist, but Caoilte saw they were his +own two sons, Colla and Faolan, and two other young men of the Fianna, +and he could hear them talking together, and saying it was a year now +that Finn, son of Cumhal, was gone from them. "And what will the Fianna +of Ireland do from this out," said one of them, "without their lord and +their leader?" "There is nothing for them to do," said another, "but to +go to Teamhair and to break up there, or to find another leader for +themselves." And there was heavy sorrow on them for the loss of their +lord; and it was grief to Caoilte to be looking at them.</p> + +<p>And he and the two sons of Midhir went back then by the Lake of the Two +Birds to Slieve-nam Ban, and they went into the hill.</p> + +<p>And Finn and Donn gave a great welcome to Luibra, the physician, and +they showed him their two comrades that were lying in their wounds. +"Those men are brothers to me," said Donn, "and tell me how can they be +cured?" Luibra looked then at their wounds, and he said: "They can be +cured if I get a good reward." "You will get that indeed," said Caoilte; +"and tell me now," he said, "how long will it take to cure them?" "It +will take nine days," said Luibra. "It is a good reward you will get," +said Caoilte, "and this is what it is, your own life to be left to you. +But if these young men are not healed," he said, "it is my own hand will +strike off your head."</p> + +<p>And within nine days the physician had done a cure on them, and they +were as well and as sound as before.</p> + +<p>And it was after that time the High King sent a messenger to bring the +Fianna to the Feast of Teamhair. And they all gathered to it, men and +women, boys and heroes and musicians. And Goll, son of Morna, was +sitting at the feast beside the king. "It is a great loss you have had, +Fianna of Ireland," said the king, "losing your lord and your leader, +Finn, son of Cumhal." "It is a great loss indeed," said Goll.</p> + +<p>"There has no greater loss fallen on Ireland since the loss of Lugh, son +of Ethne," said the king. "What orders will you give to the Fianna now, +king?" said Goll. "To yourself, Goll," said the king, "I will give the +right of hunting over all Ireland till we know if the loss of Finn is +lasting." "I will not take Finn's place," said Goll, "till he has been +wanting to us through the length of three years, and till no person in +Ireland has any hope of seeing him again."</p> + +<p>Then Ailbe of the Freckled Face said to the king: "What should these +seventeen queens belonging to Finn's household do?" "Let a safe, secret +sunny house be given to every one of them," said the king; "and let her +stop there and her women with her, and let provision be given to her for +a month and a quarter and a year till we have knowledge if Finn is alive +or dead."</p> + +<p>Then the king stood up, and a smooth drinking-horn in his hand, and he +said: "It would be a good thing, men of Ireland, if any one among you +could get us news of Finn in hills or in secret places, or in rivers or +invers, or in any house of the Sidhe in Ireland or in Alban."</p> + +<p>With that Berngal, the cow-owner from the borders of Slieve Fuad, that +was divider to the King of Ireland, said: "The day Finn came out from +the north, following after a deer of the Sidhe, and his five comrades +with him, he put a sharp spear having a shining head in my hand, and a +hound's collar along with it, and he bade me to keep them till he would +meet me again in the same place." Berngal showed the spear and the +collar then to the king and to Goll, and they looked at them and the +king said: "It is a great loss to the men of Ireland the man is that +owned this collar and this spear. And were his hounds along with him?" +he said. "They were," said Berngal; "Bran and Sceolan were with Finn, +and Breac and Lainbhui with Caoilte, and Conuall and Comrith with +Lugaidh's Son."</p> + +<p>The High King called then for Fergus of the True Lips, and he said: "Do +you know how long is Finn away from us?" "I know that well," said +Fergus; "it is a month and a quarter and a year since we lost him. And +indeed it is a great loss he is to the Fianna of Ireland," he +said, "himself and the men that were with him." "It is a great loss +indeed," said the king, "and I have no hope at all of finding those six +that were the best men of Ireland or of Alban."</p> + +<p>And then he called to Cithruadh, the Druid, and he said: "It is much +riches and many treasures Finn gave you, and tell us now is he living or +is he dead?" "He is living," said Cithruadh then. "But as to where he +is, I will give no news of that," he said, "for he himself would not +like me to give news of it." There was great joy among them when they +heard that, for everything Cithruadh had ever foretold had come true. +"Tell us when will he come back?" said the king. "Before the Feast of +Teamhair is over," said the Druid, "you will see the Leader of the +Fianna drinking at it."</p> + +<p>And as to Finn and his men, they stopped in the House of the Two Birds +till they had taken hostages for Donn, son of Midhir, from the Tuatha de +Danaan. And on the last day of the Feast of Teamhair they came back to +their people again.</p> + +<p>And from that time out the Fianna of Ireland had not more dealings with +the people living in houses than they had with the People of the Gods of +Dana.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L53" id="L53" />CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE</h2> + + +<p>It happened one day Finn and Oisin and Caoilte and Diarmuid and +Lugaidh's Son went up on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their five +hounds with them, Bran and Sceolan, Sear Dubh, Luath Luachar and +Adhnuall. And they were not long there till they saw a giant coming +towards them, very tall and rough and having an iron fork on his back +and a squealing pig between the prongs of the fork. And there was a +beautiful eager young girl behind the giant, shoving him on before her. +"Let some one go speak with those people," said Finn. So Diarmuid went +towards them, but they turned away before he came to them. Then Finn and +the rest rose up and went after them, but before they came to the giant +and the girl, a dark Druid mist rose up that hid the road. And when the +mist cleared away, Finn and the rest looked about them, and they saw a +good light-roofed house at the edge of a ford near at hand. They went on +to the house, and there was a green lawn before it, and in the lawn two +wells, and on the edge of one well there was a rough iron vessel, and on +the edge of the other a copper vessel. They went into the house then, +and they found there a very old white-haired man, standing to the right +hand of the door, and the beautiful young girl they saw before, sitting +near him, and the great rough giant beside the fire, and he boiling a +pig. And on the other side of the fire there was an old countryman, +having dark-grey hair and twelve eyes in his head, and his twelve eyes +were twelve sons of battle. And there was a ram in the house having a +white belly and a very black head, and dark-blue horns and green feet. +And there was a hag in the end of the house and a worn grey gown on her, +and there was no one in the house but those.</p> + +<p>And the man at the door gave them a welcome, and then the five of them +sat down on the floor of the house, and their hounds along with them.</p> + +<p>"Let great respect be shown to Finn, son of Cumhal, and to his people," +said the man at the door. "It is the way I am," said the giant, "to be +asking always and getting nothing." But for all that he rose up and +showed respect to Finn.</p> + +<p>Presently there came a great thirst on Finn, and no one took notice of +it but Caoilte, and he began complaining greatly. "Why are you +complaining, Caoilte?" said the man at the door; "you have but to go out +and get a drink for Finn at whichever of the wells you will choose." +Caoilte went out then, and he brought the full of the copper vessel to +Finn, and Finn took a drink from it, and there was the taste of honey on +it while he was drinking, and the taste of gall on it after, so that +fierce windy pains and signs of death came on him, and his appearance +changed, that he would hardly be known. And Caoilte made greater +complaints than he did before on account of the way he was, till the man +at the door bade him to go out and to bring him a drink from the other +well. So Caoilte did that, and brought in the full of the iron vessel. +And Finn never went through such great hardship in any battle as he did +drinking that draught, from the bitterness of it; but no sooner did he +drink it than his own colour and appearance came back to him and he was +as well as before, and his people were very glad when they saw that.</p> + +<p>Then the man of the house asked was the pig ready that was in the +cauldron. "It is ready," said the giant; "and leave the dividing of it +to me," he said. "What way will you divide it?" said the man of the +house. "I will give one hind quarter to Finn and his dogs," said the +giant, "and the other hind quarter to Finn's four comrades; and the fore +quarter to myself, and the chine and the rump to the old man there by +the fire and the hag in the corner; and the entrails to yourself and to +the young girl that is beside you." "I give my word," said the man of +the house, "you have shared it well." "I give my word," said the ram, +"it is a bad division to me, for you have forgotten my share in it." +With that he took hold of the quarter that was before the Fianna, and +brought it into a corner and began to eat it. On that the four of them +attacked him with their swords, but with all the hard strokes they gave +they could not harm him at all, for the swords slipped from his back the +same as they would from a rock. "On my word it is a pity for any one +that has the like of you for comrades," said the man with the twelve +eyes, "and you letting a sheep bring away your food from you." With that +he went up to the ram and took him by the feet and threw him out from +the door that he fell on his back, and they saw him no more.</p> + +<p>It was not long after that, the hag rose up and threw her pale grey gown +over Finn's four comrades, and they turned to four old men, weak and +withered, their heads hanging. When Finn saw that there came great dread +on him, and the man at the door saw it, and he bade him to come over to +him, and to put his head in his breast and to sleep. Finn did that, and +the hag took her covering off the four men, the way that when Finn awoke +they were in their own shape again, and it is well pleased he was to see +that.</p> + +<p>"Is there wonder on you, Finn?" said the man at the door, "at the ways +of this house?" "I never wondered more at anything I ever saw," said +Finn. "I will tell you the meaning of them, so," said the man. "As to +the giant you saw first," he said, "having the squealing pig in the +prongs of his fork, Sluggishness is his name; and the girl here beside +me that was shoving him along is Liveliness, for liveliness pushes on +sluggishness, and liveliness goes farther in the winking of an eye than +the foot can travel in a year. The old man there beyond with the twelve +bright eyes betokens the World, and he is stronger than any other, and +he showed that when he made nothing of the ram. The ram you saw betokens +the Desires of Men. The hag is Old Age, and her gown withered up your +four comrades. And the two wells you drank the two draughts out of," he +said, "betoken Lying and Truth; for it is sweet to people to be telling +a lie, but it is bitter in the end. And as to myself," he said, "Cuanna +from Innistuil is my name, and it is not here I am used to be, but I +took a very great love for you, Finn, because of your wisdom and your +great name, and so I put these things in your way that I might see you. +And the hospitality of Cuanna's house to Finn will be the name of this +story to the end of the world. And let you and your men come together +now," he said, "and sleep till morning."</p> + +<p>So they did that, and when they awoke in the morning, it is where they +were, on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their dogs and their arms beside +them.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L54" id="L54" />CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS</h2> + + +<p>Nine of the Fianna set out one time, looking for a pup they wanted, and +they searched through many places before they found it. All through Magh +Leine they searched, and through the Valley of the Swords, and through +the storm of Druim Cleibh, and it is pleasant the Plain of the Life +looked after it; but not a pup could they find. Then they went searching +through Durlass of the generous men, and great Teamhair and Dun Dobhran +and Ceanntsaile, men and dogs searching the whole of Ireland, but not a +pup could they find.</p> + +<p>And while they were going from place to place, and their people with +them, they saw the three armies of the sons of the King of Ruadhleath +coming towards them. Cat-headed one army was, and the one alongside of +it was Dog-headed, and the men of the third army were White-backed.</p> + +<p>And when the Fianna saw them coming, Finn held up his shining spear, and +light-hearted Caoilte gave out a great shout that was heard in Almhuin, +and in Magh Leine, and in Teamhair, and in Dun Reithlein. And that shout +was answered by Goll, son of Morna, and by Faolan, Finn's son that was +with him, and by the Stutterers from Burren, and by the two sons of +Maith Breac, and by Iolunn of the Sharp Edge, and by Cael of the Sharp +Sword, that never gave his ear to tale-bearers.</p> + +<p>It is pleasant the sound was then of the spears and the armies and of +the silken banners that were raised up in the gusty wind of the morning. +And as to the banners, Finn's banner, the Dealb-Greine, the Sun-Shape, +had the likeness of the sun on it; and Coil's banner was the Fulang +Duaraidh, that was the first and last to move in a battle; and Faolan's +banner was the Coinneal Catha, the Candle of Battle; and Oisin's banner +was the Donn Nimhe, the Dark Deadly One; and Caoilte's was the Lamh +Dearg, the Red Hand; and Osgar's was the Sguab Gabhaidh that had a Broom +of rowan branches on it, and the only thing asked when the fight was at +the hottest was where that Broom was; and merry Diarmuid's banner was +the Liath Loinneach, the Shining Grey; and the Craobh Fuileach, the +Bloody Branch, was the banner of Lugaidh's Son. And as to Conan, it is a +briar he had on his banner, because he was always for quarrels and for +trouble. And it used to be said of him he never saw a man frown without +striking him, or a door left open without going in through it.</p> + +<p>And when the Fianna had raised their banners they attacked the three +armies; and first of all they killed the whole of the Cat-Heads, and +then they took the Dog-Heads in hand and made an end of them, and of the +White-Backs along with them.</p> + +<p>And after that they went to a little hill to the south, having a double +dun on it, and it is there they found a hound they were able to get a +pup from.</p> + +<p>And by that time they had searched through the whole of Ireland, and +they did not find in the whole of it a hundred men that could match +their nine.</p> + +<p>And as well as their banners, some of the Fianna had swords that had +names to them, Mac an Luin, Son of the Waves, that belonged to Finn; and +Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, that was Oisin's; and +Caoilte's Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One; and Diarmuid's +Liomhadoir, the Burnisher; and Osgar's Cosgarach Mhor, the Great +Triumphant One.</p> + +<p>And it is the way they got those swords: there came one time to where +Finn and Caoilte and some others of the Fianna were, a young man, very +big and ugly, having but one foot and one eye; a cloak of black skins he +had over his shoulders, and in his hand a blunt ploughshare that was +turning to red. And he told them he was Lon, son of Liobhan, one of the +three smiths of the King of Lochlann. And whether he thought to go away +from the Fianna, or to bring them to his smithy, he started running, and +they followed after him all through Ireland, to Slieve-na-Righ, and to +Luimnech, and to Ath Luain, and by the right side of Cruachan of +Connacht, and to Ess Ruadh and to Beinn Edair, and so to the sea.</p> + +<p>And wherever it was they found the smithy, they went into it, and there +they found four smiths working, and every one of them having seven +hands. And Finn and Caoilte and the rest stopped there watching them +till the swords were made, and they brought them away with them then, +and it is good use they made of them afterwards.</p> + +<p>And besides his sword, Mac an Luin, Finn had a shield was called Sgiath +Gailbhinn, the Storm Shield; and when it called out it could be heard +all through Ireland.</p> + +<p>And whether or not it was the Storm Shield, Finn had a wonderful shield +that he did great deeds with, and the story of it is this:</p> + +<p>At the time of the battle of the Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh, +after he had struck the head off Balor of the Evil Eye, hung it in the +fork of a hazel-tree. And the tree split, and the leaves fell from it +with the dint of the poison that dropped from the head. And through the +length of fifty years that tree was a dwelling-place of crows and of +ravens. And at the end of that time Manannan, son of Lir, was passing +by, and he took notice of the tree that it was split and withered, and +he bade his men to dig it up. And when they began to dig, a mist of +poison rose up from the roots, and nine of the men got their death from +it, and another nine after them, and the third nine were blinded. And +Luchtaine the Carpenter made a shield of the wood of that hazel for +Manannan. And after a while Manannan gave it, and a set of chessmen +along with it, to Tadg, son of Nuada; and from him it came to his +grandson, Finn, son of Muirne and of Cumhal.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L55" id="L55" />CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD</h2> + +<p>FINN took a wife one time of the Luigne of Midhe. And at the same time +there was in his household one Lomna, a fool.</p> + +<p>Finn now went into Tethra, hunting with the Fianna, but Lomna stopped at +the house. And after a while he saw Coirpre, a man of the Luigne, go in +secretly to where Finn's wife was.</p> + +<p>And when the woman knew he had seen that, she begged and prayed of Lomna +to hide it from Finn. And Lomna agreed to that, but it preyed on him to +have a hand in doing treachery on Finn. And after a while he took a +four-square rod and wrote an Ogham on it, and these were the words he +wrote:—"An alder stake in a paling of silver; deadly night-shade in a +bunch of cresses; a husband of a lewd woman; a fool among the +well-taught Fianna; heather on bare Ualann of Luigne."</p> + +<p>Finn saw the message, and there was anger on him against the woman; and +she knew well it was from Lomna he had heard the story, and she sent a +message to Coirpre bidding him to come and kill the fool.</p> + +<p>So Coirpre came and struck his head off, and brought it away with him.</p> + +<p>And when Finn came back in the evening he saw the body, and it without a +head. "Let us know whose body is this," said the Fianna. And then Finn +did the divination of rhymes, and it is what he said: "It is the body of +Lomna; it is not by a wild boar he was killed; it is not by a fall he +was killed; it is not in his bed he died; it is by his enemies he died; +it is not a secret to the Luigne the way he died. And let out the hounds +now on their track," he said.</p> + +<p>So they let out the hounds, and put them on the track of Coirpre, and +Finn followed them, and they came to a house, and Coirpre in it, and +three times nine of his men and he cooking fish on a spit; and Lomna's +head was on a spike beside the fire.</p> + +<p>And the first of the fish that was cooked Coirpre divided between his +men, but he put no bit into the mouth of the head. And then he made a +second division in the same way. Now that was against the law of the +Fianna, and the head spoke, and it said: "A speckled white-bellied +salmon that grows from a small fish under the sea; you have shared a +share that is not right; the Fianna will avenge it upon you, Coirpre." +"Put the head outside," said Coirpre, "for that is an evil word for us." +Then the head said from outside: "It is in many pieces you will be; it +is great fires will be lighted by Finn in Luigne."</p> + +<p>And as it said that, Finn came in, and he made an end of Coirpre, and of +his men.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L56" id="L56" />CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH</h2> + +<p>One time Caoilte was hunting on Beinn Gulbain, and he went on to Ess +Ruadh. And when he came near the hill of the Sidhe that is there, he saw +a young man waiting for him, having a crimson fringed cloak about him, +and on his breast a silver brooch, and a white shield, ornamented with +linked beasts of red gold, and his hair rolled in a ball at the back, +and covered with a golden cup. And he had heavy green weapons, and he +was holding two hounds in a silver chain.</p> + +<p>And when Caoilte came up to him he gave him three loving kisses, and sat +down beside him on the grass. "Who are you, young champion?" said +Caoilte. "I am Derg, son of Eoghan of the people of Usnach," he said, +"and foster-brother of your own." Caoilte knew him then, and he said: +"And what is your life with your mother's people, the Tuatha de Danaan +in Sidhe Aedha?" "There is nothing wanting to us there of food or of +clothing," said the young man. "But for all that," he said, "I would +sooner live the life of the worst treated of the serving-boys of the +Fianna than the life I am living in the hill of the Sidhe." "Lonely as +you are at your hunting to-day," said Caoilte, "it is often I saw you +coming to the Valley of the Three Waters in the south, where the Siuir +and the Beoir and the Berba come together, with a great company about +you; fifteen hundred young men, fifteen hundred serving-boys, and +fifteen hundred women." "That was so," said Derg; "and although myself +and my gentle hound are living in the hill of the Sidhe, my mind is +always on the Fianna. And I remember well the time," he said, "when you +yourself won the race against Finn's lasting black horse. And come now +into the hill," he said, "for the darkness of the night is coming on."</p> + +<p>So he brought Caoilte into the hill with him, and they were set down in +their right places.</p> + +<p>It was at that time, now, there was great war between Lir of Sidhe +Fionnachaidh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh. There used a bird with an iron +beak and a tail of fire to come every evening to a golden window of +Ilbrec's house, and there he would shake himself till he would not leave +sword on pillow, or shield on peg, or spear in rack, but they would come +down on the heads of the people of the house; and whatever they would +throw at the bird, it is on the heads of some of themselves it would +fall. And the night Caoilte came in, the hall was made ready for a +feast, and the bird came in again, and did the same destruction as +before, and nothing they threw at him would touch him at all. "Is it +long the bird has been doing this?" said Caoilte. "Through the length of +a year now," said Derg, "since we went to war with Sidhe Fionnachaidh."</p> + +<p>Then Caoilte put his hand within the rim of his shield, and he took out +of it a copper rod he had, and he made a cast of it at the bird, that +brought it down on the floor of the hall. "Did any one ever make a +better cast than that?" said Ilbrec. "By my word," said Caoilte, "there +is no one of us in the Fianna has any right to boast against another." +Then Ilbrec took down a sharp spear, having thirty rivets of gold in it, +from its place, and he said: "That is the Spear of Fiacha, son of +Congha, and it is with that Finn made an end of Aillen, son of Midhna, +that used to burn Teamhair. And keep it beside you now, Caoilte," he +said, "till we see will Lir come to avenge his bird on us."</p> + +<p>Then they took up their horns and their cups, and they were at drinking +and pleasure, and Ilbrec said: "Well, Caoilte," he said, "if Lir comes +to avenge his bird on us, who will you put in command of the battle?" "I +will give the command to Derg there beyond," said he. "Will you take it +in hand, Derg?" said the people of the hill. "I will take it," said +Derg, "with its loss and its gain."</p> + +<p>So that is how they spent the night, and it was not long in the morning +till they heard blowing of horns, and rattling of chariots, and clashing +of shields, and the uproar of a great army that came all about the hill. +They sent some of their people out then to see were there many in it, +and they saw three brave armies of the one size. "It would be a great +vexation to me," said Aedh Nimbrec, the Speckled, then, "we to get our +death and Lir's people to take the hill." "Did you never hear, Aedh," +said Caoilte, "that the wild boar escapes sometimes from both hounds and +from wolves, and the stag in the same way goes away from the hounds with +a sudden start; and what man is it you are most in dread of in the +battle?" he said. "The man that is the best fighter of all the Men of +Dea," said they all, "and that is Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh." "The +thing I have done in every battle I will not give up to-day," said +Caoilte, "to meet the best man that is in it hand to hand." "The two +that are next to him in fighting," they said then, "are Donn and Dubh." +"I will put down those two," said Derg.</p> + +<p>Then the host of the Sidhe went out to the battle, and the armies +attacked one another with wide green spears and with little casting +spears, and with great stones; and the fight went on from the rising of +the day till midday. And then Caoilte and Lir met with one another, and +they made a very fierce fight, and at the last Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh +fell by the hand of Caoilte.</p> + +<p>Then the two good champions Dubh and Donn, sons of Eirrge, determined to +go on with the battle, and it is how they fought, Dubh in the front of +the whole army, and Donn behind all, guarding the rear. But Derg saw +that, and he put his finger into the thong of his spear and made a cast +at the one that was nearest him, and it broke his back and went on into +the body of the other, so that the one cast made an end of the two. And +that ended the battle, and all that was left of the great army of Lir +went wearing away to the north. And there was great rejoicing in the +hill at Ess Ruadh, and Ilbrec took the spoils of the beaten army for his +people, and to Caoilte he gave the enchanted spear of Fiacha, together +with nine rich cloaks and nine long swords with hilts and guards of +gold, and nine hounds for hunting. And they said farewell to one +another, and Caoilte left his blessing to the people of the hill, and he +brought their thanks with him. And as hard as the battle had been, it +was harder again for Derg to part from his comrade, and the day he was +parted from Finn and from all the Fianna was no sadder to him than this +day.</p> + +<p>It was a long time after that Caoilte went again to the hill of Ilbrec +at Ess Ruadh, and this is the way it happened.</p> + +<p>It was in a battle at Beinn Edair in the east that Mane, son of the King +of Lochlann, made a cast at him in the middle of the battle with a +deadly spear. And he heard the whistling of the spear, and it rushing to +him; and he lifted his shield to protect his head and his body, but that +did not save him, for it struck into his thigh, and left its poison in +it, so that he had to go in search of healing. And it is where he went, +to the hill of the Sidhe at Ess Ruadh, to ask help of Bebind, daughter +of Elcmar of Brugh na Boinne, that had the drink of healing of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and all that was left of the ale of Goibniu that she +used to be giving out to them.</p> + +<p>And Caoilte called to Cascorach the Musician, son of Caincenn, and bade +him bring his harp and come along with him. And they stopped for a night +in the hill of the Sidhe of Druim Nemed in Luigne of Connacht, and from +that they went forward by Ess Dara, the Fall of the Oaks, and Druim +Dearg na Feinne, the Red Ridge of the Fianna, and Ath Daim Glas, the +Ford of the Grey Stag, and to Beinn Gulbain, and northward into the +plain of Ceitne, where the Men of Dea used to pay their tribute to the +Fomor; and up to the Footstep of Ess Ruadh, and the High Place of the +Boys, where the boys of the Tuatha de Danaan used to be playing their +hurling. And Aedh of Ess Ruadh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh were at the door +of the hill, and they gave Caoilte a true welcome. "I am glad of that +welcome," said Caoilte. And then Bebind, daughter of Elcmar of Brugh na +Boinne, came out, and three times fifty comely women about her, and she +sat down on the green grass and gave three loving kisses to the three, +to Caoilte and to Cascorach and to Fermaise, that had come with them out +of the hill of the Sidhe in Luigne of Connacht. And all the people of +the hill welcomed them, and they said: "It is little your friendship +would be worth if you would not come to help us and we in need of help." +"It was not for bravery I was bade come," said Cascorach; "but when the +right time comes I will make music for you if you have a mind to hear +it." "It is not for deeds of bravery we are come," said Fermaise, "but +we will give you our help if you are in need of it." Then Caoilte told +them the cause of his journey. "We will heal you well," said they. And +then they all went into the hill and stayed there three days and three +nights at drinking and pleasure.</p> + +<p>And indeed it was good help Caoilte and Cascorach gave them after that. +For there was a woman-warrior used to come every year with the ships of +the men of Lochlann to make an attack on the Tuatha de Danaan. And she +had been reared by a woman that knew all enchantments, and there was no +precious thing in all the hills of the Sidhe but she had knowledge of +it, and would bring it away. And just at this time there came a +messenger to the door of the hill with news that the harbour was full of +ships, and that a great army had landed, and the woman-warrior along +with it.</p> + +<p>And it was Cascorach the Musician went out against her, having a shield +he got the loan of from Donn, son of Midhir; and she used high words +when she saw so young a man coming to fight with her, and he alone. But +he made an end of her for all her high talk, and left her lying on the +strand with the sea foam washing up to her.</p> + +<p>And as to Caoilte, he went out in a chariot belonging to Midhir of the +Yellow Hair, son of the Dagda, and a spear was given him that was called +Ben-badb, the War-Woman, and he made a cast of the spear that struck the +King of Lochlann, that he fell in the middle of his army, and the life +went from him. And Fermaise went looking for the king's brother, Eolus, +that was the comeliest of all the men of the world; and he knew him by +the band of gold around his head, and his green armour, and his red +shield, and he killed him with a cast of a five-pronged spear. And when +the men of Lochlann saw their three leaders were gone, they went into +their ships and back to their own country. And there was great joy +through the whole country, both among the men of Ireland and the Tuatha +de Danaan, the men of Lochlann to have been driven away by the deeds of +Caoilte and Fermaise and Cascorach.</p> + +<p>And that was not all they did, for it was at that time there came three +flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad in the north, and began +eating the green grass before the hill of the Sidhe. "What birds are +those?" said Caoilte. "Three flocks they are that come and destroy the +green every year, eating it down to the bare flag-stones, till they +leave us no place for our races," said Ilbrec. Then Caoilte and his +comrades took up three stones and threw them at the flocks and drove +them away. "Power and blessings to you," said the people of the Sidhe +then, "that is a good work you have done. And there is another thing you +can do for us," they said, "for there are three ravens come to us every +year out of the north, and the time the young lads of the hill are +playing their hurling, each one of the ravens carries off a boy of them. +And it is to-morrow the hurling will be," they said.</p> + +<p>So when the full light of day was come on the morrow, the whole of the +Tuatha de Danaan went out to look at the hurling; and to every six men +of them was given a chess-board, and a board for some other game to +every five, and to every ten men a little harp, and a harp to every +hundred men, and pipes that were sharp and powerful to every nine.</p> + +<p>Then they saw the three ravens from the north coming over the sea, and +they pitched on the great tree of power that was on the green, and they +gave three gloomy screeches, that if such a thing could be, would have +brought the dead out of the earth or the hair off the head of the +listeners; and as it was, they took the courage out of the whole +gathering.</p> + +<p>Then Cascorach, son of Caincenn, took a man of the chessmen and made a +cast at one of the ravens that struck his beak and his throat, and made +an end of him; and Fermaise killed the second of them, and Caoilte the +third of them in the same way.</p> + +<p>"Let my cure be done now," said Caoilte, "for I have paid my fee for it, +and it is time." "You have paid it indeed," said Ilbrec. "And where is +Bebind, daughter of Elcmar?" he said. "I am here," said she.</p> + +<p>"Bring Caoilte, son of Ronan, with you into some hidden place," he said, +"and do his cure, and let him be well served, for he has driven every +danger from the Men of Dea and from the Sons of the Gael. And let +Cascorach make music for him, and let Fermaise, son of Eogabil, be +watching him and guarding him and attending him."</p> + +<p>So Elcmar's daughter went to the House of Arms, and her two sons with +her, and a bed of healing was made ready for Caoilte, and a bowl of pale +gold was brought to her, and it full of water. And she took a crystal +vessel and put herbs into it, and she bruised them and put them in the +water, and gave the bowl to Caoilte, and he drank a great drink out of +it, that made him cast up the poison of the spear that was in him. Five +drinks of it he took, and after that she gave him new milk to drink; but +with the dint of the reaching he was left without strength through the +length of three days and three nights.</p> + +<p>"Caoilte, my life," she said then, "in my opinion you have got relief." +"I have got it indeed," he said, "but that the weakness of my head is +troubling me." "The washing of Flann, daughter of Flidais, will be done +for you now," she said, "and the head that washing is done for will +never be troubled with pain, or baldness, or weakness of sight." So that +cure was done to him for a while; and the people of the hill divided +themselves into three parts; the one part of their best men and great +nobles, and another of their young men, and another of their women and +poets, to be visiting him and making mirth with him as long as he would +be on his bed of healing. And everything that was best from their +hunting, it was to him they would bring it.</p> + +<p>And one day, when Elcmar's daughter and her two sons and Cascorach and +Fermaise were with Caoilte, there was heard a sound of music coming +towards them from the waters of Ess Ruadh, and any one would leave the +music of the whole world for that music. And they put their harps on the +corners of the pillars and went out, and there was wonder on Caoilte +that they left him. And he took notice that his strength and the +strength of his hands was not come to him yet, and he said: "It is many +a rough battle and many a hard fight I went into, and now there is not +enough strength in me so much as to go out along with the rest," and he +cried tears down.</p> + +<p>And the others came back to him then, and he asked news of them. "What +was that sound of music we heard?" he said. "It was Uaine out of the +hill of the Sidhe, at the Wave of Cliodna in the south," said they; "and +with her the birds of the Land of Promise; and she is musician to the +whole of that country. And every year she goes to visit one of the hills +of the Sidhe, and it is our turn this time." Then the woman from the +Land of Promise came into the house, and the birds came in along with +her, and they pitched on the pillars and the beams, and thirty of them +came in where Caoilte was, began singing together. And Cascorach took +his harp, and whatever he would play, the birds would sing to it. "It is +much music I have heard," said Caoilte, "but music so good as that I +never heard before."</p> + +<p>And after that Caoilte asked to have the healing of his thigh done, and +the daughter of Elcmar gave herself to that, and all that was bad was +sucked from the wound by her serving people till it was healed. And +Caoilte stopped on where he was for three nights after that.</p> + +<p>And then the people of the hill rose up and went into the stream to +swim. And Caoilte said: "What ails me now not to go swim, since my +health has come back to me?" And with that he went into the water. And +afterwards they went back into the hill, and there was a great feast +made that night.</p> + +<p>And Caoilte bade them farewell after that, and Cascorach, but Fermaise +stopped with them for a while. And the people of the hill gave good +gifts to Caoilte; a fringed crimson cloak of wool from the seven sheep +of the Land of Promise; and a fish-hook that was called Aicil mac Mogha, +and that could not be set in any river or inver but it would take fish; +and along with that they gave him a drink of remembrance, and after that +drink there would be no place he ever saw, or no battle or fight he ever +was in, but it would stay in his memory. "That is a good help from +kinsmen and from friends," said Caoilte.</p> + +<p>Then Caoilte and Cascorach went out from the hill, and the people of it +made a great lamentation after them.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L57" id="L57" />CHAPTER VIII. THE CAVE OF CRUACHAN</h2> + + +<p>CAOLITE was one time at Cruachan of Connacht, and Cascorach was with +him, and there he saw sitting on a heap of stones a man with very rough +grey hair, having a dark brown cloak fastened with a pin of bronze, and +a long stick of white hazel in his hand; and there was a herd of cattle +before him in a fenced field.</p> + +<p>Caoilte asked news of him. "I am steward to the King of Ireland," said +the old man, "and it is from him I hold this land. And we have great +troubles on us in this district," he said. "What troubles are those?" +said Caoilte. "I have many herds of cattle," he said, "and every year at +Samhain time, a woman comes out of the hill of the Sidhe of Cruachan and +brings away nine of the best out of every herd. And as to my name, I am +Bairnech, son of Carbh of Collamair of Bregia."</p> + +<p>"Who was the best man that ever came out of Collamair?" said Caoilte. "I +know, and the men of Ireland and of Alban know," said he, "it was +Caoilte, son of Ronan. And do you know where is that man now?" he said. +"I myself am that man and your own kinsman," said Caoilte.</p> + +<p>When Bairnech heard that, he gave him a great welcome, and Caoilte gave +him three kisses. "It seems to me that to-night is Samhain night," said +Caoilte. "If that is so, it is to-night the woman will come to rob us," +said Bernech. "Let me go to-night to the door of the hill of the Sidhe," +said Cascorach. "You may do that, and bring your arms with you," said +Caoilte.</p> + +<p>So Cascorach went then, and it was not long till he saw the girl going +past him out of the hill of Cruachan, having a beautiful cloak of one +colour about her; a gown of yellow silk tied up with a knot between her +thighs, two spears in her hands, and she not in dread of anything before +her or after her.</p> + +<p>Then Cascorach blew a blast against her, and put his finger into the +thong of his spear, and made a cast at the girl that went through her, +and that is the way she was made an end of by Cascorach of the Music.</p> + +<p>And then Bernech said to Caoilte: "Caoilte," he said, "do you know the +other oppression that is on me in this place?" "What oppression is +that?" said Caoilte. "Three she-wolves that come out of the Cave of +Cruachan every year and destroy our sheep and our wethers, and we can do +nothing against them, and they go back into the cave again. And it will +be a good friend that will rid us of them," he said. "Well, Cascorach," +said Caoilte, "do you know what are the three wolves that are robbing +this man?" "I know well," said Cascorach, "they are the three daughters +of Airetach, of the last of the people of oppression of the Cave of +Cruachan, and it is easier for them to do their robbery as wolves than +as women." "And will they come near to any one?" said Caoilte. "They +will only come near to one sort," said Cascorach; "if they see the +world's men having harps for music, they will come near to them." "And +how would it be for me," he said, "to go to-morrow to the cairn beyond, +and to bring my harp with me?"</p> + +<p>So in the morning he rose up and went to the cairn and stopped on it, +playing his harp till the coming of the mists of the evening. And while +he was there he saw the three wolves coming towards him, and they lay +down before him, listening to the music. But Cascerach found no way to +make an attack on them, and they went back into the cave at the end of +the day.</p> + +<p>Cascorach went back then to Caoilte and told him what had happened. "Go +up to-morrow to the same place," said Caoilte, "and say to them it would +be better for them to be in the shape of women for listening to music +than in the shape of wolves."</p> + +<p>So on the morrow Cascorach went out to the same cairn, and set his +people about it, and the wolves came there and stretched themselves to +listen to the music. And Cascorach was saying to them: "If you were ever +women," he said, "it would be better for you to be listening to the +music as women than as wolves." And they heard that, and they threw off +the dark trailing coverings that were about them, for they liked well +the sweet music of the Sidhe.</p> + +<p>And when Caoilte saw them there side by side, and elbow by elbow, he +made a cast of his spear, and it went through the three women, that they +were like a skein of thread drawn together on the spear. And that is the +way he made an end of the strange, unknown three. And that place got the +name of the Valley of the Shapes of the Wolves.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L58" id="L58" />CHAPTER IX. THE WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE</h2> + +<p>Finn and the Fianna made a great hunting one time on the hill of Torc +that is over Loch Lein and Feara Mor. And they went on with their +hunting till they came to pleasant green Slieve Echtge, and from that it +spread over other green-topped hills, and through thick tangled woods, +and rough red-headed hills, and over the wide plains of the country. And +every chief man among them chose the place that was to his liking, and +the gap of danger he was used to before. And the shouts they gave in the +turns of the hunt were heard in the woods all around, so that they +started the deer in the wood, and sent the foxes wandering, and the +little red beasts climbing rocks, and badgers from their holes, and +birds flying, and fawns running their best. Then they let out their +angry small-headed hounds and set them hunting. And it is red the hands +of the Fianna were that day, and it is proud they were of their hounds +that were torn and wounded before evening.</p> + +<p>It happened that day no one stopped with Finn but only Diorraing, son of +Domhar. "Well, Diorraing," said Finn, "let you watch for me while I go +asleep, for it is early I rose to-day, and it is an early rising a man +makes when he cannot see the shadow of his five fingers between himself +and the light of day, or know the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of +the oak." With that he fell into a quiet sleep that lasted till the +yellow light of the evening. And the rest of the Fianna, not knowing +where he was gone, gave over the hunt.</p> + +<p>And the time was long to Diorraing while Finn was asleep, and he roused +him and told him the Fianna must have given up the hunt, for he could +not hear a cry or a whistle from them. "The end of day is come," said +Finn then, "and we will not follow them to-night. And go now to the +wood," he said, "and bring timber and dead branches for a shelter, and I +will go looking for food for the night." So Diorraing went to the wood, +but he was not gone far till he saw a fine well-lighted house of the +Sidhe before him on the edge of the wood near at hand, and he went back +to Finn with the news. "Let us go to it," said Finn, "for we ought not +to be working in this place, and people living so near at hand." They +went then to the door of the house and knocked at it, and the +door-keeper came to it. "Whose house is this?" said Diorraing. "It +belongs to Conan of Ceann Slieve," said the door-keeper. "Tell him," +said Diorraing, "there are two of the Fianna of the Gael at the door."</p> + +<p>The door-keeper went in then and told Conan there were two men of the +Fianna at the door. "The one of them," he said, "is young and strong, +and quiet and fair-haired, and more beautiful than the rest of the men +of the world, and he has in his hand a small-headed, white-breasted +hound, having a collar of rubbed gold and a chain of old silver. And the +other of them," he said, "is brown and ruddy and white-toothed, and he +is leading a yellow-spotted hound by a chain of bright bronze." "It is +well you have made your report of them," said Conan, "and I know them by +it; for the man you spoke of first is Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the +Fianna of Ireland, and Bran in his hand; and the other is Diorraing, and +Sceolan in his hand. And go now quickly and let them in," he said.</p> + +<p>Finn and Diorraing were brought in then, and they got good attendance, +and their arms were taken from them, and a grand feast was made ready +that pleased them well. And the wife of Conan was at the one side of +Finn, and his daughter, Finndealbh, of the Fair Shape, was at his other +side. And they had a great deal of talk together, and at last, seeing +her so beautiful, the colour of gold on her curled hair, and her eyes as +blue as flowers, and a soft four-cornered cloak fastened at her breast +with a silver pin, he asked her of Conan for his wife. "Leave asking +that, Finn," said Conan, "for your own courage is not greater than the +courage of the man she is promised to." "Who is that?" said Finn. "He is +Fatha, son of the King of Ess Ruadh," said Conan. "Your wounds and your +danger on yourself," said Diorraing; "and it would be right," he said, +"that stammering tongue that gave out those words to be tied and to be +shortened for ever, and a drink of death to be given to you; for if the +whole of the Men of Dea," he said, "could be put into the one body, Finn +would be better than them all." "Leave off, Diorraing," said Finn, "for +it is not fighting I am here, but asking a wife, and I will get her +whether the Men of Dea think good or bad of it." "I will not be making a +quarrel with you," said Conan, "but I put you under bonds as a true +hero to answer me everything I am going to ask you." "I will do that," +said Finn.</p> + +<p>With that Conan put questions to Finn as to his birth and his rearing, +and the deeds he had done since he came to the Fianna, and Finn gave +full answers to them all. And at last he said: "Let us go on with this +no longer, but if you have musicians with you, let them be brought to us +now; for it is not my custom," he said, "to be for a single night +without music." "Tell me this first," said Conan, "who was it made the +Dord Fiann, the Mutterer of the Fianna, and when was it made?" "I will +tell you the truth of that," said Finn; "it was made in Ireland by the +three sons of Cearmait Honey-Mouth; and nine men used to be sounding it, +and since it came to me I have fifty men sounding it." "And tell me +this," said Conan, "what is the music pleased you best of all you ever +heard?" "I will tell you that," said Finn; "the time the seven +battalions of the Fianna are gathered in the one place and raise their +spear-shafts over their heads, and the sharp whining of the clear, cold +wind goes through them, that is very sweet to me. And when the +drinking-hall is set out in Almhuin, and the cup-bearers give out the +bright cups to the chief men of the Fianna, that is very sweet to me; +and it is sweet to me to be listening to the voice of the sea-gull and +the heron, and the noise of the waves of Traig Liath, the song of the +three sons of Meardha, the whistle of Lugaidh's Son, and the voice of +the cuckoo in the beginning of summer, and the grunting of the pigs on +the Plain of Eithne, and the shouting of laughter in Doire." And it is +what he said: "The Dord in the green-topped woods, the lasting wash of +the waves against the shore, the noise of the waves at Traig Liath +meeting with the river of the White Trout; the three men that came to +the Fianna, a man of them gentle and a man of them rough, another man of +them ploughing the clouds, they were sweeter than any other thing.</p> + +<p>"The grey mane of the sea, the time a man cannot follow its track; the +swell that brings the fish to the land, it is sleep-music, its sound is +sweet.</p> + +<p>"Feargall, son of Fionn, a man that was ready-handed, it is long his +leap was, it is well marked his track is; he never gave a story that did +not do away with secrets; it is his voice was music of sleep to me."</p> + +<p>And when Finn had answered all the questions so well, Conan said he +would give him his daughter, and that he would have a wedding-feast +ready at the end of a month.</p> + +<p>They spent the rest of the night then in sleep; but Finn saw a dreadful +vision through his sleep that made him start three times from his bed. +"What makes you start from your bed, Finn?" said Diorraing. "It was the +Tuatha de Danaan I saw," said he, "taking up a quarrel against me, and +making a great slaughter of the Fianna."</p> + +<p>Now as to the Fianna, they rested at Fotharladh of Moghna that night, +and they were downhearted, having no tidings of Finn. And early on the +morrow two of them, Bran Beag and Bran Mor, rose up and went to +Mac-an-Reith, son of the Ram, that had the gift of true knowledge, and +they asked him where did Finn spend the night. And Mac-an-Reith was +someway unwilling to tell them, but at the last he said it was at the +house of Conan of Ceann Slieve.</p> + +<p>The two Brans went on then to Conan's house, and Finn made them welcome; +but they blamed him when they heard he was taking a wife, and none of +his people with him. "Bid all the Fianna to come to the feast at the end +of a month," said Conan then. So Finn and Diorraing and the two Brans +went back to where the Fianna were and told them all that had happened, +and they went on to Almhuin.</p> + +<p>And when they were in the drinking-hall at Almhuin that night, they saw +the son of the King of Ireland coming to where they were. "It is a pity +the king's son to have come," said Finn; "for he will not be satisfied +without ordering everything in the hall in his own way." "We will not +take his orders," said Oisin, "but we will leave the half of the hall to +him, and keep the other half ourselves."</p> + +<p>So they did that; but it happened that in the half of the house that was +given up to the King of Ireland's son, there were sitting two of the Men +of Dea, Failbhe Mor and Failbhe Beag; and it is what they said, that it +is because they were in that side of the hall it was given up. "It is a +pity," said Failbhe Beag, "this shame and this great insult to have been +put on us to-night; and it is likely Finn has a mind to do more than +that again to us," he said, "for he is going to bring away the woman +that is promised to the third best man of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +against the will of her father and mother." And these two went away +early in the morning to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail, and told him of the +insults Finn and the Fianna of Ireland had a mind to put on the Tuatha +de Danaan.</p> + +<p>And when Fionnbhar that was king over the Tuatha de Danaan heard that, +he sent out messengers through the length of Ireland to gather them all +to him. And there came six good battalions to him on the edge of Loch +Derg Dheirc at the end of a month; and it was the same day Conan had the +wedding-feast made ready for Finn and his people.</p> + +<p>And Finn was at Teamhair Luachra at that time, and when he heard the +feast was ready, he set out to go to it. And it chanced that the most of +the men he had with him at that time were of the sons of Morna. And when +they were on their way, Finn said to Goll, "O Goll," he said, "I never +felt any fear till now going to a feast. And there are but few of my +people with me," he said; "and I know there is no good thing before me, +but the Men of Dea are going to raise a quarrel against me and to kill +my people." "I will defend you against anything they may do," said Goll.</p> + +<p>They went on then to Conan's house, and there was a welcome before them, +and they were brought into the drinking-hall, and Finn was put in the +place beside the door, and Goll on his right and Finndeilb, of the Fair +Shape, on his left, and all the rest in the places they were used to.</p> + +<p>And as to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail and the Tuatha de Danaan, they put +a Druid mist about themselves and went on, hidden and armed, in sixteen +battalions, to the lawn before Conan's house. "It is little profit we +have being here," they said then, "and Goll being with Finn against us." +"Goll will not protect him this time," said Ethne, the woman-Druid, "for +I will entice Finn out of the house, however well he is watched."</p> + +<p>She went on to the house then, and took her stand before Finn outside. +"Who is that before me?" she said then. "It is I myself," said Finn. "I +put you under the bonds a true hero never broke," she said, "to come out +to me here." When Finn heard that, he made no delay and went out to her; +and for all there were so many in the house, not one of them took notice +of him going, only Caoilte, and he followed him out. And at the same +time the Tuatha de Danaan let out a flock of blackbirds having fiery +beaks, that pitched on the breasts of all the people in the house, and +burned them and destroyed them, till the young lads and the women and +children of the place ran out on all sides, and the woman of the house, +Conan's wife, was drowned in the river outside the dun.</p> + +<p>But as to Ethne, the woman-Druid, she asked Finn would he run against +her. "For it is to run a race against you I called you out," she said. +"What length of a race?" said Finn. "From Doire da Torc, the Wood of the +Two Boars, to Ath Mor, the Great Ford," she said. So they set out, but +Finn got first over the ford. And Caoilte was following after them, and +Finn was urging him, and he said: "It is ashamed of your running you +should be, Caoilte, a woman to be going past you." On that Caoilte made +a leap forward, and when he was in front of the witch he turned about +and gave a blow of his sword that made two equal halves of her.</p> + +<p>"Power and good luck to you, Caoilte!" said Finn; "for though it is many +a good blow you have struck, you never struck a better one than this."</p> + +<p>They went back then to the lawn before Conan's dun, and there they found +the whole company of the Tuatha de Danaan, that had put the Druid mist +off them. "It seems to me, Caoilte," said Finn, "that we are come into +the middle of our enemies."</p> + +<p>With that they turned their backs to one another, and they were attacked +on all sides till groans of weakness from the unequal fight were forced +from Finn. And when Goll, that was in the house, heard that, he said: +"It is a pity the Tuatha de Danaan to have enticed Finn and Caoilte away +from us; and let us go to their help and make no delay," he said.</p> + +<p>Then he rushed out, and all that were there of the Fianna with him, and +Conan of Ceann Slieve and his sons. And great anger came on Goll, that +he looked like a tall mountain under his grey shield in the battle. And +he broke through the Tuatha de Danaan till he reached to Fionnbhar their +leader, and they attacked one another, cutting and wounding, till at the +last Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail fell by the strokes of Goll. And a great +many others fell in that battle, and there never was a harder battle +fought in Ireland, for there was no man on one side or the other had a +mind to go back one step before whoever he was fighting against. For +they were the two hardest fighting troops to be found in the four parts +of the world, the strong, hardy Fianna of the Gael, and the beautiful +Men of Dea; and they went near to being all destroyed in that battle.</p> + +<p>But after a while they saw the rest of the Fianna that were not in the +battle coming from all parts of Ireland. And when the Tuatha de Danaan +saw them coming, they put the Druid mist about themselves again and made +away. And clouds of weakness came on Finn himself, and on them that were +with him, with the dint of the fight. And there were many men of the +Fianna lost in that battle; and as to the rest, it is a long time they +stopped in Almhuin of Leinster, till their wounds were entirely healed.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L59" id="L59" />CHAPTER X. THE SHADOWY ONE</h2> + + +<p>And indeed Finn had no great luck in going to look for a wife that time; +and he had no better luck another time he asked a wife from among the +Sidhe. And this is the way that happened.</p> + +<p>It was on the mountain of Bearnas Mor he was hunting, and a great wild +pig turned on the hounds of the Fianna and killed the most of them, but +Bran made an attack on it then and got the best of it. And the pig began +to scream, and with that a very tall man came out of the hill and he +asked Finn to let the pig go free. And when he agreed to that, the man +brought them into the hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis; and when they +came to the door of the house he struck the pig with his Druid rod, and +on the moment it changed into a beautiful young woman, and the name he +called her by was Scathach, the Shadowy One.</p> + +<p>And he made a great feast for the Fianna, and Finn asked the young girl +in marriage, and the tall man, her father, said he would give her to him +on that very night.</p> + +<p>But when night came on, Scathach asked the loan of a harp, and it was +brought to her. One string it had of iron, and one of bronze, and one of +silver. And when the iron string would be played, it would set all the +hosts of the world crying and ever crying; and when the bright bronze +string would be played, it would set them all laughing from the one day +to the same hour on the morrow; and when the silver string would be +played, all the men of the whole world would fall into a long sleep.</p> + +<p>And it is the sleepy silver string the Shadowy One played upon, till +Finn and Bran and all his people were in their heavy sleep.</p> + +<p>And when they awoke at the rising of the sun on the morrow, it is +outside on the mountain of Bearnas they were, where they first saw the +wild pig.</p> + + + +<p>CHAPTER XI. FINN'S MADNESS</p> + + +<p>One time Finn and the Fianna were come to a ford of the Slaine, and they +sat down for a while. And as they were sitting there they saw on the +round rock up over the ford a young woman, having a dress of silk and a +green cloak about her, and a golden brooch in the cloak, and the golden +crown that is the sign of a queen on her head. "Fianna of Ireland," she +said, "let one of you come now and speak with me."</p> + +<p>Then Sciathbreac, of the Speckled Shield, went towards her. "Who is it +you are wanting?" he said, "Finn, son of Cumhal," said she. Finn went +over then to talk with her. "Who are you?" he said, "and what is it you +are wanting?" "I am Daireann, daughter of Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," +she said; "and I am come to be your wife if you will give me the +bride-gift I ask." "What bride-gift is that?" said Finn. "It is your +promise," said she, "I to be your only wife through the length of a +year, and to have the half of your time after that." "I will not give +that promise," said Finn, "to any woman of the world, and I will not +give it to you," he said.</p> + +<p>On that the young woman took a cup of white silver from under a +covering, and filled it with strong drink, and she gave it to Finn. +"What is this?" said Finn. "It is very strong mead," said she. Now there +were bonds on Finn not to refuse anything belonging to a feast, so he +took the cup and drank what was in it, and on the moment he was like one +gone mad. And he turned his face towards the Fianna, and every harm and +every fault and every misfortune in battle that he knew against any one +of them, he sprang it on them, through the mad drunkenness the young +woman had put on him.</p> + +<p>Then the chief men of the Fianna of Ireland rose up and left the place +to him, every one of them setting out for his own country, till there +was no one left upon the hill but Finn and Caoilte. And Caoilte rose up +and followed after them, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "do +not leave your lord and your leader through the arts and the tricks of a +woman of the Sidhe." Thirteen times he went after them, bringing them +back to the hill in that way. And with the end of the day and the fall +of night the bitterness went from Finn's tongue; and by the time Caoilte +had brought back the whole of the Fianna, his sense and his memory were +come back to him, and he would sooner have fallen on his sword and got +his death, than have stayed living.</p> + +<p>And that was the hardest day's work Caoilte ever did, unless the day he +brought the flock of beasts and birds to Teamhair, to ransom Finn from +the High King of Ireland.</p> + +<p>Another time Maer, wife of Bersa of Berramain, fell in love with Finn, +and she made nine nuts of Segair with love charms, and sent them to +Finn, and bade him eat them. "I will not," said Finn; "for they are not +nuts of knowledge, but nuts of ignorance; and it is not known what they +are, unless they might be an enchantment for drinking love." So he +buried them a foot deep in the earth.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L60" id="L60" />CHAPTER XII. THE RED WOMAN</h2> + + +<p>One time the Fianna were in Almhuin with no great work to do, and there +came a very misty morning, and Finn was in dread that sluggishness would +come on his men, and he rose up, and he said: "Make yourselves ready, +and we will go hunting to Gleann-na-Smol."</p> + +<p>They all said the day was too misty to go hunting; but there was no use +in talking: they had to do as Finn bade them. So they made themselves +ready and went on towards Gleann-na-Smol; and they were not gone far +when the mist lifted and the sun came shining out.</p> + +<p>And when they were on the edge of a little wood, they saw a strange +beast coming towards them with the quickness of the wind, and a Red +Woman on its track. Narrow feet the beast had, and a head like the head +of a boar, and long horns on it; but the rest of it was like a deer, and +there was a shining moon on each of its sides.</p> + +<p>Finn stopped, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "did you ever +see a beast like that one until now?" "We never did indeed," said they; +"and it would be right for us to let out the hounds after it." "Wait a +while," said Finn, "till I speak with the Red Woman; but do not let the +beast go past you," he said. They thought to keep back the beast then, +going before it; but they were hardly able to hinder it at all, and it +went away through them.</p> + +<p>And when the Red Woman was come up to them, Finn asked her what was the +name of the beast she was following. "I do not know that," she said, +"though I am on its track since I left the borders of Loch Dearg a month +ago, and I never lost sight of it since then; and the two moons that are +on its two sides shine through the country all around in the night time. +And I must follow it till it falls," she said, "or I will lose my own +life and the lives of my three sons that are the best fighting men in +the whole world." "We will take the beast for you if you have a mind," +said Finn. "Do not try to do that," she said, "for I myself am swifter +than you are, and I cannot come up with it." "We will not let it go till +we know what sort of a beast is it," said Finn. "If you yourself or your +share of men go after it, I will bind you hand and foot," said she. "It +is too stiff your talk is," said Finn. "And do you not know," he said, +"I am Finn, son of Cumhal; and there are fourscore fighting men along +with me that were never beaten yet." "It is little heed I give to +yourself or your share of men," said the Red Woman; "and if my three +sons were here, they would stand up against you." "Indeed it will be a +bad day," said Finn, "when the threat of a woman will put fear on myself +or on the Fianna of Ireland." With that he sounded his horn, and he +said: "Let us all follow now, men and dogs, after that beast that we +saw."</p> + +<p>He had no sooner said that word than the woman made a great water-worm +of herself, and made an attack on Finn, and she would have killed him +then and there but for Bran being with him. Bran took a grip of the worm +and shook it, and then it wound itself round Bran's body, and would +have crushed the life out of her, but Finn thrust his sharp sword into +its throat. "Keep back your hand," said the worm then, "and you will not +have the curse of a lonely woman upon you." "It is what I think," said +Finn, "that you would not leave me my life if you could take it from me; +but go out of my sight now," he said, "and that I may never see you +again."</p> + +<p>Then she made herself into a Red Woman again, and went away into the +wood.</p> + +<p>All the Fianna were gone on the track of the beast while Finn was +talking and fighting with the Red Woman; and he did not know in what +place they were, but he went following after them, himself and Bran. It +was late in the evening when he came up with a share of them, and they +still on the track of the beast. The darkness of the night was coming +on, but the two moons in the sides of the beast gave a bright light, and +they never lost it from sight. They followed it on always; and about +midnight they were pressing on it, and it began to scatter blood after +it, and it was not long till Finn and his men were red from head to +foot. But that did not hinder them, and they followed him on till they +saw him going in at the foot of Cnoc-na-righ at the breaking of day.</p> + +<p>When they came to the foot of the hill the Red Woman was standing there +before them. "You did not take the beast," she said. "We did not take +it, but we know where it is," said Finn.</p> + +<p>She took a Druid rod then, and she struck a blow on the side of the +hill, and on the moment a great door opened, and they heard sweet music +coming from within. "Come in now," said the Red Woman, "till you see the +wonderful beast." "Our clothing is not clean," said Finn, "and we would +not like to go in among a company the way we are," he said.</p> + +<p>She put a horn to her mouth and blew it, and on the moment there came +ten young men to her. "Bring water for washing," she said, "and four +times twenty suits of clothes, and a beautiful suit and a crown of +shining stones for Finn, son of Cumhal." The young men went away then, +and they came back at the end of a minute with water and with clothing.</p> + +<p>When the Fianna were washed and dressed, the Red Woman brought them into +a great hall, where there was the brightness of the sun and of the moon +on every side. From that she brought them into another great room; and +although Finn and his men had seen many grand things up to that time, +they had never seen any sight so grand as what they saw in this place. +There was a king sitting in a golden chair, having clothes of gold and +of green, and his chief people were sitting around him, and his +musicians were playing. And no one could know what colour were the +dresses of the musicians, for every colour of the rainbow was in them. +And there was a great table in the middle of the room, having every sort +of thing on it, one better than another.</p> + +<p>The king rose up and gave a welcome to Finn and to his men, and he bade +them to sit down at the table; and they ate and drank their fill, and +that was wanting to them after the hunt they had made. And then the Red +Woman rose up, and she said: "King of the Hill, if it is your will, Finn +and his men have a mind to see the wonderful beast, for they spent a +long time following after it, and that is what brought them here."</p> + +<p>The king struck a blow then on his golden chair, and a door opened +behind him, and the beast came through it and stood before the king. And +it stooped down before him, and it said: "I am going on towards my own +country now; and there is not in the world a runner so good as myself, +and the sea is the same to me as the land. And let whoever can come up +with me come now," it said, "for I am going."</p> + +<p>With that the beast went out from the hill as quick as a blast of wind, +and all the people that were in it went following after it. It was not +long till Finn and his men were before the rest, in the front of the +hunt, gaining on the beast.</p> + +<p>And about midday Bran made the beast turn, and then she forced it to +turn a second time, and it began to put out cries, and it was not long +until its strength began to flag; and at last, just at the setting of +the sun, it fell dead, and Bran was at its side when it fell.</p> + +<p>Then Finn and his men came up, but in place of a beast it was a tall man +they saw lying dead before them. And the Red Woman came up at the same +time, and she said: "High King of the Fianna, that is the King of the +Firbolgs you have killed; and his people will put great troubles on this +country in the time to come, when you yourself, Finn, and your people +will be under the sod. And I myself am going now to the Country of the +Young," she said, "and I will bring you with me if you have a mind to +come." "We give you our thanks for that," said Finn, "but we would not +give up our own country if we were to get the whole world as an estate, +and the Country of the Young along with it." "That is well," said the +Red Woman; "but you are going home empty after your hunt." "It is likely +we will find a deer in Gleann-na-Smol," said Finn. "There is a fine deer +at the foot of that tree beyond," said the Red Woman, "and I will rouse +it for you." With that she gave a cry, and the deer started out and +away, and Finn and his men after it, and it never stopped till it came +to Gleann-na-Smol, but they could not come up with it. Then the Red +Woman came to them, and she said: "I think you are tired now with +following after the deer; and call your hounds off now," she said, "and +I will let out my own little dog after it." So Finn sounded a little +horn he had at his side, and on the moment the hounds came back to him. +And then the Red Woman brought out a little hound as white as the snow +of the mountains, and put it after the deer; and it was not long till it +had come up with the deer and killed it, and then it came back and made +a leap in under the cloak of the Red Woman. There was great wonder on +Finn; but before he could ask a question of the Red Woman, she was gone +out of sight. And as to the deer, Finn knew there was enchantment on it, +and so he left it there after him. And it is tired and empty the Fianna +were, going back to Almhuin that night.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L61" id="L61" />CHAPTER XIII. FINN AND THE PHANTOMS</h2> + + +<p>Finn went to a gathering one time at Aonach Clochair, and a great many +of the men of Munster crowded to it. And the horses of the Fianna were +brought there, and the horses of the men of Munster, and they ran races +against one another.</p> + +<p>And Fiachu, son of Eoghan, was in it; and when the games were over he +gave good presents to Finn, a lasting black horse that won the three +prizes of the gathering, and a chariot, and a horse for the +chariot-driver, and a spear, having a deadly spell, and weapons of +silver, and three comely hounds, Feirne and Derchaem and Dialath, having +collars of yellow gold and chains of white bronze.</p> + +<p>And Finn rose up and gave his thanks to Fiachu, son of Eoghan, and he +and his people set out to the house of Cacher at Cluain-da-loch. And +they stopped three days feasting in Cacher's house, and then Finn gave +him the price of his feast and of his ale, fifty rings, and fifty horses +and fifty cows.</p> + +<p>And he himself and the Fianna went on from that over Luachair to the +strand at Berramain. And Finn went trying his black horse on the strand, +and Caoilte and Oisin went racing against him; but it was only folly for +them to do that, for he gave a blow to his horse, and away with him to +Traigh Liath and over the Plain of Health to the Old Yew of the Old +Valley, and to the inver of the Flesc and the inver of the Lemain to +Loch Lein, till he came to the hill of Bairnech, and Caoilte and Oisin +after him.</p> + +<p>"Night is coming on us," said Finn then; "and go look for some place +where we can sleep," he said. He looked round then at the rocks on his +left hand and he saw a house, and a fire shining out from it in the +valley below. "I never knew of a house in this valley," he said.</p> + +<p>"It is best for us to go see it," said Caoilte, "for there are many +things we have no knowledge of."</p> + +<p>The three went on then to the house, and they heard screams and crying +from it; and when they came to the house, the people of it were very +fierce and rough; and a big grey man took hold of their horses and +brought them in and shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My +welcome to you, Finn of the great name," he said then; "it is a long +time you were in coming here."</p> + +<p>They sat down then on the hard boards of a bed, and the grey man kindled +a fire, and he threw logs of elder-wood on it, till they went near being +smothered with the smoke. They saw a hag in the house then having three +heads on her lean neck; and there was on the other side a man without a +head, having one eye, and it in his breast. "Rise up, you that are in +the house, and make music for the King of the Fianna," said the grey man +then.</p> + +<p>With that nine bodies rose up out of the corner nearest the Fianna, and +nine heads rose up on the other side of the bed, and they raised nine +harsh screeches together, that no one would like to be listening to. And +then the hag answered to them, and the headless man answered; and if all +of that music was harsh, there was none of it that you would not wish to +hear sooner than the music of the one-eyed man. And the music that was +sung went near to breaking the bones of their heads; and indeed it is no +sweet music that was.</p> + +<p>Then the big grey man rose up and took the axe that was for cutting +logs, and he began striking at the horses, flaying and destroying them. +Then there were brought fifty pointed spits of the rowan-tree, and he +put a piece of the horse's flesh on each one of the spits, and settled +them on the hearth. But when he took the spits from the fire and put +them before Finn, it is raw the flesh was on them yet. "Take your food +away," said Finn then, "for I have never eaten meat that was raw, and I +never will eat it because of being without food for one day." "If you +are come into our house to refuse our food," said the grey man, "we will +surely go against yourselves, Finn and Caoilte and Oisin."</p> + +<p>With that all in the house made an attack on the three; and they were +driven back into the corner, and the fire was quenched, and the fight +went on through the whole night in the darkness, and but for Finn and +the way he fought, they would have been put down.</p> + +<p>And when the sun rose and lighted up the house on the morrow, a mist +came into the head of each of the three, so that they fell as if dead on +the floor.</p> + +<p>But after awhile they rose up again, and there was nothing to be seen of +the house or of the people of the house, but they had all vanished. And +their horses were there, and they took them and went on, very weak and +tired, for a long way, till they came to the strand of Berramain.</p> + +<p>And those three that fought against them were the three Shapes out of +the Valley of the Yew Tree that came to avenge their sister, Cuillen of +the Wide Mouth.</p> + +<p>Now as to Cuillen, she was a daughter of the King of Munster, and her +husband was the King of Ulster's son. And they had a son that was called +Fear Og, the Young Man; and there was hardly in Ireland a man so good as +himself in shape and in courage and in casting a spear. And one time he +joined in a game with the Fianna, and he did better than them all, and +Finn gave him a great reward. And after that he went out to a hunt they +made, and it was by him and by none of the Fianna the first blood was +got of pig or of deer. And when they came back, a heavy sickness fell on +the young man through the eyes and the envy of the Fianna, and it left +him without life at the end of nine days. And he was buried under a +green hill, and the shining stone he used to hold in his hand, and he +doing his feats, was put over his head.</p> + +<p>And his mother, Cuillen, came to his grave keening him every day through +the length of a year. And one day she died there for grief after her +son, and they put her into the same green hill.</p> + +<p>But as to Finn, he was afraid of no earthly thing, and he killed many +great serpents in Loch Cuilinn and Loch Neathach, and at Beinn Edair; +and Shadow-Shapes at Loch Lein and Drom Cleib and Loch Liath, and a +serpent and a cat in Ath Cliath.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L62" id="L62" />CHAPTER XIV. THE PIGS OF ANGUS</h2> + + +<p>Angus Og, son of the Dagda, made a feast one time at Brugh na Boinne for +Finn and the Fianna of the Gael. Ten hundred of them were in it, and +they wearing green clothing and crimson cloaks; and as to the people of +Angus' house, it is clothing of red silk they had.</p> + +<p>And Finn was sitting beside Angus in the beautiful house, and it is +long since the like of those two were seen in Ireland. And any stranger +would wonder to see the way the golden cups were going from hand to +hand.</p> + +<p>And Angus said out in a loud voice that every one could hear: "It is a +better life this is than to be hunting." There was anger on Finn then, +and he said: "It is a worse life than hunting to be here, without +hounds, without horses, without battalions, without the shouting of +armies." "Why are you talking like that, Finn?" said Angus, "for as to +the hounds you have," he said, "they would not kill so much as one pig." +"You have not yourself," said Finn, "and the whole host of the Tuatha de +Danaan have not a pig that ever went on dry land that Bran and Sceolan +would not kill." "I will send you a pig," said Angus, "that will go from +you and your hounds, and that will kill them in the end."</p> + +<p>The steward of the house called out then in a loud voice: "Let every one +go now to his bed, before the lightness of drunkenness comes on you." +But Finn said to his people: "Let us make ready and leave this; for we +are but a few," he said, "among the Men of Dea." So they set out and +went westward till they came to Slieve Fuad where the Fianna were at +that time.</p> + +<p>And through the whole length of a year after that, the Tuatha de Danaan +were boasting how they would get the better of the Fianna, and the +Fianna were thinking how they could do best in the hunt. And at the end +of that time Angus sent messengers to Finn, asking him with great +respect if he was ready to keep his word. And Finn said he was, and the +hounds were brought out, and he himself was holding Bran and Sceolan, +one in each hand, and Caoilte had Adhnuall, and Oisin had Ablach, and +merry Bran Beag had Lonn, and Diarmuid was holding Eachtach, and Osgar +was holding Mac an Truim, and Garraidh was held by Faolan, and Rith +Fada, of the Long Run, by hungry Conan.</p> + +<p>And they were not long there with their hounds till they saw on the +plain to the east a terrible herd of great pigs, every one of them the +height of a deer. And there was one pig out in front of the rest was +blacker than a smith's coal, and the bristles on its head were like a +thicket of thorn-trees.</p> + +<p>Then Caoilte let out Adhnuall, and she was the first to kill a pig of +the herd. And then Bran made away from the leash that Finn was holding, +and the pigs ran their best, but she came up with them, and took hold of +a pig of them. And at that Angus said: "O Bran, fosterling of +fair-haired Fergus, it is not a right thing you are doing, to kill my +own son." But when Bran heard that, her ways changed and it was like an +enemy she took hold of the pig, and did not let it go, and held her +breath back and kept it for the Fianna.</p> + +<p>And it was over Slieve Cua the hunt went, and Slieve Crot, and from Magh +Cobha to Cruachan, and to Fionnabraic and to Finnias. And at evening +when the hunt was over, there was not one pig of the whole herd without +a hurt, and there were but a hundred and ten pigs left living. But if +the hunt brought destruction on Angus, it brought losses on the Fianna +as well, for there were ten hundred of their men missing besides +serving-lads and dogs.</p> + +<p>"Let us go to Brugh na Boinne and get satisfaction for our people," said +Oisin then. "That is the advice of a man without sense," said Finn; "for +if we leave these pigs the way they are, they will come to life again. +And let us burn them," he said, "and throw their ashes in the sea."</p> + +<p>Then the seven battalions of the Fianna made seven fires to every +battalion; but for all they could do, they could not set fire to one +pig. Then Bran, that had great sense and knowledge, went away, and she +came back bringing three logs along with her, but no one knows what wood +it was they came from. And when the logs were put on the fire they lit +up like a candle, and it is with them the pigs were burned; and after +that their ashes were thrown into the sea.</p> + +<p>Then Oisin said again: "Let us go now to Brugh na Boinne and avenge the +death of our people." So the whole of the Fianna set out for Brugh na +Boinne, and every step they made could surely be heard through the whole +of the skies.</p> + +<p>And Angus sent out messengers to where Finn was, offering any one thing +to him if he would spare his people. "I will take no gift at all from +you, Angus of the slender body," said Finn, "so long as there is a room +left in your house, north or east, without being burned." But Angus +said: "Although you think bad of the loss of your fine people that you +have the sway over, yet, O Finn, father of Oisin, it is sorrowful to me +the loss of my own good son is. For as to the black pig that came before +you on the plain," he said, "it was no common pig was in it, but my own +son. And there fell along with him," he said, "the son of the King of +the Narrow Sea, and the son of the King of the Sea of Gulls, and the son +of Ilbhrec, son of Manannan, and seven score of the comely sons of kings +and queens. And it is what destroyed my strength and my respect +entirely, they to have been burned away from me in a far place. And it +is a pity for you, sweet daring Bran," he said, "fosterling of Fergus of +the thirty woods and plains, that you did not do something worth praise +before killing your own foster-brother. And I will put a curse on you, +Bran," he said, "beyond every hound in Ireland, that you will never see +with your eyes any deer you may ever kill."</p> + +<p>There was anger on Finn when he heard that, and he said: "If you put a +curse on Bran, Angus, there will not be a room left, east or west, in +the whole of your great house without being burned." "If you do that," +said Angus, "I will put trees and stones in front of you in every +battle; and I will know what number of men you have in your armies," he +said, "looking at them through my ring."</p> + +<p>Then Oisin, that was wise, said: "It is best for you to agree between +yourselves now; and let us be helpful to one another," he said, "and pay +whatever fines are due."</p> + +<p>So they agreed to that, and they made peace, and gave children to be +fostered by one another: a son of Finn's to Angus, and son of Angus Og +to the Fianna.</p> + +<p>But for all that, it is not very friendly to Finn Angus was afterwards, +at the time he was following after Diarmuid and Grania through the whole +length of Ireland.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L63" id="L63" />CHAPTER XV. THE HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN</h2> + + +<p>Finn was one time out on the green of Almhuin, and he saw what had the +appearance of a grey fawn running across the plain. He called and +whistled to his hounds then, but neither hound nor man heard him or came +to him, but only Bran and Sceolan. He set them after the fawn, and near +as they kept to her, he himself kept nearer to them, till at last they +reached to Slieve Cuilinn in the province of Ulster.</p> + +<p>But they were no sooner at the hill than the fawn vanished from them, +and they did not know where was she gone, and Finn went looking for her +eastward, and the two hounds went towards the west.</p> + +<p>It was not long till Finn came to a lake, and there was sitting on the +brink of it a young girl, the most beautiful he had ever seen, having +hair of the colour of gold, and a skin as white as lime, and eyes like +the stars in time of frost; but she seemed to be some way sorrowful and +downhearted. Finn asked her did she see his hounds pass that way. "I did +not see them," she said; "and it is little I am thinking of your hounds +or your hunting, but of the cause of my own trouble." "What is it ails +you, woman of the white hands?" said Finn; "and is there any help I can +give you?" he said. "It is what I am fretting after," said she, "a ring +of red gold I lost off my finger in the lake. And I put you under bonds, +Finn of the Fianna," she said, "to bring it back to me out of the lake."</p> + +<p>With that Finn stripped off his clothes and went into the lake at the +bidding of the woman, and he went three times round the whole lake and +did not leave any part of it without searching, till he brought back the +ring. He handed it up to her then out of the water, and no sooner had he +done that than she gave a leap into the water and vanished.</p> + +<p>And when Finn came up on the bank of the lake, he could not so much as +reach to where his clothes were; for on the moment he, the head and the +leader of the Fianna of Ireland, was but a grey old man, weak and +withered.</p> + +<p>Bran and Sceolan came up to him then, but they did not know him, and +they went on round the lake, searching after their master.</p> + + +<p>In Almhuin, now, when he was missed, Caoilte began asking after him. +"Where is Finn," he said, "of the gentle rule and of the spears?" But no +one knew where was he gone, and there was grief on the Fianna when they +could not find him. But it is what Conan said: "I never heard music +pleased me better than to hear the son of Cumhal is missing. And that he +may be so through the whole year," he said, "and I myself will be king +over you all." And downhearted as they were, it is hardly they could +keep from laughing when they heard Conan saying that.</p> + +<p>Caoilte and the rest of the chief men of the Fianna set out then looking +for Finn, and they got word of him; and at last they came to Slieve +Cuilinn, and there they saw a withered old man sitting beside the lake, +and they thought him to be a fisherman. "Tell us, old man," said +Caoilte, "did you see a fawn go by, and two hounds after her, and a tall +fair-faced man along with them?" "I did see them," he said, "and it is +not long since they left me." "Tell us where are they now?" said +Caoilte. But Finn made no answer, for he had not the courage to say to +them that he himself was Finn their leader, being as he was an ailing, +downhearted old man, without leaping, without running, without walk, +grey and sorrowful.</p> + +<p>Caoilte took out his sword from the sheath then, and he said: "It is +short till you will have knowledge of death unless you will tell us what +happened those three."</p> + +<p>Then Finn told them the whole story; and when the seven battalions of +the Fianna heard him, and knew it was Finn that was in it, they gave +three loud sorrowful cries. And to the lake they gave the name of Loch +Doghra, the Lake of Sorrow.</p> + +<p>But Conan of the sharp tongue began abusing Finn and all the Fianna by +turns. "You never gave me right praise for my deeds, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "and you were always the enemy of the sons of Morna; +but we are living in spite of you," he said, "and I have but the one +fault to find with your shape, and that is, that it was not put on the +whole of the Fianna the same as on yourself." Caoilte made at him then; +"Bald, senseless Conan," he said, "I will break your mouth to the bone." +But Conan ran in then among the rest of the Fianna and asked protection +from them, and peace was made again.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn, they asked him was there any cure to be found for him. +"There is," he said; "for I know well the enchantment was put on me by a +woman of the Sidhe, Miluchradh, daughter of Cuilinn, through jealousy of +her sister Aine. And bring me to the hill that belongs to Cuilinn of +Cuailgne," he said, "for he is the only one can give me my shape again."</p> + +<p>They came around him then, and raised him up gently on their shields, +and brought him on their shoulders to the hill of the Sidhe in Cuailgne, +but no one came out to meet them. Then the seven battalions began +digging and rooting up the whole hill, and they went on digging through +the length of three nights and three days. And at the end of that time +Cuilinn of Cuailgne, that some say was Manannan, son of Lir, came out of +the hill, holding in his hand a vessel of red gold, and he gave the +vessel into Finn's hand. And no sooner did Finn drink what was in the +vessel than his own shape and his appearance came back to him. But only +his hair, that used to be so fair and so beautiful, like the hair of a +woman, never got its own colour again, for the lake that Cuilinn's +daughter had made for Finn would have turned all the men of the whole +world grey if they had gone into it.</p> + +<p>And when Finn had drunk all that was in the vessel it slipped from his +hand into the earth, that was loosened with the digging, and he saw it +no more. But in the place where it went into the earth, a tree grew up, +and any one that would look at the branches of that tree in the morning, +fasting, would have knowledge of all that was to happen on that day.</p> + +<p>That, now, is the way Finn came by his grey hair, through the jealousy +of Miluchradh of the Sidhe, because he had not given his love to her, +but to her sister Aine.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L64" id="L64" />BOOK FIVE: OISIN'S CHILDREN</h2> + + +<p>Now as to Oisin, that was so brave and so comely, and that could +overtake a deer at its greatest speed, and see a thistle thorn on the +darkest night, the wife he took was Eibhir of the plaited yellow hair, +that was the foreign sweetheart of the High King of Ireland.</p> + +<p>It is beyond the sea she lived, in a very sunny place; and her father's +name was lunsa, and her sunny house was thatched with the feathers of +birds, and the doorposts were of gold, and the doors of ribbed grass. +And Oisin went there looking for her, and he fought for her against the +High King and against an army of the Firbolgs he had helping him; and he +got the better of them all, and brought away Eibhir of the yellow hair +to Ireland.</p> + +<p>And he had a daughter that married the son of Oiliol, son of Eoghan, and +of Beara, daughter of the King of Spain. It was that Eoghan was driven +out of Ireland one time, and it is to Spain he went for safety. And +Beara, that was daughter of the King of Spain, was very shining and +beautiful, and her father had a mind to know who would be her husband, +and he sent for his Druid and asked the question of him. "I can tell you +that," said the Druid, "for the man that is to be her husband will come +to land in Spain this very night. And let your daughter go eastward to +the river Eibhear," he said, "and she will find a crimson-spotted salmon +in that river, having shining clothing on him from head to tail. And let +her strip that clothing off him," he said, "and make with it a shining +shirt for her husband."</p> + +<p>So Beara went to the river Eibhear, and found the golden salmon as the +Druid had said, and she stripped him of his crimson clothing and made a +shining shirt of it.</p> + +<p>And as to Eoghan, the waves of the shore put a welcome before him, and +he came the same night to the king's house. And the king gave him a +friendly welcome; and it is what all the people said, that there was +never seen a comelier man than Eoghan, or a woman more beautiful than +Beara, and that it was fitting for them to come together. And Eoghan's +own people said they would not be sorry for being sent away out of +Ireland, if only Eoghan could get her for his wife.</p> + +<p>And after a while the king sent his Druid to ask Eoghan why he did not +ask for Beara. "I will tell you that," said Eoghan; "it would not be +fitting for me to be refused a wife, and I am but an exile in this +country, and I have brought no treasures or goods with me out of Ireland +for giving to learned men and to poets. But for all that," he said, "the +king's daughter is dear to me, and I think I have the friendship of the +king."</p> + +<p>The Druid went back with that message. "That is the answer of a king," +said the King of Spain; "and bid my daughter to sit at Eoghan's right +hand," he said, "and I will give her to him this very night." And when +Beara, the king's daughter, heard that, she sent out her serving-maid to +bring the shirt she had made for Eoghan, and he put it on him over his +armour, and its shining was seen in every place; and it was from wearing +that shirt he got the name of Eoghan the Bright.</p> + +<p>And Oiliol was the first son they had; it was he that had his ear bitten +off by Aine of the Sidhe in revenge for her brother, and it was his son +married Oisin's daughter afterwards.</p> + +<p>And as to Osgar, that was Oisin's son, of all the young men of the +Fianna he was the best in battle. And when he was but a young child he +was made much of by the whole of the Fianna, and it is for him they used +to keep the marrow bones, and they did not like to put any hardship on +him. And he grew up tall and idle, and no one thought he would turn out +so strong as he did. And one day there was an attack made on a troop of +the Fianna, and all that were in it went out to fight, but they left +Osgar after them. And when he knew the fight was going on, he took a log +of wood that was the first thing he could find, and attacked the enemy +and made a great slaughter, and they gave way and ran before him. And +from that out there was no battle he did not go into; and he was said to +be the strongest of all the Fianna, though the people of Connacht said +that Goll was the strongest. And he and Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, +were comrades and dear friends; and it was Diarmuid taught him feats of +arms and of skill, and chess-playing. And Oisin his father took great +pride in him, and his grandfather Finn. And one time Finn was holding a +feast at Almhuin, and he asked the chief men of the Fianna that were +there what was the music they thought the best. "To be playing at +games," said Conan, "that is the best music I ever heard;" for though +Conan was a good hand against an enemy, there never was a man had less +sense. "The music I like the best is to be talking with a woman," said +Diarmuid. "My music is the outcry of my hounds, and they putting a deer +to its last stand," said Lugaidh's Son. "The music of the woods is best +to me," said Oisin; "the sound of the wind and of the cuckoo and the +blackbird, and the sweet silence of the crane."</p> + +<p>And then Osgar was asked, and he said: "The best music is the striking +of swords in a battle." And it is likely he took after Finn in that, for +in spite of all the sweet sounds he gave an account of the time he was +at Conan's house, at Ceann Slieve, it used to be said by the Fianna that +the music that was best with Finn was what happened.</p> + +<p>This now is the way Osgar met with his wife.</p> + +<p>One time Finn and his men came to Slieve Crot, and they saw a woman +waiting there before them, having a crimson fringed cloak, and a gold +brooch in it, and a band of yellow gold on her forehead. Finn asked her +name, and where she came from. "Etain of the Fair Hair is my name," she +said, "daughter of Aedh of the White Breast, of the hill of the Sidhe at +Beinn Edair, son of Angus Og." "What is it brought you here, girl?" said +Finn. "To ask a man of the Fianna of Ireland to run a race with me." +"What sort of a runner are you?" said Diarmuid. "I am a good runner," +said the girl; "for it is the same to me if the ground is long or short +under my feet."</p> + +<p>All of the Fianna that were there then set out to run with her, and they +ran to the height over Badhamair and on to Ath Cliath, and from that on +to the hill of the Sidhe at Beinn Edair.</p> + +<p>And there was a good welcome before them, and they were brought meat and +wine for drinking, and water for washing their feet. And after a while +they saw a nice fair-haired girl in front of the vats, and a cup of +white silver in her hand, and she giving out drink to every one. "It +seems to me that is the girl came asking the Fianna to race against her +at Slieve Crot," said Finn. "It is not," said Aedh of the White Breast, +"for that is the slowest woman there is among us." "Who was it so?" said +Finn. "It was Be-mannair, daughter of Ainceol, woman-messenger of the +Tuatha de Danaan. And it is she that changes herself into all shapes; +and she will take the shape of a fly, and of a true lover, and every one +leaves their secret with her. And it was she outran you coming from the +east," he said, "and not this other girl that was drinking and making +merry here in the hall." "What is her name?" said Finn. "Etain of the +Fair Hair," he said; "a daughter of my own, and a darling of the Tuatha +de Danaan. And it is the way with her, she has a lover of the men of the +Fianna." "That is well," said Finn; "and who is that lover?" "It is +Osgar, son of Oisin," said Aedh; "and it is she herself sent her +messenger for you," he said, "in her own shape, to Slieve Crot in the +south. And the son of the High King of Ireland has offered a great +bride-price to the Men of Dea for her," he said, "three hundreds of the +land nearest to Bregia and to Midhe, and to put himself and his weight +of gold into a balance, and to give it all to her. But we did not take +it," he said, "since she had no mind or wish for it herself, and so we +made no dealing or agreement about her." "Well," said Finn, "and what +conditions will you ask of Osgar?" "Never to leave me for anything at +all but my own fault," said the girl. "I will make that agreement with +you indeed," said Osgar. "Give me sureties for it," said she; "give me +the sureties of Goll for the sons of Morna, and of Finn, son of Cumhal, +for the Fianna of Ireland."</p> + +<p>So they gave those sureties, and the wedding-feast was made, and they +stopped there for twenty nights. And at the end of that time Osgar asked +Finn where would he bring his wife. "Bring her to wide Almhuin for the +first seven years," said Finn.</p> + +<p>But a while after that, in a great battle at Beinn Edair, Osgar got so +heavy a wound that Finn and the Fianna were as if they had lost their +wits. And when Etain of the Fair Hair came to the bed where Osgar was +lying, and saw the way he was, and that the great kinglike shape he had +was gone from him, greyness and darkness came on her, and she raised +pitiful cries, and she went to her bed and her heart broke in her like a +nut; and she died of grief for her husband and her first love.</p> + +<p>But it was not at that time Osgar got his death, but afterwards in the +battle of Gabhra.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L65" id="L65" />BOOK SIX: DIARMUID.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. BIRTH OF DIARMUID</h2> + + +<p>Diarmuid, now, was son of Bonn, son of Duibhne of the Fianna, and his +mother was Crochnuit, that was near in blood to Finn. And at the time he +was born, Bonn was banished from the Fianna because of some quarrel they +had with him, and Angus Og took the child from him to rear him up at +Brugh na Boinne.</p> + +<p>And after a while Crochnuit bore another son to Roc Diocain, that was +Head Steward to Angus. Roc Diocain went then to Donn, and asked would he +rear up his son for him, the way Angus was rearing Donn's son. But Donn +said he would not take the son of a common man into his house, and it +would be best for Angus to take him. So Angus took the child into Brugh +na Boinne, and he and Diarmuid were reared up together.</p> + +<p>And one day Finn was on the great Hill at Almhuin of Leinster, and no +one with him but Donn and a few of the poets and learned men of the +Fianna, and their hounds and dogs, and Bran Beag came in and asked did +he remember there were bonds on him, not to stop in Almhuin for ten +nights together. Finn asked the people about him then where would he go +and be entertained for that night, and Donn said: "I will bring you to +the house of Angus, son of the Dagda, where my young son is being +reared."</p> + + +<p>So they went together to the house of Angus at Brugh na Boinne, and the +child Diarmuid was there, and it is great love Angus had for him. And +the Steward's son was with him that night, and the people of the +household made as much of him as Angus made of Diarmuid; and there was +great vexation on Donn when he saw that. It chanced after a while a +great fight rose between two of Finn's hounds about some broken meat +that was thrown to them; and the women and the common people of the +place ran from them, and the others rose up to part them from one +another. And in running away, the Steward's child ran between the knees +of Donn, and Donn gave the child a strong squeeze between his two knees +that killed him on the moment, and he threw him under the feet of the +hounds. And when the Steward came after that and found his son dead, he +gave a long very pitiful cry, and he said to Finn: "There is not a man +in the house to-night has suffered more than myself from this uproar, +for I had but one son only, and he has been killed; and what +satisfaction will I get from you for that, Finn?" he said. "Try can you +find the mark of a tooth or of a nail of one of the hounds on him," said +Finn, "and if you can, I will give you satisfaction for him."</p> + +<p>So they looked at the child, and there was no scratch or mark of a tooth +on him at all. Then the Steward put Finn under the destroying bonds of +the Druid cave of Cruachan, to give him knowledge of who it was killed +his son. And Finn asked for a chess-board, and for water to be brought +to him, in a basin of pale gold, and he searched, and it was shown to +him truly that it was Donn had killed the Steward's son between his two +knees. When Finn knew that, he said he would take the fine on himself; +but the Steward would not consent to that, but forced him to tell who +was it had done him the wrong. And when he knew it was Donn had killed +the child, he said: "There is no man in the house it is easier to get +satisfaction from than from him, for his own son is here, and I have but +to put him between my two knees, and if I let him go from me safe, I +will forgive the death of my son." Angus was vexed at what the Steward +said, and as to Donn, he thought to strike his head off till Finn put +him back from him. Then the Steward came again, having a Druid rod with +him, and he struck his own son with the rod, and he made of him a wild +boar, without bristle or ear or tail, and he said: "I put you under +bonds to bring Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to his death; and your +own life will be no longer than his life," he said. With that the wild +boar rose up and ran out of the open door; and he was called afterwards +the Boar of Slieve Guillion, and it was by him Diarmuid came to his +death at the last.</p> + +<p>And when Diarmuid came to his full strength he was given a place among +the Fianna of Ireland; and all women loved him, and he did many great +deeds, fighting with the enemies of the Fianna and of Ireland; and one +time he fought a wild ox through the length of seven days and seven +nights on the top of the Mountain of Happiness.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L66" id="L66" />CHAPTER II. HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT</h2> + + +<p>Diarmuid and Conan and Goll and Osgar went one day hunting, and they +went so far they could not get home in the evening, and they spent the +first part of the night walking through the woods and pulling berries +and eating them. And when it was about midnight they saw a light, and +they went towards it, and they found a little house before them, and the +light shining from it. They went in then, and they saw an old man there, +and he bade them welcome, and he called them all by their names. And +they saw no one in the house but the old man and a young girl and a cat. +And the old man bade the girl to make food ready for the Fianna of +Ireland, for there was great hunger on them.</p> + +<p>And when the food was ready and put on the table, there came a great +wether that was fastened up in the back of the house, and he rose up on +the table where they were eating, and when they saw that, they looked at +one another. "Rise up, Conan," said Goll, "and fasten that wether in +the place it was before." Conan rose up and took hold of it, but the +wether gave itself a shake that threw Conan under one of its feet. The +rest were looking at that, and Goll said: "Let you rise up, Diarmuid, +and fasten up the wether." So Diarmuid rose up and took hold of it, but +it gave itself a shake the same way as before; and when Diarmuid was +down it put one of its feet on him. Goll and Osgar looked at one another +then, and shame came on them, a wether to have done so much as that. And +Osgar got up, but the wether put him down under one of his feet, so that +it had now the three men under him. Then Goll rose up and took hold of +it and threw it down; but if he did, it rose up again in spite of him, +and put Goll under his fourth foot.</p> + +<p>"It is a great shame," said the old man then, "the like of that to be +done to the Fianna of Ireland. And rise up now, cat," he said, "and tie +the wether in the place where he was." The cat rose up then and took +hold of the wether, and brought it over and tied it in its place at the +end of the house.</p> + +<p>The men rose up then, but they had no mind to go on eating, for there +was shame on them at what the wether had done to them. "You may go on +eating," said the old man; "and when you are done I will show you that +now you are the bravest men of the world." So they ate their fill then, +and the old man spoke to them, and it is what he said: "Goll," he said, +"you are the bravest of all the men of the world, for you have wrestled +with the world and you threw it down. The strength of the world is in +the wether, but death will come to the world itself; and that is death," +he said, showing them the cat.</p> + +<p>They were talking together then, and they had their food eaten, and the +old man said their beds were ready for them that they could go to sleep. +The four of them went then into the one room, and when they were in +their beds the young girl came to sleep in the same room with them, and +the light of her beauty was shining on the walls like as if it was the +light of a candle.</p> + +<p>And when Conan saw her he went over to the side of the bed where she +was.</p> + +<p>Now, it was Youth the young girl was, and when she saw Conan coming to +her: "Go back to your bed, Conan," she said; "I belonged to you once, +and I will never belong to you again." Conan went back to his bed then, +and Osgar had a mind to go over where she was. Then she said to him: +"Where are you going?" "I am going over to yourself for a while," said +he.</p> + +<p>"Go back again, Osgar," she said; "I belonged to you once, and I will +never belong to you again."</p> + +<p>Then Diarmuid rose up to go to her: "Where are you going, Diarmuid?" she +said. "I am going over to yourself for a while," said he. "O Diarmuid," +she said, "that cannot be; I belonged to you once, and I can never +belong to you again; but come over here to me, Diarmuid," she said, "and +I will put a love-spot on you, that no woman will ever see without +giving you her love." So Diarmuid went over to her, and she put her hand +on his forehead, and she left the love-spot there, and no woman that +ever saw him after that was able to refuse him her love.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L67" id="L67" />CHAPTER III. THE DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE</h2> + + +<p>One snowy night of winter the Fianna were come into the house after +their hunting. And about midnight they heard a knocking at the door, and +there came in a woman very wild and ugly, and her hair hanging to her +heels. She went to the place Finn was lying, and she asked him to let +her in under the border of his covering. But when he saw her so strange +and so ugly and so wild-looking he would not let her in. She gave a +great cry then, and she went to where Oisin was, and asked him to let +her shelter under the border of his covering. But Oisin refused her the +same way. Then she gave another great scream, and she went over where +Diarmuid was. "Let me in," she said, "under the border of your +covering." Diarmuid looked at her, and he said: "You are strange-looking +and wild and ugly, and your hair is down to your heels. But come in for +all that," he said.</p> + +<p>So she came in under the border of his covering.</p> + +<p>"O Diarmuid," she said then, "I have been travelling over sea and ocean +through the length of seven years, and in all that time I never got +shelter any night till this night. And let me to the warmth of the fire +now," she said. So Diarmuid brought her over to the fire, and all the +Fianna that were sitting there went away from it seeing her so ugly and +so dreadful to look at. And she was not long at the fire when she said: +"Let me go under the warmth of the covering with you now." "It is asking +too much you are," said Diarmuid; "first it was to come under the border +you asked, and then to come to the fire, and now it is under the +bed-covering with me you want to be. But for all that you may come," he +said.</p> + +<p>So she came in under the covering, and he turned a fold of it between +them. But it was not long till he looked at her, and what he saw was a +beautiful young woman beside him, and she asleep. He called to the +others then to come over, and he said: "Is not this the most beautiful +woman that ever was seen?" "She is that," they said, and they covered +her up and did not awaken her.</p> + +<p>But after a while she stirred, and she said: "Are you awake, Diarmuid?" +"I am awake," he said. "Where would you like to see the best house +built that ever was built?" she said. "Up there on the hillside, if I +had my choice," said he, and with that he fell asleep.</p> + +<p>And in the morning two men of the Fianna came in, and they said they +were after seeing a great house up on the hill, where there was not a +house before. "Rise up, Diarmuid," said the strange woman then; "do not +be lying there any longer, but go up to your house, and look out now and +see it," she said. So he looked out and he saw the great house that was +ready, and he said: "I will go to it, if you will come along with me." +"I will do that," she said, "if you will make me a promise not to say to +me three times what way I was when I came to you." "I will never say it +to you for ever," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>They went up then to the house, and it was ready for them, with food and +servants; and everything they could wish for they had it. They stopped +there for three days, and when the three days were ended, she said: "You +are getting to be sorrowful because you are away from your comrades of +the Fianna." "I am not sorrowful indeed," said Diarmuid. "It will be +best for you to go to them; and your food and your drink will be no +worse when you come back than they are now," said she. "Who will take +care of my greyhound bitch and her three pups if I go?" said Diarmuid. +"There is no fear for them," said she.</p> + +<p>So when he heard that, he took leave of her and went back to the Fianna, +and there was a great welcome before him. But for all that they were not +well pleased but were someway envious, Diarmuid to have got that grand +house and her love from the woman they themselves had turned away.</p> + +<p>Now as to the woman, she was outside the house for a while after +Diarmuid going away, and she saw Finn, son of Cumhal, coming towards +her, and she bade him welcome. "You are vexed with me, Queen?" he said. +"I am not indeed," she said; "and come in now and take a drink of wine +from me." "I will go in if I get my request," said Finn. "What request +is there that you would not get?" said she. "It is what I am asking, one +of the pups of Diarmuid's greyhound bitch." "That is no great thing to +ask," she said; "and whichever one you choose of them you may bring it +away."</p> + +<p>So he got the pup, and he brought it away with him.</p> + +<p>At the fall of night Diarmuid came back to the house, and the greyhound +met him at the door and gave a yell when she saw him, and he looked for +the pups, and one of them was gone. There was anger on him then, and he +said to the woman: "If you had brought to mind the way you were when I +let you in, and your hair hanging, you would not have let the pup be +brought away from me." "You ought not to say that, Diarmuid," said she. +"I ask your pardon for saying it," said Diarmuid. And they forgave one +another, and he spent the night in the house.</p> + +<p>On the morrow Diarmuid went back again to his comrades, and the woman +stopped at the house, and after a while she saw Oisin coming towards +her. She gave him a welcome, and asked him into the house, and he said +he would come if he would get his request. And what he asked was another +of the pups of the greyhound.</p> + +<p>So she gave him that, and he went away bringing the pup with him. And +when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him, and she cried +out twice. And he knew that another of the pups was gone, and he said to +the greyhound, and the woman standing there: "If she had remembered the +way she was when she came to me, she would not have let the pup be +brought away."</p> + +<p>The next day he went back again to the Fianna, and when he was gone, the +woman saw Caoilte coming towards her, and he would not come in to take a +drink from her till he had got the promise of one of the pups the same +as the others.</p> + +<p>And when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him and gave +three yells, the most terrible that ever were heard. There was great +anger on him then, when he saw all the pups gone, and he said the third +time: "If this woman remembered the way she was when I found her, and +her hair down to her heels, she would not have let the pup go." "O +Diarmuid, what is it you are after saying?" she said. He asked +forgiveness of her then, and he thought to go into the house, but it was +gone and the woman was gone on the moment, and it was on the bare ground +he awoke on the morrow. There was great sorrow on him then, and he said +he would search in every place till he would find her again.</p> + +<p>So he set out through the lonely valleys, and the first thing he saw was +the greyhound lying dead, and he put her on his shoulder and would not +leave her because of the love he had for her. And after a while he met +with a cowherd, and he asked him did he see a woman going the way. "I +saw a woman early in the morning of yesterday, and she walking hard," +said the cowherd. "What way was she going?" said Diarmuid. "Down that +path below to the strand, and I saw her no more after that," he said.</p> + +<p>So he followed the path she took down to the strand till he could go no +farther, and then he saw a ship, and he leaned on the handle of his +spear and made a light leap on to the ship, and it went on till it came +to land, and then he got out and lay down on the side of a hill and fell +asleep, and when he awoke there was no ship to be seen. "It is a pity +for me to be here," he said, "for I see no way of getting from it +again."</p> + +<p>But after a while he saw a boat coming, and a man in the boat rowing it, +and he went down and got into the boat, and brought the greyhound with +him. And the boat went out over the sea, and then down below it; and +Diarmuid, when he went down, found himself on a plain. And he went +walking along it, and it was not long before he met with a drop of +blood. He took it up and put it in a napkin. "It is the greyhound lost +this," he said. And after a while he met with another drop of blood, and +then with a third, and he put them in the napkin. And after that again +he saw a woman, and she gathering rushes as if she had lost her wits.</p> + +<p>He went towards her and asked her what news had she. "I cannot tell it +till I gather the rushes," she said. "Be telling it while you are +gathering them," said Diarmuid. "There is great haste on me," she said. +"What is this place where we are?" said Diarmuid. "It is +Land-under-Wave," said she. "And what use have you for the rushes when +they are gathered?" "The daughter of King Under-Wave is come home," she +said, "and she was for seven years under enchantment, and there is +sickness on her now, and all the physicians are gathered together and +none of them can do her any good, and a bed of rushes is what she finds +the wholesomest." "Will you show me where the king's daughter is?" said +Diarmuid. "I will do that," said the woman; "I will put you in the sheaf +of rushes, and I will put the rushes under you and over you, and I will +carry you to her on my back." "That is a thing you cannot do," said +Diarmuid. But she put the rushes about him, and lifted him on her back, +and when she got to the room she let down the bundle. "O come here to +me," said the daughter of King Under-Wave, and Diarmuid went over to +her, and they took one another's hands, and were very joyful at that +meeting. "Three parts of my sickness is gone from me now," she said +then; "but I am not well yet, and I never will be, for every time I +thought of you, Diarmuid, on my journey, I lost a drop of the blood of +my heart." "I have got those three drops here in this napkin," said +Diarmuid, "and take them now in a drink and you will be healed of your +sickness." "They would do nothing for me," she said, "since I have not +the one thing in the world that I want, and that is the thing I will +never get," she said. "What thing is that?" said Diarmuid. "It is the +thing you will never get, nor any man in the world," she said, "for it +is a long time they have failed to get it." "If it is in any place on +the whole ridge of the world I will get it," said Diarmuid. "It is three +draughts from the cup of the King of Magh an Ionganaidh, the Plain of +Wonder," she said, "and no man ever got it or ever will get it." "Tell +me where that cup is to be found," said Diarmuid, "for there are not as +many men as will keep it from me on the whole ridge of the world." "That +country is not far from the boundary of my father's country," she said; +"but there is a little river between, and you would be sailing on that +river in a ship, having the wind behind it, for a year and a day before +you would reach to the Plain of Wonder."</p> + +<p>Diarmuid set out then, and he came to the little river, and he was a +good while walking beside it, and he saw no way to cross it. But at last +he saw a low-sized, reddish man that was standing in the middle of the +river. "You are in straits, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," he said; +"and come here and put your foot in the palm of my hand and I will bring +you through." Diarmuid did as he bade him, and put his foot in the red +man's palm, and he brought him across the river. "It is going to the +King of the Plain of Wonder you are," he said, "to bring away his cup +from him; and I myself will go with you."</p> + +<p>They went on then till they came to the king's dun, and Diarmuid called +out that the cup should be sent out to him, or else champions to fight +with him should be sent out. It was not the cup was sent out, but twice +eight hundred fighting men; and in three hours there was not one of them +left to stand against him. Then twice nine hundred better fighters +again were sent out against him, and within four hours there was not one +of them left to stand against him. Then the king himself came out, and +he stood in the great door, and he said: "Where did the man come from +that has brought destruction on the whole of my kingdom?" "I will tell +you that," said he; "I am Diarmuid, a man of the Fianna of Ireland." "It +is a pity you not to have sent a messenger telling me that," said the +king, "and I would not have spent my men upon you; for seven years +before you were born it was put in the prophecy that you would come to +destroy them. And what is it you are asking now?" he said. "It is the +cup of healing from your own hand I am asking," said Diarmuid. "No man +ever got that cup from me but yourself," said the king, "but it is easy +for me to give it to you, whether or not there is healing in it."</p> + +<p>Then the King of the Plain of Wonder gave Diarmuid the cup, and they +parted from one another; and Diarmuid went on till he came to the river, +and it was then he thought of the red man, that he had given no thought +to while he was at the king's house. But he was there before him, and +took his foot in the palm of his hand and brought him over the river. "I +know where it is you are going, Diarmuid," he said then; "it is to heal +the daughter of King Under-Wave that you have given your love to. And it +is to a well I will give you the signs of you should go," he said, "and +bring a share of the water of that well with you. And when you come +where the woman is, it is what you have to do, to put that water in the +cup, and one of the drops of blood in it, and she will drink it, and the +same with the second drop and the third, and her sickness will be gone +from her from that time. But there is another thing will be gone along +with it," he said, "and that is the love you have for her."</p> + +<p>"That will not go from me," said Diarmuid. "It will go from you," said +the man; "and it will be best for you make no secret of it, for she will +know, and the king will know, that you think no more of her then than of +any other woman. And King Under-Wave will come to you," he said, "and +will offer you great riches for healing his daughter. But take nothing +from him," he said, "but ask only a ship to bring you home again to +Ireland. And do you know who am I myself?" he said. "I do not know," +said Diarmuid. "I am the messenger from beyond the world," he said; "and +I came to your help because your own heart is hot to come to the help of +another."</p> + +<p>So Diarmuid did as he bade him, and he brought the water and the cup and +the drops of blood to the woman, and she drank them, and at the third +draught she was healed. And no sooner was she healed than the love he +had for her was gone, and he turned away from her. "O Diarmuid," she +said, "your love is gone from me." "O, it is gone indeed," said he.</p> + +<p>Then there was music made in the whole place, and the lamenting was +stopped, because of the healing of the king's daughter. And as to +Diarmuid, he would take no reward and he would not stop there, but he +asked for a ship to bring him home to Ireland, to Finn and the Fianna. +And when he came where they were, there was a joyful welcome before him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L68" id="L68" />CHAPTER IV. THE HARD SERVANT</h2> + + +<p>The Fianna went hunting one time in the two proud provinces of Munster. +They went out from Almhuin by the nearest paths till they came to the +Brosna river in Slieve Bladhma, and from there to the twelve mountains +of Eiblinne, and on to Aine Cliach, the harp of Aine.</p> + +<p>They scattered themselves then and hunted through the borders of the +forest that is called Magh Breogain, through blind trackless places and +through broken lands, over beautiful level plains and the high hills of +Desmumum, under pleasant Slieve Crot and smooth Slieve na Muc, along the +level banks of the blue Siuir and over the green plain of Feman and the +rough plain of Eithne, and the dark woods of Belach Gabrain.</p> + +<p>And Finn was at the side of a hill, and the chief men of the Fianna +along with him, to watch the hunting; for they liked to be listening to +the outcry of the hounds and the hurried cries of the boys, and the +noise and the whistling and the shouts of the strong men.</p> + +<p>Finn asked then which of the men that were with him would go and keep +watch on the side of the hill where they were. And Finnbane, son of +Bresel, said he would go. And he went on to the top of the hill, where +he could see about him on all sides. And he was not long there till he +saw coming from the east a very big man, ugly and gloomy and deformed; +and it is how he was, a dark-coloured shield on his back, a wide sword +on his crooked left thigh, two spears on his shoulder, a torn loose +cloak over his limbs, that were as black as a quenched coal. A sulky +horse he had with him that had no good appearance, bony and thin as to +body, and weak in the legs, and he leading it with a rough iron halter; +and it was a great wonder the head was not pulled from the horse's body, +or the arms pulled out of his owner, with the sudden stands and stops +and the jerks it made. And the big man was striking blows on the horse +with an iron cudgel to try and knock some going out of him, and the +sound of the blows was like the breaking of strong waves.</p> + +<p>And when Finnbane saw all that, he thought to himself it would not be +right to let the like of that stranger go up unknown to Finn and the +Fianna, and he ran back in haste to where they were and told them all he +had seen.</p> + +<p>And when he had told his story, they saw the big man coming towards +them; but as short as he was from them he was long in coming, from the +badness of his walk and his going.</p> + +<p>And when he came into Finn's presence he saluted him, and bowed his head +and bent his knee, making signs of humility.</p> + +<p>Finn raised his hand over his head then, and asked news of him, and if +he was of the noble or of the mean blood of the great world. He answered +that he had no knowledge who he came from, but only that he was a man of +the Fomor, travelling in search of wages to the kings of the earth, "and +I heard," he said, "that Finn never refused wages to any man." "I never +did indeed," said Finn, "and I will not refuse you. But why is it," he +said, "you are without a boy to mind your horse?" "I have a good reason +for that," said the big man; "there is nothing in the world is worse to +me than a boy to be with me; for it is a hundred men's share of food," +he said, "that serves me for one day, and it is little enough I think +it, and I would begrudge a boy to be sharing it with me." "What is the +name you have?" said Finn. "The name I have is the Gilla Decair, the +Hard Servant," said he. "Why did you get that name?" said Finn. "There +is a good reason for that," said the big man, "for there is nothing in +the world is harder to me than to do anything at all for my master, or +whatever person I am with. And tell me this, Conan, son of Morna," he +said, "who gets the best wages, a horseman or a man afoot?" "A horseman +gets twice as much," said Conan. "Then I call you to witness, Conan," he +said, "that I am a horseman, and that it was as a horseman I came to the +Fianna. And give me your guarantee now, Finn, son of Cumhal, and the +guarantee of the Fianna, and I will turn out my horse with your horses." +"Let him out then," said Finn.</p> + +<p>The big man pulled off the iron halter then from his horse, and it made +off as hard as it could go, till it came where the horses of the Fianna +were; and it began to tear and to kick and to bite at them, killing and +maiming. "Take your horse out of that, big man," said Conan; "and by the +earth and the sky," he said, "only it was on the guarantee of Finn and +the Fianna you took the halter off him, I would let out his brains +through the windows of his head; and many as is the bad prize Finn has +found in Ireland," he said, "he never got one as bad as yourself." "And +I swear by earth and sky as well as yourself," said the big man, "I will +never bring him out of that; for I have no serving-boy to do it for me, +and it is not work for me to be leading my horse by the hand."</p> + +<p>Conan, son of Morna, rose up then and took the halter and put it on the +horse, and led it back to where Finn was, and held it with his hand. +"You would never have done a horse-boy's service, Conan," said Finn, "to +any one of the Fianna, however far he might be beyond this Fomor. And if +you will do what I advise," he said, "you will get up on the horse now, +and search out with him all the hills and hollows and flowery plains of +Ireland, till his heart is broken in his body in payment for the way he +destroyed the horses of the Fianna."</p> + +<p>Conan made a leap then on to the horse, and struck his heels hard into +him, but with all that the horse would not stir. "I know what ails him," +said Finn, "he will not stir till he has the same weight of horsemen on +him as the weight of the big man."</p> + +<p>On that thirteen men of the Fianna went up behind Conan, and the horse +lay down with them and rose up again. "I think that you are mocking at +my horse and at myself," said the big man; "and it is a pity for me to +be spending the rest of the year with you, after all the humbugging I +saw in you to-day, Finn. And I know well," he said, "that all I heard +about you was nothing but lies, and there was no cause for the great +name you have through the world. And I will quit you now, Finn," he +said.</p> + +<p>With that he went from them, slow and weak, dragging himself along till +he had put a little hill between himself and the Fianna. And as soon as +he was on the other side of it, he tucked up his cloak to his waist, and +away with him, as if with the quickness of a swallow or a deer, and the +rush of his going was like a blast of loud wind going over plains and +mountains in spring-time.</p> + +<p>When the horse saw his master going from him, he could not bear with it, +but great as his load was he set out at full gallop following after him. +And when Finn and the Fianna saw the thirteen men behind Conan, son of +Morna, on the horse, and he starting off, they shouted with mocking +laughter.</p> + +<p>And when Conan found that he was not able to come down off the horse, he +screeched and shouted to them not to let him be brought away with the +big man they knew nothing of, and he began abusing and reproaching them. +"A cloud of death over water on you, Finn," he said, "and that some son +of a slave or a robber of the bad blood, one that is a worse son of a +father and mother even than yourself, may take all that might protect +your life, and your head along with that, unless you follow us to +whatever place or island the big man will carry us to, and unless you +bring us back to Ireland again."</p> + +<p>Finn and the Fianna rose up then, and they followed the Gilla Decair +over every bald hill, and through every valley and every river, on to +pleasant Slieve Luachra, into the borders of Corca Duibhne; and the big +man, that was up on the horse then along with Conan and the rest, faced +towards the deep sea. And Liagan Luath of Luachar took hold of the +horse's tail with his two hands, thinking to drag him back by the hair +of it; but the horse gave a great tug, and away with him over the sea, +and Liagan along with him, holding on to his tail.</p> + +<p>It was a heavy care to Finn, those fourteen men of his people to be +brought away from him, and he himself under bonds to bring them back. +"What can we do now?" Oisin asked him. "What should we do, but to follow +our people to whatever place or island the big man has brought them, +and, whatever way we do it, to bring them back to Ireland again." "What +can we do, having neither a ship or any kind of boat?" said Oisin. "We +have this," said Finn, "the Tuatha de Danaan left as a gift to the +children of the Gael, that whoever might have to leave Ireland for a +while, had but to go to Beinn Edair, and however many would go along +with him, they would find a ship that would hold them all." Finn looked +towards the sea then, and he saw two strong armed men coming towards +him. The first one had on his back a shield ribbed and of many colours, +having shapes of strange, wonderful beasts engraved on it, and a heavy +sword at his side, and two thick spears on his shoulders; a cloak of +lasting crimson about him, with a gold brooch on the breast; a band of +white bronze on his head, gold under each of his feet; and the other was +dressed in the same way. They made no delay till they came to where Finn +was, and they bowed their heads and bent their knees before him, and +Finn raised his hand over their heads, and bade them to give an account +of themselves. "We are sons of the King of the Eastern World," they +said, "and we are come to Ireland asking to be taken into the service of +Finn; for we heard there was not a man in all Ireland," they said, +"would be better than yourself to judge of the skill we have." "What is +your name, and what skill is that?" said Finn. "My name is Feradach, +the Very Brave," he said; "and I have a carpenter's axe and a sling, and +if there were so many as thirty hundred of the men of Ireland along with +me in one spot, with three blows of the axe on the sling-stick I could +get a ship that would hold them all. And I would ask no more help of +them," he said, "than to bow down their heads while I was striking those +three blows." "That is a good art," said Finn. "And tell me now," he +said, "what can the other man do?" "I can do this," he said, "I can +follow the track of the teal over nine ridges and nine furrows until I +come on her in her bed; and it is the same to me to do it on sea as on +land," he said. "That is a good art," said Finn; "and it would be a good +help to us if you would come following a track with us now." "What is +gone from you?" said one of the men. Finn told them then the whole story +of the Hard Servant.</p> + +<p>Then Feradach, the Very Brave, struck three blows on his sling-stick +with the axe that he had, and the whole of the Fianna bowed their heads, +and on the moment the whole of the bay and of the harbour was filled +with ships and with fast boats. "What will we do with that many ships?" +said Finn. "We will do away with all you make no use of," he said.</p> + +<p>Caoilte rose up then and let out three great shouts, and all the Fianna +of Ireland, in whatever places they were, heard them, and they thought +Finn and his people to be in some kind of danger from men from beyond +the sea.</p> + +<p>They came then in small companies as they chanced to be, till they came +to the stepping-stones of the Cat's Head in the western part of Corca +Duibhne. And they asked news of Finn, what had happened that he called +them away from their hunting, and Finn told them all that had happened. +Then Finn and Oisin went into council together, and it is what they +agreed; that as but fifteen of his people were brought away from Finn, +he himself with fifteen others would go on their track; Oisin to be left +at the head of the Fianna to guard Ireland.</p> + +<p>And they said farewell to one another, and a grand ship was made ready +for Finn and his people, and there was food put in it for using and gold +for giving away. The young men and the heroes took to their seats then, +and took hold of the oars, and they set out over the restless hills and +the dark valleys of the great sea.</p> + +<p>And the sea rose up and bellowed, and there was madness on the broken +green waters; but to Finn and his people it was a call in the morning +and a sleepy time at night to be listening to the roaring and the +crooning that was ever and always about the sides of the ship.</p> + +<p>They went on like that for three days and three nights, and saw no +country or island. But at the end of that time a man of them went up +into the head of the ship, and he saw out before them a great, rough +grey cliff. They went on towards it then, and they saw on the edge of +the cliff a high rock, round-shaped, having sides more slippery than an +eel's back. And they found the track of the Hard Servant as far as to +the foot of the rock.</p> + +<p>Fergus of the True Lips said then to Diarmuid: "It is no brave thing you +are doing, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to hold back like this, for it +was with Manannan the Powerful, son of Lir, you were reared and got your +learning, in the Land of Promise and in the coasts of the harbours, and +with Angus Og, the Dagda's son. And are you without any share of their +skill and their daring now," he said, "that would bring Finn and his +people up this rock?"</p> + +<p>Diarmuid's face reddened when he heard those words, and he took hold of +Manannan's staves of power that were with him, and he reddened again, +and he rose on the staves and gave a leap, and got a standing-place for +his two feet on the overhanging rock. He looked down from that on Finn +and his people, but whatever wish he had to bring them up to where he +was, he was not able to do it.</p> + +<p>He left the rock behind him then, and he was not gone far when he saw a +wild tangled place before him, with thick woods that were of all he had +ever walked the most leafy and the fullest of the sounds of wind and +streams and birds, and of the humming of bees.</p> + +<p>He went on walking the plain, and as he was looking about him, he saw a +great tree with many twigs and branches, and a rock beside it, and a +smooth-pointed drinking-horn on it, and a beautiful fresh well at its +foot. And there was a great drouth on Diarmuid after the sea-journey, +and he had a mind to drink a hornful of the water. But when he stooped +to it he heard a great noise coming towards him, and he knew then there +was enchantment in the water.</p> + +<p>"I will drink my fill of it for all that," he said. And it was not long +after that till he saw a Man of Enchantments coming towards him armed, +having no friendly look. And it was in no friendly way he spoke to +Diarmuid when he came up to him, but he gave him great abuse. "It is no +right thing," he said, "to be walking through my thickets and to be +drinking up my share of water." With that they faced one another +angrily, and they fought till the end of the day.</p> + +<p>The Enchanter thought it well to leave off fighting then, and he made a +leap into the bottom of the well away from him, but there was vexation +on Diarmuid to be left like that.</p> + +<p>He looked around him then, and he saw a herd of deer coming through the +scrub, and he went towards them, and threw a spear that went through the +nearest stag and drove the bowels out of him. He kindled a fire then, +and he cut thin bits of the flesh and put them on spits of white hazel, +and that night he had his fill of meat and of the water of the well.</p> + +<p>He rose up early on the morrow, and he found the Enchanter at the well +before him. "It seems to me, Grandson of Duibhne," he said, "that it is +not enough for you to be walking my scrub and my woods without killing +my deer as well." With that they started again, giving one another blow +for blow, thrust for thrust, and wound for wound till the end of the day +came on them. And Diarmuid killed another great deer that night, and in +the morning the fight began again. But in the evening, when the +Enchanter was making his leap into the well, Diarmuid threw his arms +about his neck, thinking to stop him, but it is what happened, he fell +in himself. And when he was at the bottom of the well the Enchanter left +him.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid went then following after the Enchanter, and he found before +him a beautiful wide flowery plain, and a comely royal city in the +plain, and on the green before the dun he saw a great army; and when +they saw Diarmuid following after the Enchanter, they left a way and a +royal road for the Enchanter to pass through till he got inside the dun. +And then they shut the gates, and the whole army turned on Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>But that put no fear or cowardice on him, but he went through them and +over them like a hawk would go through little birds, or a wild dog +through a flock of sheep, killing all before him, till some of them made +away to the woods and wastes, and another share of them through the +gates of the dun, and they shut them, and the gates of the city after +them. And Diarmuid, all full of hurts and wounds after the hard fight, +lay down on the plain. A very strong daring champion came then and +kicked at him from behind, and at that Diarmuid roused himself up, and +put out his brave ready hand for his weapons.</p> + +<p>"Wait a while, Grandson of Duibhne," the champion said then; "it is not +to do you any hurt or harm I am come, but to say to you it is a bad +sleeping-place for you to have, and it on your ill-wisher's lawn. And +come now with me," he said, "and I will give you a better +resting-place."</p> + +<p>Diarmuid followed him then, and they went a long, long way from that, +till they came to a high-topped city, and three times fifty brave +champions in it, three times fifty modest women, and another young woman +on a bench, with blushes in her cheeks, and delicate hands, and having a +silken cloak about her, and a dress sewed with gold threads, and on her +head the flowing veil of a queen.</p> + +<p>There was a good welcome before Diarmuid for his own sake and the sake +of his people, and he was put in a house of healing that was in the +city, and good herbs were put to his hurts till he was smooth and sound +again.</p> + +<p>And a feast was made then, and the tables and the benches were set, and +no high person was put in the place of the mean, or mean in the place of +the high, but every one in his own place, according to his nobility, or +his descent, or his art. Plenty of good food was brought to them then, +and well-tasting strong drinks, and they spent the first part of the +night in drinking, and the second part with music and delight and +rejoicing of the mind, and the third part in sound sleep that lasted +till the sun rose over the heavy sodded earth on the morrow.</p> + +<p>Three days and three nights Diarmuid stopped in that city, and the best +feast he ever found was given to him all through. And at the end of that +time he asked what was the place he was in, and who was head of it. And +the champion that brought him there told him it was Land-Under-Wave, and +that the man that had fought with him was its king. "And he is an enemy +of the Red Hand to me," he said. "And as to myself," he said, "I was +one time getting wages from Finn, son of Cumhal, in Ireland, and I never +put a year over me that pleased me better. And tell me now," he said, +"what is the journey or the work that is before you?"</p> + +<p>And Diarmuid told him the story of the Hard Servant then from beginning +to end.</p> + +<p>Now, as to Finn and his people, when they thought Diarmuid was too long +away from them, they made ladders of the cords of the ship and put them +against the rock, looking for him.</p> + +<p>And after a while they found the leavings of the meat he had eaten, for +Diarmuid never ate meat without leaving some after him.</p> + +<p>Finn looked then on every side, and he saw a rider coming towards him +over the plain on a dark-coloured beautiful horse, having a bridle of +red gold. Finn saluted him when he came up, and the rider stooped his +head and gave Finn three kisses, and asked him to go with him. They went +on a long way till they came to a wide, large dwelling-place full of +arms, and a great troop of armed men on the green before the fort. Three +nights and three days Finn and his people stopped in the dun, and the +best feast they ever got was served out to them.</p> + +<p>At the end of that time Finn asked what country was he in, and the man +that brought him there told him it was the land of Sorcha, and that he +himself was its king. "And I was with yourself one time, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "taking your wages through the length of a year in +Ireland."</p> + +<p>Then Finn and the King of Sorcha called a great gathering of the people +and a great meeting. And when it was going on they saw a woman-messenger +coming to them through the crowd, and the king asked news of her. "I +have news indeed," she said; "the whole of the bay and the harbour is +full of ships and of boats, and there are armies all through the country +robbing all before them." "I know well," said the king, "it is the High +King of Greece is in it, for he has a mind to put the entire world under +him, and to get hold of this country like every other." The King of +Sorcha looked at Finn then, and Finn understood it was help from him he +was asking, and it is what he said: "I take the protection of this +country on myself so long as I am in it." He and his people rose up +then, and the King of Sorcha along with them, and they went looking for +the strange army. And when they came up with it they made great +slaughter of its champions, and those they did not kill ran before them, +and made no better stand than a flock of frightened birds, till there +were hardly enough of them left to tell the story.</p> + +<p>The High King spoke then, and it is what he said: "Who is it has done +this great slaughter of my people? And I never heard before," he said, +"any talk of the courage or of the doings of the men of Ireland either +at this time or in the old times. But from this out," he said, "I will +banish the Sons of the Gael for ever to the very ends of the earth."</p> + +<p>But Finn and the King of Sorcha raised a green tent in view of the ships +of the Greeks.</p> + +<p>The King of the Greeks called then for help against Finn and the King of +Sorcha, to get satisfaction for the shame that was put on his people. +And the sons of kings of the eastern and southern world came to his +help, but they could make no stand against Finn and Osgar and Oisin and +Goll, son of Morna. And at the last the King of Greece brought all his +people back home, the way no more of them would be put an end to.</p> + +<p>And then Finn and the King of Sorcha called another great gathering. And +while it was going on, they saw coming towards them a great troop of +champions, bearing flags of many-coloured silk, and grey swords at +their sides and high spears reared up over their heads. And in the front +of them was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne.</p> + +<p>When Finn saw him, he sent Fergus of the True Lips to ask news of him, +and they told one another all that had happened.</p> + +<p>And it would take too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +Finn made the Hard Servant bring home his fifteen men that he had +brought away. And when he had brought them back to Ireland, the whole of +the Fianna were watching to see him ride away again, himself and his +long-legged horse. But while they were watching him, he vanished from +them, and all they could see was a mist, and it stretching out towards +the sea.</p> + +<p>And that is the story of the Hard Servant, and of Diarmuid's adventures +on the island Under-Wave.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L69" id="L69" />CHAPTER V. THE HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES</h2> + + +<p>And it is often the Fianna would have been badly off without the help of +Diarmuid. It was he came to their help the time Miodac, the son of the +King of Lochlann, brought them into the enchanted House of the Quicken +Trees.</p> + +<p>It was by treachery he brought them in, giving himself out to be a poet, +and making poems for Finn to make out the meaning of. A verse he made +about a great army that he saw riding over the plains to victory, and +robbing all before it, and the riders of it having no horses but plants +and branches. "I understand that," said Finn, "it was an army of bees +you saw, that was gathering riches from the flowers as it went." And +another verse Miodac made was about a woman in Ireland that was swifter +than the swiftest horse. "I know that," said Finn, "that woman is the +River Boinn; and if she goes slow itself, she is swifter in the end than +the swiftest horse, for her going never stops." And other verses he made +about Angus' house at Brugh na Boinn, but Finn made them all out.</p> + +<p>And after that he said he had a feast ready for them, and he bade them +go into his House of the Quicken Trees till he would bring it. And they +did that, and went in, and it was a beautiful house, having walls of +every colour, and foreign coverings of every colour on the floor, and a +fire that gave out a very pleasant smoke. And they sat down there, and +after a while Finn said: "It is a wonder such a beautiful house to be +here." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Goll; "that fire that +was so pleasant when we came in is giving out now the worst stench in +the world." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Glas; "the walls +that were of all colours are now but rough boards joined together." +"There is a greater wonder than that," said Fiacha; "where there were +seven high doors to the house there is now but one little door, and it +shut." "Indeed, there is a more wonderful thing than that," said Conan; +"for we sat down on beautiful coverings, and now there is nothing +between us and the bare ground, and it as cold as the snow of one +night." And he tried to rise up, but he could not stir, or any of the +rest of them, for there was enchantment that kept them where they were.</p> + +<p>And it was the treachery of Miodac, and the spells of the Three Kings of +the Island of the Floods that had brought them into that danger. And +Finn knew by his divination that their enemies were gathering to make an +end of them, and he said to his people there was no use in making +complaints, but to sound the music of the Dord Fiann.</p> + +<p>And some of the Fianna that were waiting for him not far off heard that +sorrowful music, and came fighting against Miodac and his armies, and +they fought well, but they could not stand against them. And at the last +it was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that made an end of Miodac that +was so treacherous, and of the Three Kings of the Island of the Floods, +and took the enchantment off the floor of the House of the Rowan Trees +with their blood.</p> + +<p>And when he was freeing the Fianna, Conan called out, asking him to +bring him a share of the feast Miodac had made ready for his own +friends, for there was hunger on him. And when Diarmuid took no heed of +him, he said: "If it was a comely woman was speaking to you, Diarmuid, +you would not refuse to listen."</p> + +<p>For if many women loved Diarmuid, there were many he himself gave his +love to; and if he was often called Diarmuid the brave, or the hardy, or +the comely, or the Hawk of Ess Ruadh, it is often he was called as well +the friend and the coaxer of women, Diarmuid-na-man.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L70" id="L70" />BOOK SEVEN: DIARMUID AND GRANIA.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE FLIGHT FROM TEAMHAIR</h2> + + +<p>Finn rose up one morning early in Almhuin of Leinster, and he sat out +alone on the green lawn without a boy or a servant being with him. And +Oisin followed him there, and Diorraing the Druid. "What is the cause of +your early rising, Finn?" said Oisin. "It is not without cause, indeed, +I rise early," said Finn, "for I am without a wife or a companion since +Maighneis, daughter of Black Garraidh, died from me; for quiet sleep is +not used to come to a man that is without a fitting wife." "Why would +you be like that?" said Oisin, "for there is not a woman in all green +Ireland you would throw a look on but we would bring her to you, willing +or unwilling." "I myself could find a wife would be fitting for you," +said Diorraing. "Who is that?" said Finn. "It is Grania, daughter of the +High King of Ireland," said Diorraing; "and she is the woman of the best +make and shape and the best speech of the women of the whole world." "By +my word, Diorraing," said Finn, "there is strife and disagreement +between the High King and myself this long time, and it would not be +pleasing to me to get a refusal from him. And it is best for you two to +go together," he said, "and to ask his daughter for me in marriage; the +way that if he gives a refusal, it will be to you and not to myself he +will give it." "We will go," said Oisin, "even if it is little profit we +will get by it. And let no one at all know of our going," he said, +"until such time as we are come back again."</p> + +<p>After that the two bade farewell to Finn, and set out, and it is not +told what they did till they came to Teamhair. The King of Ireland was +holding a gathering at that time on the green of Teamhair, and the chief +nobles of his people were with him. And there was a friendly welcome +given to Oisin and to Diorraing, and the king put off the gathering +till the next day, for he was sure it was some pressing thing had +brought these two men of the Fianna to Teamhair. And Oisin went aside +with him, and told him it was to ask his daughter Grania in marriage +they were come from Finn, Head of the Fianna of Ireland.</p> + +<p>The king spoke, and it is what he said: "There is not a son of a king or +of a great prince, there is not a champion in Ireland my daughter has +not given a refusal to, and it is on me they all lay the blame of that. +And I will give you no answer at all," he said, "till you go to herself; +for it is better for you to get her own answer, than to be displeased +with me."</p> + +<p>So they went together to the sunny house of the women, and the king sat +down at the head of the high seat beside Grania, and he said: "Here, +Grania, are two of the people of Finn, son of Cumhal, come to ask you as +a wife for him, and what answer have you a mind to give them?" And it is +what Grania said: "If he is a fitting son-in-law for you, why would he +not be a fitting husband for me?"</p> + +<p>They were satisfied then, and there was a feast made for them that night +in Grania's sunny house, and the king settled for a meeting a fortnight +from that time between himself and Finn at Teamhair.</p> + +<p>So Oisin and Diorraing went back again to Almhuin, and told Finn their +story from beginning to end. And as everything wears away, so did that +time of delay.</p> + +<p>And then Finn gathered together the seven battalions of the Fianna from +every part where they were to Almhuin. And they set out in great bands +and troops till they came to Teamhair.</p> + +<p>The king was out on the green before them, and the great people of the +men of Ireland, and there was a great welcome before Finn and the +Fianna.</p> + +<p>But when Grania saw grey-haired Finn, she said: "It is a great wonder +it was not for Oisin Finn asked me, for he would be more fitting for me +than a man that is older than my father."</p> + +<p>But they talked together for a while, and Finn was putting questions to +Grania, for she had the name of being very quick with answers. "What is +whiter than snow?" he said. "The truth," said Grania. "What is the best +colour?" said Finn. "The colour of childhood," said she. "What is hotter +than fire?" "The face of a hospitable man when he sees a stranger coming +in, and the house empty." "What has a taste more bitter than poison?" +"The reproach of an enemy." "What is best for a champion?" "His doings +to be high, and his pride to be low." "What is the best of jewels?" "A +knife." "What is sharper than a sword?" "The wit of a woman between two +men." "What is quicker than the wind?" said Finn then. "A woman's mind," +said Grania. And indeed she was telling no lie when she said that. And +for all their talk together she had no liking for Finn, and she felt the +blood in her heart to be rising against him.</p> + +<p>And the wedding-feast was made ready then, and they all went into the +king's feasting-house in the Middle Court. And the king sat down to take +his share of drinking and pleasure, and his wife at his left side, and +Grania beside her again; and Finn, son of Cumhal, at the right hand of +the king, and Oisin at the other side, and every other one according to +his nobility and his birth.</p> + +<p>Then Daire of the poems stood up before Grania, and sang the songs and +good poems of her fathers to her. And there was sitting near to Grania a +knowledgeable man, a Druid of Finn's people, and it was not long until +they began to talk together. "Tell me now," said Grania, "who is that +man on the right hand of Oisin?" "That is Goll, son of Morna," said the +Druid, "the ready fighter." "Who is that beside Goll?" said Grania. +"Osgar, son of Oisin," said the Druid. "And who is that thin-legged man +beside Osgar?" "That is Caoilte, son of Ronan." "Who is that proud, +hasty man beside Caoilte?" "Lugaidh's Son of the Strong Hand." "Who is +that sweet-worded man," she said then, "with the dark hair, and cheeks +like the rowan berry, on the left side of Oisin, son of Finn?" "That is +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said the Druid, "that is the best lover +of women in the whole world." "That is a good company," said Grania.</p> + +<p>And after the feast had gone on a while, their own feast was made for +the dogs outside. And the dogs began to fight with one another, and the +noise was heard in the hall, and the chief men of the Fianna went to +drive them away from one another.</p> + +<p>Now Diarmuid was used to keep his cap always over the love-spot the +woman had left on his forehead, for no woman could see that spot but she +would give him her love. And it chanced, while he was driving the dogs +apart, the cap fell from him, and Grania was looking cut at him as it +fell, and great love for him came on her there and then. And she called +her serving-maid to her, and bade her bring the great golden cup that +held drink for nine times nine men from the sunny house. And when the +serving-maid brought the cup, she filled it with wine that had +enchantment in it, and she said: "Give the cup first to Finn, and bid +him take a drink from it, and tell him it is I myself sent it to him." +So the serving-maid did that, and Finn took the cup and drank out of it, +and no sooner did he drink than he fell into a deep sleep. And then the +cup was given to the king, and the queen, and the sons of kings, and the +whole company, but only Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diarmuid, and +Diorraing the Druid. And all that drank of it fell into the same heavy +sleep.</p> + +<p>And when they were all in their sleep, Grania rose up softly from the +seat where she was, and she turned her face to Diarmuid, and she said: +"Will you take my love, Diarmuid, son of Duibhne, and will you bring me +away out of this house to-night?"</p> + +<p>"I will not," said Diarmuid; "I will not meddle with the woman that is +promised to Finn." "If that is so," said Grania, "I put you under Druid +bonds, to bring me out of this house to-night before the awaking of Finn +and of the King of Ireland from their sleep."</p> + +<p>"It is under bad bonds you are putting me, Grania," said Diarmuid. "And +why is it," he said, "that you put them on me more than on the great men +and sons of kings that are in the Middle Court to-night? for there is +not one of them all but is as well worthy of a woman's love as myself." +"By my hand, Diarmuid, it is not without cause I laid those bonds on +you," said Grania; "for I was at the door a while ago when you were +parting the dogs," she said, "and my eyes fell on you, and I gave you +the love there and then that I never gave to any other, and never will +give for ever."</p> + +<p>"It is a wonder you to give that love to me, and not to Finn," said +Diarmuid, "for there is not in Ireland a man is a better lover of a +woman than himself. And do you know this, Grania," he said, "the night +Finn is in Teamhair it is he himself is the keeper of its gates. And as +that is so, we cannot leave the town." "There is a side door of escape +at my sunny house," said Grania, "and we will go out by it." "It is a +thing I will never do," said Diarmuid, "to go out by any side door of +escape at all." "That may be so," said Grania, "but I heard it said that +every fighting man has leave to pass over the walls of any dun and of +any strong place at all by the shafts of his spears. And I will go out +through the door," she said, "and let you follow me like that."</p> + +<p>With that she went out, and Diarmuid spoke to his people, and it is what +he said, "O Oisin, son of Finn, what must I do with these bonds that +are laid on me?" "You are not guilty if the bonds were laid on you," +said Oisin; "and I tell you to follow Grania, and to keep yourself well +out of the hands of Finn." "Osgar, son of Oisin," he said then, "what +must I do with these bonds that are put on me?" "I tell you to follow +Grania," said Osgar, "for it is a pitiful man that would break his +bonds." "What advice do you give me, Caoilte?" said Diarmuid. "It is +what I say," said Caoilte, "that I myself have a fitting wife; and that +it would be better to me than all the riches of the world Grania to have +given me that love." "What advice do you give me, Diorraing?" "I tell +you to follow Grania," said Diorraing, "although you will get your death +by it, and that is bad to me." "Is that the advice you all give me?" +said Diarmuid. "It is," said Oisin, and all the rest with him. With that +Diarmuid stood up and stretched out his hand for his weapons, and he +said farewell to Oisin and the others, and every tear he shed was of the +size of a mountain berry. He went out then to the wall of the dun, and +he put the shafts of his two spears under him, and he rose with a light +leap and he came down on the grassy earth outside, and Grania met him +there. Then Diarmuid said: "It is a bad journey you are come on, Grania. +For it would be better for you to have Finn, son of Cumhal, as a lover +than myself, for I do not know any part or any western corner of Ireland +that will hide you. And if I do bring you with me," he said, "it is not +as a wife I will bring you, but I will keep my faith to Finn. And turn +back now to the town," he said, "and Finn will never get news of what +you are after doing." "It is certain I will not turn back," said Grania, +"and I will never part with you till death parts us." "If that is so, +let us go on, Grania," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>They went on then, and they were not gone far out from the town when +Grania said: "I am getting tired, indeed." "It is a good time to be +tired," said Diarmuid, "and go now back again to your own house. For I +swear by the word of a true champion," he said, "I will never carry +yourself or any other woman to the end of life and time." "That is not +what you have to do," said Grania, "for my father's horses are in a +grass field by themselves, and chariots with them; and turn back now, +and bring two horses of them, and I will wait in this place till you +come to me again."</p> + +<p>Diarmuid went back then for the horses, and we have no knowledge of +their journey till they reached to the ford on the Sionnan, that is +called now Ath-luain.</p> + +<p>And Diarmuid said then to Grania: "It is easier to Finn to follow our +track, the horses being with us." "If that is so," said Grania: "leave +the horses here, and I will go on foot from this out."</p> + +<p>Diarmuid went down to the river then, and he brought a horse with him +over the ford, and left the other horse the far side of the river. And +he himself and Grania went a good way with the stream westward, and they +went to land at the side of the province of Connacht. And wherever they +went, Diarmuid left unbroken bread after him, as a sign to Finn he had +kept his faith with him.</p> + +<p>And from that they went on to Doire-da-Bhoth, the Wood of the Two Huts. +And Diarmuid cut down the wood round about them, and he made a fence +having seven doors of woven twigs, and he set out a bed of soft rushes +and of the tops of the birch-tree for Grania in the very middle of the +wood.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L71" id="L71" />CHAPTER II. THE PURSUIT</h2> + + +<p>And as to Finn, son of Cumhal, I will tell out his story now.</p> + +<p>All that were in Teamhair rose up early in the morning of the morrow, +and they found Diarmuid and Grania were wanting from them, and there +came a scorching jealousy and a weakness on Finn. He sent out his +trackers then on the plain, and bade them to follow Diarmuid and Grania. +And they followed the track as far as the ford on the Sionnan, and Finn +and the Fianna followed after them, but they were not able to carry the +track across the ford. And Finn gave them his word that unless they +would find the track again without delay, he would hang them on each +side of the ford.</p> + +<p>Then the sons of Neamhuin went up against the stream, and they found a +horse on each side of it, and then they went on with the stream +westward, and they found the track going along the side of the Province +of Connacht, and Finn and the Fianna of Ireland followed it on. And Finn +said: "I know well where we will find Diarmuid and Grania now; it is in +Doire-da-Bhoth they are." Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diorraing were +listening when Finn said those words. And Osgar spoke to the others, and +it is what he said: "There is danger they might be there, and it would +be right for us to give them some warning; and look now, Osgar, where is +Bran the hound, for Finn himself is no dearer to him than Diarmuid, and +bid him go now with a warning to him."</p> + +<p>So Osgar told Bran, and Bran understood him well, and she went to the +rear of the whole troop the way Finn would not see her, and she followed +on the track of Diarmuid and Grania till she came to Doire-da-Bhoth, and +she put her head into Diarmuid's bosom, and he in his sleep.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid started up out of his sleep then, and he awoke Grania, and said +to her: "Here is Bran, Finn's hound, and she is come with a warning to +tell us Finn himself is coming." "Let us take that warning, then," said +Grania, "and make your escape." "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, +"for if I cannot escape Finn, I would as soon he took me now as at any +other time." When Grania heard that, great fear came on her.</p> + +<p>Bran went away from them then, and when Oisin saw her coming back, he +said: "I am in dread Bran found no chance to get to Diarmuid, and we +should send him some other warning. And look where is Fearghoin," he +said, "Caoilte's serving-man." Now it was the way with Fearghoin, every +shout he would give would be heard in the three nearest hundreds to him. +So they made him give out three shouts the way Diarmuid would hear him. +And Diarmuid heard him, and he said to Grania: "I hear Caoilte's +serving-man, and it is with Caoilte he is, and it is along with Finn +Caoilte is, and those shouts were sent as a warning to me." "Take that +warning," said Grania. "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, "for Finn +and the Fianna will come up with us before we leave the wood." And fear +and great dread came on Grania when she heard him say that.</p> + +<p>As for Finn, he did not leave off following the track till he came to +Doire-da-Bhoth, and he sent the sons of Neamhuin to search through the +wood, and they saw Diarmuid, and the woman along with him. They came +back then where Finn was, and he asked them were Diarmuid and Grania in +the wood? "Diarmuid is in it," they said, "and there is some woman with +him, but we knew Diarmuid, and we do not know Grania." "May no good come +to the friends of Diarmuid for his sake," said Finn, "and he will not +quit that wood till he has given me satisfaction for everything he has +done to me."</p> + +<p>"It is jealousy has put you astray, Finn," said Oisin; "you to think +Diarmuid would stop here on the plain of Maen Mhagh, and no close place +in it but Doire-da-Bhoth, and you following after him." "Saying that +will do you no good," said Finn, "for I knew well when I heard the three +shouts Caoilte's serving-man gave out, it was you sent them to Diarmuid +as a warning. And another thing," he said, "it was you sent my own +hound Bran to him. But none of those things you have done will serve +you, for he will not leave Doire-da-Bhoth till he gives me satisfaction +for everything he has done to me, and every disgrace he has put on me." +"It is great foolishness for you, Finn," said Osgar then, "to be +thinking Diarmuid would stop in the middle of this plain and you waiting +here to strike the head off him." "Who but himself cut the wood this +way," said Finn, "and made this close sheltered place with seven woven +narrow doors to it. And O Diarmuid," he said out then, "which of us is +the truth with, myself or Oisin?" "You never failed from your good +judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid, "and indeed I myself and Grania are +here." Then Finn called to his men to go around Diarmuid and Grania, and +to take them.</p> + +<p>Now it was shown at this time to Angus Og, at Brugh na Boinne, the great +danger Diarmuid was in, that was his pupil at one time, and his dear +foster-son. He set out then with the clear cold wind, and did not stop +in any place till he came to Doire-da-Bhoth. And he went unknown to Finn +or the Fianna into the place where Diarmuid and Grania were, and he +spoke kind words to Diarmuid, and he said: "What is the thing you have +done, grandson of Duibhne?" "It is," said Diarmuid, "the daughter of the +King of Ireland that has made her escape with me from her father and +from Finn, and it is not by my will she came." "Let each of you come +under a border of my cloak, so," said Angus, "and I will bring you out +of the place where you are without knowledge of Finn or his people." +"Bring Grania with you," said Diarmuid, "but I will never go with you; +but if I am alive I will follow you before long. And if I do not," he +said, "give Grania to her father, and he will do well or ill to her."</p> + +<p>With that Angus put Grania under the border of his cloak, and brought +her out unknown to Finn or the Fianna, and there is no news told of them +till they came to Ros-da-Shoileach, the Headland of the Two Sallows.</p> + +<p>And as to Diarmuid, after Angus and Grania going from him, he stood up +as straight as a pillar and put on his armour and his arms, and after +that he went to a door of the seven doors he had made, and he asked who +was at it. "There is no enemy to you here," they said, "for there are +here Oisin and Osgar and the best men of the sons of Baiscne along with +us. And come out to us now, and no one will have the daring to do any +harm or hurt on you." "I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "till I +see at what door Finn himself is." He went then to another door of the +seven and asked who was at it. "Caoilte, son of Ronan, and the rest of +the sons of Ronan along with him; and come out to us now, and we will +give ourselves for your sake." "I will not go out to you," said +Diarmuid, "for I will not put you under Finn's anger for any well-doing +to myself." He went on to another door then and asked who was at it. +"There is Conan, son of Morna, and the rest of the sons of Morna along +with him; and it is enemies to Finn we are, and you are a great deal +more to us than he is, and you may come out and no one will dare lay a +hand on you." "I will not indeed," said Diarmuid, "for Finn would be +better pleased to see the death of every one of you than to let me +escape." He went then to another door and asked who was at it. "A friend +and a comrade of your own, Fionn, son of Cuadan, head of the Fianna of +Munster, and his men along with him; and we are of the one country and +the one soil, and we will give our bodies and our lives for your sake." +"I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "for I would not like Finn to +have a grudge against you for any good you did to me." He went then to +another door and asked who was at it. "It is Fionn, son of Glor, head +of the Fianna of Ulster, and his men along him; and come out now to us +and there is no one will dare hurt or harm you." "I will not go out to +you," said Diarmuid, "for you are a friend to me, and your father along +with you, and I would not like the unfriendliness of Finn to be put on +you for my sake." He went then to another door, and he asked who was at +it. "There is no friend of yours here," they said, "for there is here +Aodh Beag the Little from Eamhuin, and Aodh Fada the Long from Eamhuin, +and Caol Crodha the Fierce, and Goineach the Wounder, and Gothan the +White-fingered, and Aoife his daughter, and Cuadan the Tracker from +Eamhuin; and we are unfriendly people to you, and if you come out to us +we will not spare you at all, but will make an end of you." "It is a bad +troop is in it," said Diarmuid; "you of the lies and of the tracking and +of the one shoe, and it is not fear of your hands is upon me, but +because I am your enemy I will not go out."</p> + +<p>He went then to the last of the seven doors and asked who was at it. "No +friend of yours," they said, "but it is Finn, son of Cumhal, and four +hundred paid fighting men along with him; and if you will come out to us +we will make opened marrow of you." "I give you my word, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "that the door you are at yourself is the first door I will +pass out of."</p> + +<p>When Finn heard that, he warned his battalions on pain of lasting death +not to let Diarmuid past them unknown. But when Diarmuid heard what he +said, he rose on the staves of his spears and he went with a very high, +light leap on far beyond Finn and his people, without their knowledge. +He looked back at them then, and called out that he had gone past them, +and he put his shield on his back and went straight on towards the west, +and it was not long before he was out of sight of Finn and the Fianna. +Then when he did not see any one coming after him, he turned back to +where he saw Angus and Grania going out of the wood, and he followed on +their track till he came to Ros-da-Shoileach.</p> + +<p>He found Angus and Grania there in a sheltered, well-lighted cabin, and +a great blazing fire kindled in it, and the half of a wild boar on +spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the life of Grania all to went out of +her with joy before him.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid told them his news from beginning to end, and they ate their +share that night, and they went to sleep till the coming of the day and +of the full light on the morrow. And Angus rose up early, and he said to +Diarmuid: "I am going from you now, grandson of Duibhne; and I leave +this advice with you," he said, "not to go into a tree with one trunk, +and you flying before Finn, and not to be going into a cave of the earth +that has but one door, and not to be going to an island of the sea that +has but one harbour. And in whatever place you cook your share of food," +he said, "do not eat it there; and in whatever place you eat it, do not +lie down there; and in whatever place you lie down, do not rise up there +on the morrow." He said farewell to them after that, and went his way.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L72" id="L72" />CHAPTER III. THE GREEN CHAMPIONS</h2> + +<p>Then Diarmuid and Grania went along the right bank of the Sionnan +westward till they came to Garbh-abha-na-Fiann, the rough river of the +Fianna. And Diarmuid killed a salmon on the brink of the river, and put +it to the fire on a spit. Then he himself and Grania went across the +stream to eat it, as Angus bade them; and then they went westward to +sleep.</p> + +<p>They rose up early on the morrow, and they travelled straight westward +till they came to the marsh of Finnliath.</p> + +<p>And on the marsh they met with a young man, having a good shape and +appearance, but without fitting dress or arms. Diarmuid greeted the +young man, and asked news of him. "A fighting lad I am, looking for a +master," he said, "and Muadhan is my name." "What would you do for me, +young man?" said Diarmuid. "I would be a servant to you in the day, and +watch for you in the night," he said. "I tell you to keep that young +man," said Grania, "for you cannot be always without people."</p> + +<p>Then they made an agreement with him, and bound one another, and they +went on together westward till they reached the Carrthach river. And +then Muadhan bade Diarmuid and Grania to go up on his back till he would +carry them over the stream.</p> + +<p>"That would be a big load for you," said Grania. But he put them upon +his back and carried them over. Then they went on till they came to the +Beith, and Muadhan brought them over on his back the same way. And they +went into a cave at the side of Currach Cinn Adhmuid, the Woody Headland +of the Bog, over Tonn Toime, and Muadhan made ready beds of soft rushes +and tops of the birch for them in the far end of the cave. And he went +himself into the scrub that was near, and took a straight long rod of a +quicken-tree, and he put a hair and a hook on the rod, and a holly berry +on the hook, and he went up the stream, and he took a salmon with the +first cast. Then he put on a second berry and killed another fish, and +he put on a third berry and killed the third fish. Then he put the hook +and the hair under his belt, and struck the rod into the earth, and he +brought the three salmon where Diarmuid and Grania were, and put them on +spits. When they were done, Muadhan said: "I give the dividing of the +fish to you, Diarmuid." "I would sooner you to divide it than myself," +said Diarmuid. "I will give the dividing of the fish to you, so, +Grania," said he. "I am better satisfied you to divide it," said Grania. +"If it was you that divided the fish, Diarmuid," said Muadhan, "you +would have given the best share to Grania; and if it was Grania divided +it, she would have given you the best share; and as it is myself is +dividing it, let you have the biggest fish, Diarmuid, and let Grania +have the second biggest, and I myself will have the one is smallest."</p> + +<p>They spent the night there, and Diarmuid and Grania slept in the far +part of the cave, and Muadhan kept watch for them until the rising of +the day and the full light of the morrow.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid rose up early, and he bade Grania keep watch for Muadhan, and +that he himself would go and take a walk around the country. He went out +then, and he went up on a hill that was near, and he was looking about +him, east and west, north and south. He was not long there till he saw a +great fleet of ships coming from the west, straight to the bottom of the +hill where he was. And when they were come to land, nine times nine of +the chief men of the ships came on shore, and Diarmuid went down and +greeted them, and asked news of them, and to what country they belonged.</p> + +<p>"Three kings we are of the Green Champions of Muir-na-locht," said they; +"and Finn, son of Cumhal, sent looking for us by cause of a thief of the +woods, and an enemy of his own that has gone hiding from him; and it is +to hinder him we are come. And we are twenty hundred good fighting men, +and every one of us is a match for a hundred, and besides that," he +said, "we have three deadly hounds with us; fire will not burn them, and +water will not drown them, and arms will not redden on them, and we will +lay them on his track, and it will be short till we get news of him. +And tell us who you are yourself?" they said, "and have you any word of +the grandson of Duibhne?" "I saw him yesterday," said Diarmuid; "and I +myself," he said, "am but a fighting man, walking the world by the +strength of my hand and by the hardness of my sword. And by my word," he +said, "you will know Diarmuid's hand when you will meet it." "Well, we +found no one up to this," said they. "What are your own names?" said +Diarmuid. "Dubh-chosach, the Black-footed, Fionn-chosach, the +Fair-footed, and Treun-chosach, the Strong-footed," they said.</p> + +<p>"Is there wine in your ships?" said Diarmuid. "There is," said they. "If +you have a mind to bring out a tun of wine," said Diarmuid, "I will do a +trick for you." They sent men to get the tun, and when it came Diarmuid +took it between his two hands and drank a drink out of it, and the +others drank what was left of it. Diarmuid took up the tun after that, +and brought it to the top of the hill, and he went up himself on the +tun, and let it go down the steep of the hill till it was at the bottom. +And then he brought the tun up the hill again, and he himself on it +coming and going, and he did that trick three times before the +strangers. But they said he was a man had never seen a good trick when +he called that a trick; and with that a man of them went up on the tun, +but Diarmuid gave a stroke of his foot at it and the young man fell from +it before it began to move, and it rolled over him and crushed him, that +he died. And another man went on it, and another after him again, till +fifty of them were killed trying to do Diarmuid's trick, and as many of +them as were not killed went back to their ships that night.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid went back then to where he left Grania; and Muadhan put the +hair and the hook on the rod till he killed three salmon; and they ate +their meal that night, and he kept watch for them the same way he did +before.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid went out early the next day again to the hill, and it was not +long till he saw the three strangers coming towards him, and he asked +them would they like to see any more tricks. They said they would sooner +get news of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him +yesterday," said Diarmuid. And with that he put off his arms and his +clothes, all but the shirt that was next his skin, and he struck the +Crann Buidhe, the spear of Manannan, into the earth with the point +upwards. And then he rose with a leap and lit on the point of the spear +as light as a bird, and came down off it again without a wound on him. +Then a young man of the Green Champions said: "It is a man has never +seen feats that would call that a feat"; and he put off his clothing and +made a leap, and if he did he came down heavily on the point of the +spear, and it went through his heart, and he fell to the ground. The +next day Diarmuid came again, and he brought two forked poles out of the +wood and put them standing upright on the hill, and he put the sword of +Angus Og, the Mor-alltach, the Big-fierce one, between the two forks on +its edge. Then he raised himself lightly over it, and walked on the +sword three times from the hilt to the point, and he came down and asked +was there a man of them could do that feat.</p> + +<p>"That is a foolish question," said a man of them then, "for there was +never any feat done in Ireland but a man of our own would do it." And +with that he rose up to walk on the sword; but it is what happened, he +came down heavily on it the way he was cut in two halves.</p> + +<p>The rest of the champions bade him take away his sword then, before any +more of their people would fall by it; and they asked him had he any +word of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him to-day," said +Diarmuid, "and I will go ask news of him to-night."</p> + +<p>He went back then to where Grania was, and Muadhan killed three salmon +for their supper, and kept a watch for them through the night. And +Diarmuid rose up at the early break of day, and he put his battle +clothes on him, that no weapon could go through, and he took the sword +of Angus, that left no leavings after it, at his left side, and his two +thick-handled spears, the Gae Buidhe and the Gae Dearg, the Yellow and +the Red, that gave wounds there was no healing for. And then he wakened +Grania, and he bade her to keep watch for Muadhan, and he himself would +go out and take a look around.</p> + +<p>When Grania saw him looking so brave, and dressed in his clothes of +anger and of battle, great fear took hold of her, and she asked what was +he going to do. "It is for fear of meeting my enemies I am like this," +said he. That quieted Grania, and then Diarmuid went out to meet the +Green Champions.</p> + +<p>They came to land then, and they asked had he news of the grandson of +Duibhne. "I saw him not long ago," said Diarmuid. "If that is so, let us +know where is he," said they, "till we bring his head to Finn, son of +Cumhal." "I would be keeping bad watch for him if I did that," said +Diarmuid, "for his life and his body are under the protection of my +valour, and by reason of that I will do no treachery on him." "Is that +true?" said they. "It is true indeed," said Diarmuid. "Let you yourself +quit this place, so," they said, "or we will bring your head to Finn +since you are an enemy to him." "It is in bonds I would be," said +Diarmuid, "the time I would leave my head with you." And with that he +drew his sword the Mor-alltach out of its sheath, and he made a fierce +blow at the head nearest him that put it in two halves. Then he made an +attack on the whole host of the Green Champions, and began to destroy +them, cutting through the beautiful shining armour of the men of +Muir-na-locht till there was hardly a man but got shortening of life and +the sorrow of death, or that could go back to give news of the fight, +but only the three kings and a few of their people that made their +escape back to their ships. Diarmuid turned back then without wound or +hurt on him, and he went to where Crania and Muadhan were. They bade him +welcome, and Grania asked him did he hear any news of Finn and the +Fianna of Ireland, and he said he did not, and they ate their food and +spent the night there.</p> + +<p>He rose up again with the early light of the morrow and went back to the +hill, and when he got there he struck a great blow on his shield that +set the strand shaking with the sound. And Dubh-chosach heard it, and he +said he himself would go fight with Diarmuid, and he went on shore there +and then.</p> + +<p>And he and Diarmuid threw the arms out of their hands and rushed on one +another like wrestlers, straining their arms and their sinews, knotting +their hands on one another's backs, fighting like bulls in madness, or +like two daring hawks on the edge of a cliff. But at the last Diarmuid +raised up Dubh-chosach on his shoulder and threw his body to the ground, +and bound him fast and firm on the spot. And Fionn-chosach and +Treun-chosach came one after the other to fight with him then, and he +put the same binding on them; and he said he would strike the heads off +them, only he thought it a worse punishment to leave them in those +bonds. "For there is no one can free you," he said. And he left them +there, worn out and sorrowful.</p> + +<p>The next morning after that, Diarmuid told Grania the whole story of the +strangers from beginning to end, and of all he had done to them, and how +on the fifth day he had put their kings in bonds. "And they have three +fierce hounds in a chain ready to hunt me," he said. "Did you take the +heads off those three kings?" said Grania, "I did not," said Diarmuid, +"for there is no man of the heroes of Ireland can loosen those bonds but +four only, Oisin, son of Finn, and Osgar, son of Oisin, and Lugaidh's +Son of the Strong Hand, and Conan, son of Morna; and I know well," he +said, "none of those four will do it. But all the same, it is short till +Finn will get news of them, and it is best for us to be going from this +cave, or Finn and the three hounds might come on us."</p> + +<p>After that they left the cave, and they went on till they came to the +bog of Finnliath. Grania began to fall behind them, and Muadhan put her +on his back and carried her till they came to the great Slieve Luachra. +Then Diarmuid sat down on the brink of the stream that was flowing +through the heart of the mountain, and Grania was washing her hands, and +she asked his knife from him to cut her nails with.</p> + +<p>As to the strangers, as many of them as were alive yet, they came to the +hill where their three leaders were bound, and they thought to loose +them; but it is the way those bonds were, all they did by meddling with +them was to draw them tighter.</p> + +<p>And they were not long there till they saw a woman coming towards them +with the quickness of a swallow or a weasel or a blast of wind over bare +mountain-tops. And she asked them who was it had done that great +slaughter on them. "Who are you that is asking that?" said they. "I am +the Woman of the Black Mountain, the woman-messenger of Finn, son of +Cumhal," she said; "and it is looking for you Finn sent me." "Indeed we +do not know who it was did this slaughter," they said, "but we will tell +you his appearance. A young man he was, having dark curling hair and +ruddy cheeks. And it is worse again to us," they said, "our three +leaders to be bound this way, and we not able to loose them." "What way +did that young man go from you?" said the woman. "It was late last +night he left us," they said, "and we do not know where is he gone." "I +give you my word," she said, "it was Diarmuid himself that was in it; +and take your hounds now and lay them on his track, and I will send Finn +and the Fianna of Ireland to you."</p> + +<p>They left a woman-Druid then attending on the three champions that were +bound, and they brought their three hounds out of the ship and laid them +on Diarmuid's track, and followed them till they came to the opening of +the cave, and they went into the far part of it and found the beds where +Diarmuid and Crania had slept. Then they went on westward till they came +to the Carrthach river, and to the bog of Finnliath, and so on to the +great Slieve Luachra.</p> + +<p>But Diarmuid did not know they were after him till he got sight of them +with their banners of soft silk and their three wicked hounds in the +front of the troop and three strong champions holding them in chains. +And when he saw them coming like that he was filled with great hatred of +them.</p> + +<p>There was one of them had a well-coloured green cloak on him, and he +came out far beyond the others, and Grania gave the knife back to +Diarmuid. "I think you have not much love for that young man of the +green cloak, Grania," said Diarmuid. "I have not indeed," said Grania; +"and it would be better if I had never given love to any man at all to +this day." Diarmuid put the knife in the sheath then, and went on; and +Muadhan put Grania on his back and carried her on into the mountain.</p> + +<p>It was not long till a hound of the three hounds was loosed after +Diarmuid, and Muadhan said to him to follow Grania, and he himself would +check the hound. Then Muadhan turned back, and he took a whelp out of +his belt, and put it on the flat of his hand. And when the whelp saw the +hound rushing towards him, and its jaws open, he rose up and made a leap +from Muadhan's hand into the throat of the hound, and came out of its +side, bringing the heart with it, and he leaped back again to Muadhan's +hand, and left the hound dead after him.</p> + +<p>Muadhan went on then after Diarmuid and Grania, and he took up Grania +again and carried her a bit of the way into the mountain. Then another +hound was loosened after them, and Diarmuid said to Muadhan: "I often +heard there is nothing can stand against weapons of Druid wounding, and +the throat of no beast can be made safe from them. And will you stand +now," he said, "till I put the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, through that +hound."</p> + +<p>Then Muadhan and Grania stopped to see the cast. And Diarmuid made a +cast at the hound, and the spear went through its body and brought out +its bowels; and he took up the spear again, and they went forward.</p> + +<p>It was not long after that the third hound was loosed. And Grania said +then: "This is the one is fiercest of them, and there is great fear on +me, and mind yourself now, Diarmuid."</p> + +<p>It was not long till the hound overtook them, and the place he overtook +them was Lic Dhubhain, the flag-stone of Dubhan, on Slieve Luachra. He +rose with a light leap over Diarmuid, as if he had a mind to seize on +Grania, but Diarmuid took him by the two hind legs, and struck a blow of +his carcase against the side of the rock was nearest, till he had let +out his brains through the openings of his head and of his ears. And +then Diarmuid took up his arms and his battle clothes, and put his +narrow-topped finger into the silken string of the Gae Dearg, and he +made a good cast at the young man of the green cloak that was at the +head of the troop that killed him. Then he made another cast at the +second man and killed him, and the third man in the same way. And as it +is not the custom to stand after leaders are fallen, the strangers when +they saw what had happened took to flight.</p> + +<p>And Diarmuid followed after them, killing and scattering, so that unless +any man of them got away over the forests, or into the green earth, or +under the waters, there was not a man or messenger of them left to tell +the news, but only the Woman-messenger of the Black Mountain, that kept +moving around about when Diarmuid was putting down the strangers.</p> + +<p>And it was not long till Finn saw her coming towards him where he was, +her legs failing, and her tongue muttering, and her eyes drooping, and +he asked news of her. "It is very bad news I have to tell you," she +said; "and it is what I think, that it is a person without a lord I am." +Then she told Finn the whole story from beginning to end, of the +destruction Diarmuid had done, and how the three deadly hounds had +fallen by him. "And it is hardly I myself got away," she said. "What +place did the grandson of Duibhne go to?" said Finn. "I do not know +that," she said.</p> + +<p>And when Finn heard of the Kings of the Green Champions that were bound +by Diarmuid, he called his men to him, and they went by every short way +and every straight path till they reached the hill, and it was torment +to the heart of Finn to see the way they were. Then he said: "Oisin," he +said, "loosen those three kings for me." "I will not loosen them," said +Oisin, "for Diarmuid put bonds on me not to loosen any man he would +bind." "Loosen them, Osgar," said Finn then. "I give my word," said +Osgar, "it is more bonds I would wish to put on them sooner than to +loosen them." Neither would Conan help them, or Lugaidh's Son. And any +way, they were not long talking about it till the three kings died under +the hardness of the bonds that were on them.</p> + +<p>Then Finn made three wide-sodded graves for them, and a flag-stone was +put over them, and another stone raised over that again, and their names +were written in branching Ogham, and it is tired and heavy-hearted Finn +was after that; and he and his people went back to Almhuin of Leinster.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L73" id="L73" />CHAPTER IV. THE WOOD OF DUBHROS</h2> + + +<p>And as to Diarmuid and Grania and Muadhan, they went on through Ui +Chonaill Gabhra, and left-hand ways to Ros-da-Shoileach, and Diarmuid +killed a wild deer that night, and they had their fill of meat and of +pure water, and they slept till the morning of the morrow. And Muadhan +rose up early, and spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what he said, that he +himself was going away. "It is not right for you to do that," said +Diarmuid, "for everything I promised you I fulfilled it, without any +dispute."</p> + +<p>But he could not hinder him, and Muadhan said farewell to them and left +them there and then, and it is sorrowful and downhearted Diarmuid and +Grania were after him.</p> + +<p>After that they travelled on straight to the north, to Slieve Echtge, +and from that to the hundred of Ui Fiachrach; and when they got there +Grania was tired out, but she took courage and went on walking beside +Diarmuid till they came to the wood of Dubhros.</p> + +<p>Now, there was a wonderful quicken-tree in that wood, and the way it +came to be there is this:</p> + +<p>There rose a dispute one time between two women of the Tuatha de Danaan, +Aine and Aoife, daughters of Manannan, son of Lir, for Aoife had given +her love to Lugaidh's Son, and Aine had given her love to a man of her +own race, and each of them said her own man was a better hurler than the +other. And it came from that dispute that there was a great hurling +match settled between the Men of Dea and the Fianna of Ireland, and the +place it was to be played was on a beautiful plain near Loch Lein.</p> + +<p>They all came together there, and the highest men and the most daring of +the Tuatha de Danaan were there, the three Garbhs of Slieve Mis, and the +three Mases of Slieve Luachra, and the three yellow-haired Murchadhs, +and the three Eochaidhs of Aine, and the three Fionns of the White +House, and the three Sgals of Brugh na Boinne, and the three Ronans of +Ath na Riogh, and the Suirgheach Suairc, the Pleasant Wooer from Lionan, +and the Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn, and Ilbrec, the +Many-Coloured, son of Manannan, and Neamhanach, son of Angus Og, and +Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and Manannan, son of Lir.</p> + +<p>They themselves and the Fianna were playing the match through the length +of three days and three nights, from Leamhain to the valley of the +Fleisg, that is called the Crooked Valley of the Fianna, and neither of +them winning a goal. And when the Tuatha de Danaan that were watching +the game on each side of Leamhain saw it was so hard for their hurlers +to win a goal against the Fianna, they thought it as well to go away +again without playing out the game.</p> + +<p>Now the provision the Men of Dea had brought with them from the Land of +Promise was crimson nuts, and apples, and sweet-smelling rowan berries. +And as they were passing through the district of Ui Fiachrach by the +Muaidh, a berry of the rowan berries fell from them, and a tree grew up +from it. And there was virtue in its berries, and no sickness or disease +would ever come on any person that would eat them, and those that would +eat them would feel the liveliness of wine and the satisfaction of mead +in them, and any old person of a hundred years that would eat them would +go back to be young again, and any young girl that would eat them would +grow to be a flower of beauty.</p> + +<p>And it happened one time after the tree was grown, there were messengers +of the Tuatha de Danaan going through the wood of Dubhros. And they +heard a great noise of birds and of bees, and they went where the noise +was, and they saw the beautiful Druid tree. They went back then and told +what they had seen, and all the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan when +they heard it knew the tree must have grown from a berry of the Land of +the Ever-Living Living Ones. And they enquired among all their people, +till they knew it was a young man of them, that was a musician, had +dropped the berry.</p> + +<p>And it is what they agreed, to send him in search of a man of Lochlann +that would guard the tree by day and sleep in it by night. And the women +of the Sidhe were very downhearted to see him going from them, for there +was no harper could play half so sweetly on his harp as he could play on +an ivy leaf.</p> + +<p>He went on then till he came to Lochlann, and he sat down on a bank and +sleep came on him. And he slept till the rising of the sun on the +morrow; and when he awoke he saw a very big man coming towards him, that +asked him who was he. "I am a messenger from the Men of Dea," he said; +"and I am come looking for some very strong man that would be willing to +guard a Druid tree that is in the wood of Dubhros. And here are some of +the berries he will be eating from morning to night," he said.</p> + +<p>And when the big man had tasted the berries, he said: "I will go and +guard all the trees of the wood to get those berries."</p> + +<p>And his name was the Searbhan Lochlannach, the Surly One of Lochlann. +Very black and ugly he was, having crooked teeth, and one eye only in +the middle of his forehead. And he had a thick collar of iron around his +body, and it was in the prophecy that he would never die till there +would be three strokes of the iron club he had, struck upon himself. And +he slept in the tree by night and stopped near it in the daytime, and he +made a wilderness of the whole district about him, and none of the +Fianna dared go hunt there because of the dread of him that was on them.</p> + +<p>But when Diarmuid came to the wood of Dubhros, he went into it to where +the Surly One was, and he made bonds of agreement with him, and got +leave from him to go hunting in the wood, so long as he would not touch +the berries of the tree. And he made a cabin then for himself and for +Grania in the wood.</p> + +<p>As for Finn and his people, they were not long at Almhuin till they saw +fifty armed men coming towards them, and two that were taller and +handsomer than the rest in the front of them. Finn asked did any of his +people know them. "We do not know them," they said, "but maybe you +yourself know them, Finn." "I do not," he said; "but it seems to be they +are enemies to myself." The troop of armed men came up to them then and +they greeted him, and Finn asked news of them, and from what country +they came. "I am Aonghus, son of Art Og of the children of Morna," one +of them said, "and this is Aodh, son of Andela; and we are enemies of +your own, and our fathers were at the killing of your father, and they +themselves died for that deed. And it is to ask peace we are come now to +you," they said. "Where were you the time my father was killed?" "In our +mothers' wombs," said they; "and our mothers were two women of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and it is time for us now to get our father's place +among the Fianna." "I will give you that," said Finn, "but I must put a +fine on you first in satisfaction for my father's death." "We have +neither gold or silver or goods or cattle to give you, Finn," said they. +"Do not put a fine on them, Finn," said Oisin, "beyond the death of +their fathers for your father." "It is what I think," said Finn, "if any +one killed myself, Oisin, it would be easy to pay the fine you would +ask. And there will no one come among the Fianna," he said, "without +giving what I ask in satisfaction for my father's death." "What is it +you are asking of us?" said Aonghus, son of Art Og. "I am asking but the +head of a champion, or the full of a fist of the berries of the +quicken-tree at Dubhros." "I will give you a good advice, children of +Morna," said Oisin, "to go back to the place you were reared, and not to +ask peace of Finn through the length of your lives. For it is not an +easy thing Finn is asking of you; and do you know whose head he is +asking you to bring him?" "We do not," said they. "The head of Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne, is the head he is asking of you. And if you were +twenty hundred men in their full strength, Diarmuid would not let you +take that head." "And what are the berries Finn is asking of us?" they +said then. "There is nothing is harder for you to get than those +berries," said Oisin.</p> + +<p>He told them then the whole story of the tree, and of the Searbhan, the +Surly One of Lochlann, that was put to mind it by the Tuatha de Danaan. +But Aodh, son of Andela, spoke then, and it is what he said, that he +would sooner get his death looking for those berries than to go home +again to his mother's country. And he said to Oisin to care his people +till he would come back again, and if anything should happen himself and +his brother in their journey, to send them back again to the Land of +Promise. And the two said farewell then to Oisin and to the chief men of +the Fianna, and they went forward till they reached Dubhros. And they +went along the wood till they found a track, and they followed it to +the door of the hunting-cabin where Diarmuid and Grania were.</p> + +<p>Diarmuid heard them coming, and he put his hand on his weapons and asked +who was at the door. "We are of the children of Morna," they said, +"Aodh, son of Andela, and Aonghus, son of Art Og." "What brings you to +this wood?" said Diarmuid. "Finn, son of Cumhal, that put us looking for +your head, if you are Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said they. "I am +indeed," said Diarmuid. "If that is so," they said, "Finn will take +nothing from us but your head, or a fistful of the berries of the +quicken-tree of Dubhros as satisfaction for the death of his father." +"It is not easy for you to get either of those things," said Diarmuid, +"and it is a pity for any one to be under the power of that man. And +besides that," he said, "I know it was he himself made an end of your +fathers, and that was enough satisfaction for him to get; and if you do +bring him what he asks, it is likely he will not make peace with you in +the end." "Is it not enough for you," said Aodh, "to have brought his +wife away from Finn without speaking ill of him?" "It is not for the +sake of speaking ill of him I said that," said Diarmuid, "but to save +yourselves from the danger he has sent you into."</p> + +<p>"What are those berries Finn is asking?" said Grania, "that they cannot +be got for him?"</p> + +<p>Diarmuid told her then the whole story of the berry the Tuatha de Danaan +had lost, and of the tree that had sprung up from it, and of the man of +Lochlann that was keeping the tree. "And at the time Finn sent me hiding +here and became my enemy," he said, "I got leave from the Surly One to +hunt, but he bade me never to meddle with the berries. And now, sons of +Morna," he said, "there is your choice, to fight with me for my head, or +to go asking the berries of the Surly One." "I swear by the blood of my +people," said each of them, "I will fight with yourself first."</p> + +<p>With that the two young men made ready for the fight. And it is what +they chose, to fight with the strength of their hands alone. And +Diarmuid put them down and bound the two of them there and then. "That +is a good fight you made," said Grania. "But, by my word," she said, +"although the children of Morna do not go looking for those berries, I +will not lie in a bed for ever till I get a share of them; and I will +not live if I do not get them," she said. "Do not make me break my peace +with the Surly One," said Diarmuid, "for he will not let me take them." +"Loose these tyings from us," said the two young men, "and we will go +with you, and we will give ourselves for your sake." "You must not come +with me," said Diarmuid; "for if you got the full of your eyes of that +terrible one, you would be more likely to die than to live." "Well, do +us this kindness," they said then; "loosen these bonds on us, and give +us time to go by ourselves and see the fight before you strike off our +heads." So Diarmuid did that for them.</p> + +<p>Then Diarmuid went to the Surly One, and he chanced to be asleep before +him, and he gave him a stroke of his foot the way he lifted his head and +looked up at him, and he said: "Have you a mind to break our peace, +Grandson of Duibhne?" "That is not what I want," said Diarmuid; "but it +is Grania, daughter of the High King," he said, "has a desire to taste +those berries, and it is to ask a handful of them I am come." "I give my +word," said he, "if she is to die for it, she will never taste a berry +of those berries." "I would not do treachery on you," said Diarmuid; +"and so I tell you, willing or unwilling, I will take those berries from +you."</p> + +<p>When the Surly One heard that, he rose up on his feet and lifted his +club and struck three great blows on Diarmuid, that gave him some +little hurt in spite of his shield. But when Diarmuid saw him not +minding himself, he threw down his weapons, and made a great leap and +took hold of the club with his two hands. And when he had a hold of the +club he struck three great blows on him that put his brains out through +his head. And the two young men of the sons of Morna were looking at the +whole fight; and when they saw the Surly One was killed they came out. +And Diarmuid sat down, for he was spent with the dint of the fight, and +he bid the young men to bury the body under the thickets of the wood, +the way Grania would not see it. "And after that," he said, "let you go +back to her and bring her here." So they dragged away the body and +buried it, and they went then for Grania and brought her to Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>"There are the berries you were asking, Grania," he said, "and you may +take what you like of them now." "I give my word," said Grania, "I will +not taste a berry of those berries but the one your own hand will pluck, +Diarmuid." Diarmuid rose up then and plucked the berries for Grania, and +for the children of Morna, and they ate their fill of them. And he said +then to the young men: "Take all you can of these berries, and bring +them with you to Finn, and tell him it was yourselves made an end of the +Surly One of Lochlann." "We give you our word," said they, "we begrudge +giving any of them to Finn."</p> + +<p>But Diarmuid plucked a load of the berries for them, and they gave him +great thanks for all he had done; and they went back to where Finn was +with the Fianna. And Diarmuid and Grania went up into the top of the +tree where the bed of the Surly One was. And the berries below were but +bitter berries beside the ones above in the tree. And when the two young +men came to Finn, he asked news of them. "We have killed the Surly One +of Lochlann," they said; "and we have brought you berries from the +quicken-tree of Dubhros, in satisfaction for your father, that we may +get peace from you." They gave the berries then into Finn's hand, and he +knew them, and he said to the young men: "I give you my word," he said, +"it was Diarmuid himself plucked those berries, for I know the smell of +his hand on them; and I know well it was he killed the Surly One, and I +will go now and see is he himself alive at the quicken-tree."</p> + +<p>After that he called for the seven battalions of the Fianna, and he set +out and went forward to Dubhros. And they followed the track of Diarmuid +to the foot of the quicken-tree, and they found the berries without +protection, so they ate their fill of them. And the great heat of the +day came on them, and Finn said they would stop where they were till the +heat would be past; "for I know well," he said, "Diarmuid is up in the +quicken-tree." "It is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said +Oisin, "to think that Diarmuid would stop there up in the quicken-tree +and he knowing you are wanting to kill him."</p> + +<p>Finn asked for a chess-board after that, and he said to Oisin: "I will +play a game with you now on this." They sat down then, Oisin and Osgar +and Lugaidh's Son and Diorraing on the one side of the board, and Finn +on the other side.</p> + +<p>And they were playing that game with great skill and knowledge, and Finn +pressed Oisin so hard that he had no move to make but the one, and Finn +said: "There is one move would win the game for you, Oisin, and I defy +all that are with you to show you that move." Then Diarmuid said up in +the tree where he was, and no one heard him but Grania: "It is a pity +you be in straits, and without myself to show you that move." "It is +worse off you are yourself," said Grania, "to be in the bed of the +Surly One of Lochlann in the top of the quicken-tree, and the seven +battalions of the Fianna round about it to take your life."</p> + +<p>But Diarmuid took a berry of the tree, and aimed at the one of the +chessmen that ought to be moved, and Oisin moved it and turned the game +against Finn by that move. It was not long before the game was going +against Oisin the second time, and when Diarmuid saw that he threw +another berry at the chessman it was right to move, and Oisin moved it +and turned the game against Finn in the same way. And the third time +Finn was getting the game from Oisin, and Diarmuid threw the third berry +on the man that would give the game to Oisin, and the Fianna gave a +great shout when the game was won. Finn spoke then, and it is what he +said: "It is no wonder you to win the game, Oisin, and you having the +help of Osgar, and the watchfulness of Diorraing, and the skill of +Lugaidh's Son, and the teaching of the grandson of Duibhne with you." +"That is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said Osgar, "to think +Diarmuid would stop in this tree, and you so near him." "Which of us has +the truth, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," Finn said out then, "myself +or Osgar?" "You never lost your good judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid +then; "and I myself and Grania are here, in the bed of the Surly One of +Lochlann." Then Diarmuid rose up and gave three kisses to Grania in the +sight of Finn and the Fianna. And a scorching jealousy and a weakness +came on Finn when he saw that, and he said: "It was worse to me, +Diarmuid, the seven battalions of the Fianna to see what you did at +Teamhair, taking away Grania the night you were yourself my guard. But +for all that," he said, "you will give your head for the sake of those +three kisses."</p> + +<p>With that Finn called to the four hundred paid fighting men that were +with him that they might make an end of Diarmuid; and he put their +hands into one another's hands around that quicken-tree, and bade them, +if they would not lose their lives, not to let Diarmuid pass out through +them. And he said that to whatever man would take Diarmuid, he would +give his arms and his armour, and a place among the Fianna of Ireland.</p> + +<p>Then one of the Fianna, Garbh of Slieve Cua, said it was Diarmuid had +killed his own father, and he would avenge him now, and he went up the +quicken-tree to make an end of him.</p> + +<p>Now, about that time it was made known to Angus Og, in Brugh na Boinne, +the danger Diarmuid was in, and he came to his help, unknown to the +Fianna. And when Garbh of Slieve Cua was coming up the tree, Diarmuid +gave him a kick of his foot, and he fell down among the hired men, and +they struck off his head, for Angus Og had put the appearance of +Diarmuid on him. But after he was killed, his own shape came on him +again, and the Fianna knew that it was Garbh was killed.</p> + +<p>Then Garbh of Slieve Crot said it was Diarmuid had killed his father, +and he went up to avenge him, and the same thing happened. And in the +end all the nine Garbhs, of Slieve Guaire, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve +Mor, and Slieve Lugha, and Ath Fraoch, and Slieve Mis and Drom-mor, went +trying to take Diarmuid's life and lost their own lives, every one of +them having the shape and appearance of Diarmuid when he died. And Finn +was very sorry and discouraged when he saw that these nine men had come +to their death.</p> + +<p>Then Angus said he would bring away Grania with him. "Do so," said +Diarmuid; "and if I am living at evening I will follow you." Then Angus +said farewell to Diarmuid, and he put his Druid cloak about Grania and +about himself, and they went away in the safety of the cloak, unknown to +Finn and the Fianna, till they came to Brugh na Boinne.</p> + +<p>Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what he said: "I +will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna. And I will do death and +destruction on you and on your people, for I am certain your mind is +made up to give me no rest, but to bring me to my death in some place. +And I have nowhere to go from this danger," he said, "for I have no +friend or comrade under whose protection I could go in any far part of +the great world, for it is often I fought against the men of the great +world for love of you. For there never came battle or fight, danger or +trouble on you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the +Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after you. +And I give my word, Finn," he said, "you will pay hard for me, and you +will not get me as a free gift." "It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking," +said Osgar, "and give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do +that," said Finn, "to the end of life and time; and he will not get +peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every +reproach he has put on me." "It is a great shame and a great sign of +jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I give the word of a true +champion," he said, "that unless the skies come down upon me, or the +earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna +of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under +the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the +men of Ireland." "Those are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then, +"to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland." +"It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for +none of them would mind what you would say." "If that is what you are +saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now what +you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight you have taken +on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice. And Osgar +answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten your bones, and your +father's bones along with them. And come down now, Diarmuid," he said, +"since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body +and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day."</p> + +<p>Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he +rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass +far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and Osgar went towards +one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid +struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of +his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind +going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan, +that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one +another." But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them +put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin.</p> + +<p>And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing, +and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put +into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful +he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till +he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done.</p> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L74" id="L74" />CHAPTER V. THE QUARREL</h2> + + +<p>And as to Osgar and Diarmuid, they went on, and no cut or wound on them, +to where Angus and Grania were at Brugh na Boinne; and there was a good +welcome before them, and Diarmuid told them the whole story from +beginning to end, and it is much that Grania did not die then and there, +hearing all he had gone through.</p> + +<p>And then she and Diarmuid set out again, and they went and stopped for +a while in a cave that was near the sea.</p> + +<p>And one night while they were there a great storm came on, so that they +went into the far part of the cave. But bad as the night was, a man of +the Fomor, Ciach, the Fierce One, his name was, came over the western +ocean in a currach, with two oars, and he drew it into the cave for +shelter. And Diarmuid bade him welcome, and they sat down to play chess +together. And he got the best of the game, and what he asked as his +winnings was Grania to be his wife, and he put his arms about her as if +to bring her away. And Grania said: "I am this long time going with the +third best man of the Fianna, and he never came as near as that to me."</p> + +<p>And Diarmuid took his sword to kill Ciach, and there was anger on Grania +when she saw that, and she had a knife in her hand and she struck it +into Diarmuid's thigh. And Diarmuid made an end of the Fomor, and he +said no word to Grania, but ran out and away through the storm.</p> + +<p>And Grania went following after him, and calling to him, but there was +great anger on him and he would not answer her. And at last at the break +of day she overtook him, and after a while they heard the cry of a +heron, and she asked him what was it made the heron cry out.</p> + +<p>"Tell me that," she said, "Grandson of Duibhne, to whom I gave my love." +And Diarmuid said: "O Grania, daughter of the High King, woman who never +took a step aright, it is because she was frozen to the rocks she gave +that cry." And Grania was asking forgiveness of him, and he was +reproaching her, and it is what he said: "O Grania of the beautiful +hair, though you are more beautiful than the green tree under blossom, +your love passes away as quickly as the cold cloud at break of day. And +you are asking a hard thing of me now," he said, "and it is a pity what +you said to me, Grania, for it was you brought me away from the house of +my lord, that I am banished from it to this day; and now I am troubled +through the night, fretting after its delight in every place.</p> + +<p>"I am like a wild deer, or a beast that is astray, going ever and always +through the long valleys; there is great longing on me to see one of my +kindred from the host.</p> + +<p>"I left my own people that were brighter than lime or snow; their heart +was full of generosity to me, like the sun that is high above us; but +now they follow me angrily, to every harbour and every strand.</p> + +<p>"I lost my people by you, and my lord, and my large bright ships on +every sea; I lost my treasure and my gold; it is hunger you gave me +through your love.</p> + +<p>"I lost my country and my kindred; my men that were used to serve me; I +lost quietness and affection; I lost the men of Ireland and the Fianna +entirely.</p> + +<p>"I lost delight and music; I lost my own right doing and my honour; I +lost the Fianna of Ireland, my great kinsmen, for the sake of the love +you gave me.</p> + +<p>"O Grania, white as snow, it would have been a better choice for you to +have given hatred to me, or gentleness to the Head of the Fianna."</p> + +<p>And Grania said: "O Diarmuid of the face like snow, or like the down of +the mountains, the sound of your voice was dearer to me than all the +riches of the leader of the Fianna.</p> + +<p>"Your blue eye is dearer to me than his strength, and his gold and his +great hall; the love-spot on your forehead is better to me than honey in +streams; the time I first looked on it, it was more to me than the whole +host of the King of Ireland.</p> + +<p>"My heart fell down there and then before your high beauty; when you +came beside me, it was like the whole of life in one day.</p> + +<p>"O Diarmuid of the beautiful hands, take me now the same as before; it +was with me the fault was entirely; give me your promise not to leave +me."</p> + +<p>But Diarmuid said: "How can I take you again, you are a woman too fond +of words; one day you give up the Head of the Fianna, and the next day +myself, and no lie in it.</p> + +<p>"It is you parted me from Finn, the way I fell under sorrow and grief; +and then you left me yourself, the time I was full of affection."</p> + +<p>And Grania said: "Do not leave me now this way, and my love for you ever +growing like the fresh branches of the tree with the kind long heat of +the day."</p> + +<p>But Diarmuid would not give in to her, and he said: "You are a woman +full of words, and it is you have put me under sorrow. I took you with +myself, and you struck at me for the sake of the man of the Fomor."</p> + +<p>They came then to a place where there was a cave, and water running by +it, and they stopped to rest; and Grania said: "Have you a mind to eat +bread and meat now, Diarmuid?"</p> + +<p>"I would eat it indeed if I had it," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>"Give me a knife, so," she said, "till I cut it." "Look for the knife in +the sheath where you put it yourself," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>She saw then that the knife was in his thigh where she had struck it, +for he would not draw it out himself. So she drew it out then; and that +was the greatest shame that ever came upon her.</p> + +<p>They stopped then in the cave. And the next day when they went on again, +Diarmuid did not leave unbroken bread like he had left every other day +as a sign to Finn that he had kept his faith with him, but it was broken +bread he left after him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L75" id="L75" />CHAPTER VI. THE WANDERERS</h2> + + +<p>And they went on wandering after that, all through Ireland, hiding from +Finn in every place, sleeping under the cromlechs, or with no shelter at +all, and there was no place they would dare to stop long in. And +wherever they went Finn would follow them, for he knew by his divination +where they went. But one time he made out they were on a mountain, for +he saw them with heather under them; and it was beside the sea they +were, asleep on heather that Diarmuid had brought down from the hills +for their bed; and so he went searching the hills and did not find them.</p> + +<p>And Grania would be watching over Diarmuid while he slept, and she would +make a sleepy song for him, and it is what she would be saying:</p> + +<p>"Sleep a little, a little little, for there is nothing at all to fear, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne; sleep here soundly, soundly, Diarmuid, to +whom I have given my love.</p> + +<p>"It is I will keep watch for you, grandchild of shapely Duibhne; sleep a +little, a blessing on you, beside the well of the strong field; my lamb +from above the lake, from the banks of the strong streams.</p> + +<p>"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the South, of Dedidach of the high +poets, the time he took away old Morann's daughter, for all Conall could +do against him.</p> + +<p>"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the North, of fair comely +Fionnchadh of Ess Ruadh, the time he took Slaine with bravery as we +think, in spite of Failbhe of the Hard Head.</p> + +<p>"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the West, of Aine, daughter of +Gailian, the time she went on a journey in the night with Dubhthach from +Doirinis, by the light of torches.</p> + +<p>"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the East, of Deaghadh the proud, +the brave fighter, the time he took Coincheann, daughter of Binn, in +spite of fierce Decheall of Duibhreann.</p> + +<p>"O heart of the valour of the lands to the west of Greece, my heart +will go near to breaking if I do not see you every day. The parting of +us two will be the parting of two children of the one house; it will be +the parting of life from the body, Diarmuid, hero of the bright lake of +Carman."</p> + +<p>And then to rouse him she would make another song, and it is what she +would say: "Caoinche will be loosed on your track; it is not slow the +running of Caoilte will be; do not let death reach to you, do not give +yourself to sleep for ever.</p> + +<p>"The stag to the east is not asleep, he does not cease from bellowing; +though he is in the woods of the blackbirds, sleep is not in his mind; +the hornless doe is not asleep, crying after her speckled fawn; she is +going over the bushes, she does not sleep in her home.</p> + +<p>"The cuckoo is not asleep, the thrush is not asleep, the tops of the +trees are a noisy place; the duck is not asleep, she is made ready for +good swimming; the bog lark is not asleep to-night on the high stormy +bogs; the sound of her clear voice is sweet; she is not sleeping between +the streams."</p> + +<p>One time they were in a cave of Beinn Edair, and there was an old woman +befriending them and helping them to keep a watch. And one day she +chanced to go up to the top of Beinn Edair, and she saw an armed man +coming towards her, and she did now know him to be Finn; and when he was +come near she asked what was he looking for. "It is looking for a woman +I am come," he said, "and for a woman's love. And will you do all I will +ask you?" he said.</p> + +<p>"I will do that," she said; for she thought it was her own love he was +asking.</p> + +<p>"Tell me then," he said, "where is Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne?"</p> + +<p>So she told him where he was hiding, and he bade her to keep him in the +cave till such time as he would come back with his men.</p> + +<p>The old woman went back then, and it is what she did, she dipped her +cloak in the sea-water before she went into the cave; and Diarmuid asked +her why was her cloak so wet. "It is," she said, "that I never saw or +never heard of the like of this day for cold and for storms. There is +frost on every hillside," she said, "and there is not a smooth plain in +all Elga where there is not a long rushing river between every two +ridges. And there is not a deer or a crow in the whole of Ireland can +find a shelter in any place." And she was shaking the wet off her cloak, +and she was making a complaint against the cold, and it is what she +said:</p> + +<p>"Cold, cold, cold to-night is the wide plain of Lurg; the snow is higher +than the mountains, the deer cannot get at their share of food.</p> + +<p>"Cold for ever; the storm is spread over all; every furrow on the +hillside is a river, every ford is a full pool, every full loch is a +great sea; every pool is a full loch; horses cannot go through the ford +of Ross any more than a man on his two feet.</p> + +<p>"The fishes of Inisfail are going astray; there is no strand or no pen +against the waves; there are no dwellings in the country, there is no +bell heard, no crane is calling.</p> + +<p>"The hounds of the wood of Cuan find no rest or no sleep in their +dwelling-place; the little wren cannot find shelter in her nest on the +slope of Lon.</p> + +<p>"A sharp wind and cold ice have come on the little company of birds; the +blackbird cannot get a ridge to her liking or shelter for her side in +the woods of Cuan.</p> + +<p>"It is steady our great pot hangs from its hook; it is broken the cabin +is on the slope of Lon; the snow has made the woods smooth, it is hard +to climb to the ridge of Bennait Bo.</p> + +<p>"The ancient bird of Glen Ride gets grief from the bitter wind; it is +great is her misery and her pain, the ice will be in her mouth.</p> + +<p>"Mind well not to rise up from coverings and from down, mind this well; +there would be no good sense in it. Ice is heaped up in every ford; it +is for that I am saying and ever saying 'Cold.'"</p> + +<p>The old woman went out after that, and when she was gone, Grania took +hold of the cloak she had left there and she put her tongue to it, and +found the taste of salt water on it. "My grief, Diarmuid," she said +then, "the old woman has betrayed us. And rise up now," she said, "and +put your fighting suit upon you."</p> + +<p>So Diarmuid did that, and he went out, and Grania along with him. And no +sooner were they outside than they saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland +coming towards them. Then Diarmuid looked around him and he saw a little +boat at hand in the shelter of the harbour, and he himself and Grania +went into it. And there was a man before them in the boat having +beautiful clothes on him, and a wide embroidered golden-yellow cloak +over his shoulders behind. And they knew it was Angus was in it, that +had come again to help them to escape from Finn, and they went back with +him for a while to Brugh na Boinne, and Osgar came to them there.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L76" id="L76" />CHAPTER VII. FIGHTING AND PEACE</h2> + + +<p>And after a while Finn bade his people to make his ship ready, and to +put a store of food and of drink in it. They did that, and he himself +and a thousand of his men went into the ship; and they were nine days +between sailing and rowing till they came to harbour in the north of +Alban.</p> + +<p>They bound the ship to the posts of the harbour then, and Finn with five +of his people went to the dun of the King of Alban, and Finn struck a +blow with the hand-wood on the door, and the door-keeper asked who was +in it, and they told him it was Finn, son of Cumhal. "Let him in," said +the king.</p> + +<p>Then Finn and his people went in, and the king made them welcome, and he +bade Finn to sit down in his own place, and they were given strong +pleasant drinks, and the king sent for the rest of Finn's people and +bade them welcome to the dun.</p> + +<p>Then Finn told what it was brought him there, and that it was to ask +help and advice against the grandson of Duibhne he was come.</p> + +<p>"And you have a right to give me your help," he said, "for it was he +that killed your father and your two brothers, and many of your best men +along with them."</p> + +<p>"That is true," said the king; "and I will give you my own two sons and +a thousand men with each of them." Finn was glad when he heard that, and +he and his men took leave of the king and of his household, and left +wishes for life and health with them, and the king did the same by them.</p> + +<p>And it was near Brugh na Boinne Finn and his people came to land, and +Finn sent messengers to the house of Angus to give out a challenge of +battle against Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne.</p> + +<p>"What should I do about this, Osgar?" said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>"We will both go out and make a stand against them, and we will not let +a serving-man of them escape, but we will make an end of them all," said +Osgar.</p> + +<p>So they rose up on the morning of the morrow and they put their suits of +battle on their comely bodies; and it would be a pity for those, be they +many or few, that would meet those two men, and their anger on them. And +they bound the rims of their shields together the way they would not be +parted from one another in the right. And the sons of the King of Alban +said that they themselves and their people would go first to meet them. +So they came to shore, and made a rush to meet Diarmuid and Osgar. But +the two fought so well that they beat them back and scattered them, and +made a great slaughter, and put great terror on them, so that at the +last there was not a man left to stand against them.</p> + +<p>And after that, Finn went out again on the sea, and his people with him, +and there is no word of them till they came to the Land of Promise where +Finn's nurse was. And when she saw Finn coming she was very joyful +before him. And Finn told her the whole story from beginning to end, and +the cause of his quarrel with Diarmuid; and he said it was to ask an +advice from her he was come, and that it was not possible to put him +down by any strength of an army, unless enchantment would put him down. +"I will go with you," said the old woman, "and I will do enchantment on +him." Finn was very glad when he heard that, and he stopped there that +night, and they set out for Ireland on the morrow.</p> + +<p>And when they came to Brugh na Boinne, the nurse put a Druid mist around +Finn and the Fianna, the way no one could know they were there. Now the +day before that, Osgar had parted from Diarmuid, and Diarmuid was out +hunting by himself. That was shown to the hag, and she took a drowned +leaf having a hole in it, like the quern of a mill, and she rose with +that by her enchantments on a blast of Druid wind over Diarmuid, and +began to aim at him through the hole with deadly spears, till she had +done him great harm, for all his arms and his clothing, and he could not +make away he was so hard pressed. And every danger he was ever in was +little beside that danger. And it is what he thought, that unless he +could strike the old woman through the hole that was in the leaf, she +would give him his death there and then. And he lay down on his back, +and the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, in his hand, and he made a great cast +of the spear, that it went through the hole, and the hag fell dead on +the spot. And he struck off her head and brought it back with him to +Angus Og.</p> + +<p>And the next morning early, Angus rose up, and he went where Finn was, +and he asked would he make peace with Diarmuid, and Finn said he would. +And then he went to the King of Ireland to ask peace for Diarmuid, and +he said he would agree to it.</p> + +<p>And then he went back to where Diarmuid and Grania were, and asked him +would he make peace with the High King and with Finn. "I am willing," +said Diarmuid, "if they will give the conditions I will ask." "What +conditions are those?" said Angus.</p> + +<p>"The district my father had," said Diarmuid, "that is, the district of +Ui Duibhne, without right of hunting to Finn, and without rent or +tribute to the King of Ireland, and with that the district of Dumhais in +Leinster, for they are the best in Ireland, and the district of Ceis +Corainn from the King of Ireland as a marriage portion with his +daughter; and those are the conditions on which I will make peace with +them." "Would you be peaceable if you got those conditions?" said Angus. +"It would go easier with me to make peace if I got them," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>Then Angus went with that news to where the King of Ireland was with +Finn. And they gave him all those conditions, and they forgave him all +he had done through the whole of the time he had been in his hiding, +that was sixteen years.</p> + +<p>And the place Diarmuid and Grania settled in was Rath Grania, in the +district of Ceis Corainn, far away from Finn and from Teamhair. And +Grania bore him children there, four sons and one daughter. And they +lived there in peace, and the people used to be saying there was not a +man living at the same time was richer as to gold and to silver, as to +cattle and to sheep, than Diarmuid.</p> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L77" id="L77" />CHAPTER VIII. THE BOAR OF BEINN GULBAIN</h2> + + +<p>But at last one day Grania spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what she said, +that it was a shame on them, with all the people and the household they +had, and all their riches, the two best men in Ireland never to have +come to the house, the High King, her father, and Finn, son of Cumhal. +"Why do you say that, Grania," said Diarmuid, "and they being enemies to +me?"</p> + +<p>"It is what I would wish," said Grania, "to give them a feast, the way +you would get their affection." "I give leave for that," said Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>So Grania was making ready a great feast through the length of a year, +and messengers were sent for the High King of Ireland, and for Finn and +the seven battalions of the Fianna; and they came, and they were using +the feast from day to day through the length of a year.</p> + +<p>And on the last night of the year, Diarmuid was in his sleep at Rath +Grania; and in the night he heard the voice of hounds through his sleep, +and he started up, and Grania caught him and put her two arms about him, +and asked what had startled him. "The voice of a hound I heard," said +he; "and it is a wonder to me to hear that in the night." "Safe keeping +on you," said Grania, "for it is the Tuatha de Danaan are doing that on +you, on account of Angus of Brugh na Boinn, and lie down on the bed +again." But for all that no sleep came to him, and he heard the voice of +the hound again, and he started up a second time to follow after it. But +Grania caught hold of him the second time and bade him to lie down, and +she said it was no fitting thing to go after the voice of a hound in the +night. So he lay down again, and he fell asleep, but the voice of the +hound awakened him the third time. And the day was come with its full +light that time, and he said: "I will go after the voice of the hound +now, since the day is here." "If that is so," said Grania, "bring the +Mor-alltach, the Great Fierce One, the sword of Manannan, with you, and +the Gae Dearg." "I will not," he said; "but I will take the +Beag-alltach, the Little Fierce One, and the Gae Buidhe in the one hand, +and the hound Mac an Chuill, the Son of the Hazel, in the other hand."</p> + +<p>Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to +the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without +any one at all in his company. Diarmuid gave him no greeting, but asked +him was it he was making that hunt. Finn said it was not a hunt he was +making, but that he and some of the Fianna had gone out after midnight; +"and one of our hounds that was loose beside us, came on the track of a +wild boar," he said, "and they were not able to bring him back yet. And +there is no use following that boar he is after," he said, "for it is +many a time the Fianna hunted him, and he went away from them every time +till now, and he has killed thirty of them this morning. And he is +coming up the mountain towards us," he said, "and let us leave this hill +to him now."</p> + +<p>"I will not leave the hill through fear of him," said Diarmuid. "It +would be best for you, Diarmuid," said Finn, "for it is the earless +Green Boar of Beinn Gulbain is in it, and it is by him you will come to +your death, and Angus knew that well when he put bonds on you not to go +hunting pigs." "I never knew of those bonds," said Diarmuid; "but +however it is, I will not quit this through fear of him. And let you +leave Bran with me now," he said, "along with Mac an Chuill." "I will +not," said Finn, "for it is often he met this boar before and could do +nothing against him." He went away then and left Diarmuid alone on the +top of the hill. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "you made this hunt +for my death, Finn; and if it is here I am to find my death," he said, +"I have no use in going aside from it now."</p> + +<p>The boar came up the face of the mountain then, and the Fianna after +him. Diarmuid loosed Mac an Chuill from his leash then, but that did not +serve him, for he did not wait for the boar, but ran from him. "It is a +pity not to follow the advice of a good woman," said Diarmuid, "for +Grania bade me this morning to bring the Mor-alltach and the Gae Dearg +with me." Then he put his finger into the silken string of the Gae +Buidhe, and took a straight aim at the boar and hit him full in the +face; but if he did, the spear did not so much as give him a scratch. +Diarmuid was discouraged by that, but he drew the Beag-alltach, and made +a full stroke at the back of the boar, but neither did that make a wound +on him, but it made two halves of the sword. Then the boar made a brave +charge at Diarmuid, that cut the sod from under his feet and brought him +down; but Diarmuid caught hold of the boar on rising, and held on to +him, having one of his legs on each side of him, and his face to his +hinder parts. And the boar made away headlong down the hill, but he +could not rid himself of Diarmuid; and he went on after that to Ess +Ruadh, and when he came to the red stream he gave three high leaps over +it, backwards and forwards, but he could not put him from his back, and +he went back by the same path till he went up the height of the +mountain again. And at last on the top of the mountain he freed himself, +and Diarmuid fell on the ground. And then the boar made a rush at him, +and ripped him open, that his bowels came out about his feet. But if he +did, Diarmuid made a cast at him with the hilt of his sword that was in +his hand yet, and dashed out his brains, so that he fell dead there and +then. And Rath na h-Amhrann, the Rath of the Sword Hilt, is the name of +that place to this day.</p> + +<p>It was not long till Finn and the Fianna of Ireland came to the place, +and the pains of death were coming on Diarmuid at that time. "It is well +pleased I am to see you that way, Diarmuid," said Finn; "and it is a +pity all the women of Ireland not to be looking at you now, for your +great beauty is turned to ugliness, and your comely shape to +uncomeliness." "For all that, you have power to heal me, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "if you had a mind to do it." "What way could I heal you?" +said Finn. "Easy enough," said Diarmuid, "for the time you were given +the great gift of knowledge at the Boinn, you got this gift with it, +that any one you would give a drink to out of the palms of your hands +would be young and well again from any sickness after it." "You are not +deserving of that drink from me," said Finn. "That is not true," said +Diarmuid; "it is well I deserve it from you; for the time you went to +the house of Dearc, son of Donnarthadh, and your chief men with you for +a feast, your enemies came round the house, and gave out three great +shouts against you, and threw fire and firebrands into it. And you rose +up and would have gone out, but I bade you to stop there at drinking and +pleasure, for that I myself would go out and put them down. And I went +out, and put out the flames, and made three red rushes round the house, +and I killed fifty in every rush, and I came in again without a wound. +And it is glad and merry and in good courage you were that night, +Finn," he said, "and if it was that night I had asked a drink of you, +you would have given it; and it would be right for you to give it to me +now." "That is not so," said Finn; "it is badly you have earned a drink +or any good thing from me; for the night you went to Teamhair with me, +you took Grania away from me in the presence of all the men of Ireland, +and you being my own guard over her that night."</p> + +<p>"Do not blame me for that, Finn," said Diarmuid, "for what did I ever do +against you, east or west, but that one thing; and you know well Grania +put bonds on me, and I would not fail in my bonds for the gold of the +whole world. And you will know it is well I have earned a drink from +you, if you bring to mind the night the feast was made in the House of +the Quicken Tree, and how you and all your men were bound there till I +heard of it, and came fighting and joyful, and loosed you with my own +blood, and with the blood of the Three Kings of the Island of the +Floods; and if I had asked a drink of you that night, Finn, you would +not have refused it. And I was with you in the smiting of Lon, son of +Liobhan, and you are the man that should not forsake me beyond any other +man. And many is the strait has overtaken yourself and the Fianna of +Ireland since I came among you, and I was ready every time to put my +body and my life in danger for your sake, and you ought not to do this +unkindness on me now. And besides that," he said, "there has many a good +champion fallen through the things you yourself have done, and there is +not an end of them yet; and there will soon come great misfortunes on +the Fianna, and it is few of their seed will be left after them. And it +is not for yourself I am fretting, Finn," he said, "but for Oisin and +Osgar, and the rest of my dear comrades, and as for you, Oisin, you will +be left lamenting after the Fianna. And it is greatly you will feel the +want of me yet, Finn," he said; "and if the women of the Fianna knew I +was lying in my wounds on this ridge, it is sorrowful their faces would +be at this time."</p> + +<p>And Osgar said then: "Although I am nearer in blood to you, Finn, than +to Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, I will not let you refuse him this +drink; and by my word," he said, "if any prince in the world would do +the same unkindness to Diarmuid that you have done, it is only the one +of us that has the strongest hand would escape alive. And give him a +drink now without delay," he said.</p> + +<p>"I do not know of any well at all on this mountain," said Finn. "That is +not so," said Diarmuid, "for there is not nine footsteps from you the +well that has the best fresh water that can be found in the world."</p> + +<p>Then Finn went to the well, and he took the full of his two hands of the +water. But when he was no more than half-way back, the thought of Grania +came on him, and he let the water slip through his hands, and he said he +was not able to bring it. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "it was of +your own will you let it from you." Then Finn went back the second time +to get the water, but coming back he let it through his hands again at +the thought of Grania. And Diarmuid gave a pitiful sigh of anguish when +he saw that. "I swear by my sword and by my spear," said Osgar, "that if +you do not bring the water without any more delay, Finn, there will not +leave this hill but yourself or myself." Finn went back the third time +to the well after what Osgar said, and he brought the water to Diarmuid, +but as he reached him the life went out of his body. Then the whole +company of the Fianna that were there gave three great heavy shouts, +keening for Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>And Osgar looked very fiercely at Finn, and it is what he said, that it +was a greater pity Diarmuid to be dead than if he himself had died. And +the Fianna of Ireland had lost their yoke of battle by him, he said. +"Let us leave this hill," said Finn then, "before Angus and the Tuatha +de Danaan come upon us, for although we have no share in the death of +Diarmuid, he would not believe the truth from us." "I give my word," +said Osgar, "if I had thought it was against Diarmuid you made the hunt +of Beinn Gulbain, you would never have made it"</p> + +<p>Then Finn and the Fianna went away from the hill, and Finn leading +Diarmuid's hound Mac an Chuill. But Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son turned back again and put their four cloaks over Diarmuid, +and then they went after the rest of the Fianna.</p> + +<p>And when they came to the Rath, Grania was out on the wall looking for +news of Diarmuid; and she saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland coming +towards her. Then she said: "If Diarmuid was living, it is not led by +Finn that Mac an Chuill would be coming home." And she was at that time +heavy with child, and her strength went from her and she fell down from +the wall. And when Oisin saw the way she was he bade Finn and the others +to go on from her, but she lifted up her head and she asked Finn to +leave Mac an Chuill with her. And he said he would not, and that he did +not think it too much for him to inherit from Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne.</p> + +<p>When Oisin heard that, he snatched the hound out of Finn's hand and gave +it to Grania, and then he followed after his people.</p> + +<p>Then when Grania was certain of Diarmuid's death she gave out a long +very pitiful cry that was heard through the whole place, and her women +and her people came to her, and asked what ailed her to give a cry like +that. And she told them how Diarmuid had come to his death by the Boar +of Beinn Gulbain in the hunt Finn had made. "And there is grief in my +very heart," she said, "I not to be able to fight myself with Finn, and +I would not have let him go safe out of this place."</p> + +<p>When her people heard of the death of Diarmuid they gave three great +heavy cries in the same way, that were heard in the clouds and the waste +places of the sky. And then Grania bade the five hundred that she had +for household to go to Beinn Gulbain for the body of Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>And when they were bringing it back, she went out to meet them, and they +put down the body of Diarmuid, and it is what she said:</p> + +<p>"I am your wife, beautiful Diarmuid, the man I would do no hurt to; it +is sorrowful I am after you to-night.</p> + +<p>"I am looking at the hawk and the hound my secret love used to be +hunting with; she that loved the three, let her be put in the grave with +Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>"Let us be glad to-night, let us make all welcome to-night, let us be +open-handed to-night, since we are sitting by the body of a king.</p> + +<p>"And O Diarmuid," she said, "it is a hard bed Finn has given you, to be +lying on the stones and to be wet with the rain. Ochone!" she said, +"your blue eyes to be without sight, you that were friendly and generous +and pursuing. O love! O Diarmuid! it is a pity it is he sent you to your +death.</p> + +<p>"You were a champion of the men of Ireland, their prop in the middle of +the fight; you were the head of every battle; your ways were glad and +pleasant.</p> + +<p>"It is sorrowful I am, without mirth, without light, but only sadness +and grief and long dying; your harp used to be sweet to me, it wakened +my heart to gladness. Now my courage is fallen down, I not to hear you +but to be always remembering your ways. Och! my grief is going through +me.</p> + +<p>"A thousand curses on the day when Grania gave you her love, that put +Finn of the princes from his wits; it is a sorrowful story your death is +to-day.</p> + +<p>"Many heroes were great and strong about me in the beautiful plain; +their hands were good at wrestling and at battle; Ochone! that I did not +follow them.</p> + +<p>"You were the man was best of the Fianna, beautiful Diarmuid, that +women loved. It is dark your dwelling-place is under the sod, it is +mournful and cold your bed is; it is pleasant your laugh was to-day; you +were my happiness, Diarmuid."</p> + +<p>And she went back then into the Rath, and bade her people to bring the +body to her there.</p> + +<p>Now just at this time, it was showed to Angus at Brugh na Boinne that +Diarmuid was dead on Beinn Gulbain, for he had kept no watch over him +the night before.</p> + +<p>And he went on the cold wind towards Beinn Gulbain, and his people with +him, and on the way they met with Grania's people that were bringing the +body to the Rath.</p> + +<p>And when they saw him they held out the wrong sides of their shields as +a sign of peace, and Angus knew them; and he and his people gave three +great terrible cries over the body of Diarmuid.</p> + +<p>And Angus spoke then, and it is what he said: "I was never one night +since the time I brought you to Brugh na Boinne, being nine months old, +without keeping watch and protection over you till last night, Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne; and now your blood has been shed and you have been +cut off sharply, and the Boar of Beinn Gulbain has put you down, +Diarmuid of the bright face and the bright sword. And it is a pity Finn +to have done this treachery," he said, "and you at peace with him.</p> + +<p>"And lift up his body now," he said, "and bring it to the Brugh in the +lasting rocks. And if I cannot bring him back to life," he said, "I will +put life into him the way he can be talking with me every day."</p> + +<p>Then they put his body on a golden bier, and his spears over it pointed +upwards, and they went on till they came to Brugh na Boinne.</p> + +<p>And Grania's people went to her and told her how Angus would not let +them bring the body into the Rath, but brought it away himself to Brugh +na Boinne. And Grania said she had no power over him.</p> + +<p>And she sent out then for her four sons that were being reared in the +district of Corca Ui Duibhne. And when they came she gave them a loving +welcome, and they came into the Rath and sat down there according to +their age. And Grania spoke to them with a very loud, clear voice, and +it is what she said: "My dear children, your father has been killed by +Finn, son of Cumhal, against his own bond and agreement of peace, and +let you avenge it well upon him. And here is your share of the +inheritance of your father," she said, "his arms and his armour, and his +feats of valour and power; and I will share these arms among you +myself," she said, "and that they may bring you victory in every battle. +Here is the sword for Donnchadh," she said, "the best son Diarmuid had; +and the Gae Dearg for Eochaidh; and here is the armour for Ollann, for +it will keep the body it is put on in safety; and the shield for Connla. +And make no delay now," she said, "but go and learn every sort of skill +in fighting, till such time as you will come to your full strength to +avenge your father."</p> + +<p>So they took leave of her then, and of their household.</p> + +<p>And some of their people said: "What must we do now, since our lords +will be going into danger against Finn and the Fianna of Ireland?" And +Donnchadh, son of Diarmuid, bade them stop in their own places; "for if +we make peace with Finn," he said, "there need be no fear on you, and if +not, you can make your choice between ourselves and him." And with that +they set out on their journey.</p> + +<p>But after a while Finn went secretly and unknown to the Fianna to the +place where Grania was, and he got to see her in spite of all her high +talk, and he spoke gently to her. And she would not listen to him, but +bade him to get out of her sight, and whatever hard thing her tongue +could say, she said it. But all the same, he went on giving her gentle +talk and loving words, till in the end he brought her to his own will.</p> + +<p>And there is no news told of them, until such time as they came to where +the seven battalions of the Fianna were waiting for Finn. And when they +saw him coming, and Grania with him, like any new wife with her husband, +they gave a great shout of laughter and of mockery, and Grania bowed +down her head with shame, "By my word, Finn," said Oisin, "you will keep +a good watch on Grania from this out."</p> + +<p>And some said the change had come on her because the mind of a woman +changes like the water of a running stream; but some said it was Finn +that had put enchantment on her.</p> + +<p>And as to the sons of Diarmuid, they came back at the end of seven +years, after learning all that was to be learned of valour in the far +countries of the world. And when they came back to Rath Grania they were +told their mother was gone away with Finn, son of Cumhal, without +leaving any word for themselves or for the King of Ireland. And they +said if that was so, there was nothing for them to do. But after that +they said they would make an attack on Finn, and they went forward to +Almhuin, and they would take no offers, but made a great slaughter of +every troop that came out against them.</p> + +<p>But at last Grania made an agreement of peace between themselves and +Finn, and they got their father's place among the Fianna; and that was +little good to them, for they lost their lives with the rest in the +battle of Gabhra. And as to Finn and Grania, they stopped with one +another to the end.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L78" id="L78" />BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. TAILC, SON OF TREON</h2> + + +<p>One time the Fianna were all gathered together doing feats and casting +stones. And after a while the Druid of Teamhair that was with them said: +"I am in dread, Finn of the Fianna, that there is some trouble near at +hand; and look now at those dark clouds of blood," he said, "that are +threatening us side by side overhead. And there is fear on me," he said, +"that there is some destruction coming on the Fianna."</p> + +<p>Finn looked up then, and he saw the great cloud of blood, and he called +Osgar to look at it. "That need not knock a start from you," said Osgar, +"with all the strength there is in your arms, and in the men that are +with you." Then all the Fianna looked up at the cloud, and some of them +were glad and cheerful and some were downhearted.</p> + +<p>Then the Druid bade Finn to call all his battalions together and to +divide them into two halves, that they could be watching for the coming +of the enemy.</p> + +<p>So Finn sounded the Dord Fiann, and they answered with a shout, every +one hurrying to be the first. And Finn bade Osgar and Goll and Faolan to +keep watch through the night, and he bade Conan the Bald to stop in the +darkness of the cave of Liath Ard. "For it is you can shout loudest," he +said, "to warn us if you see the enemy coming." "That I may be pierced +through the middle of my body," said Conan, "if I will go watching for +troubles or for armies alone, without some more of the Fianna being with +me." "It is not fitting for you to refuse Finn," said Lugaidh's Son; +"and it is you can shout the loudest," he said, "if the enemies come +near the height." "Do not be speaking to me any more," said Conan, "for +I will not go there alone, through the length of my days, for Finn and +the whole of the Fianna." "Go then, Conan," said Osgar, "and Aodh Beag +will go with you, and you can bring dogs with you, Bran and Sceolan and +Fuaim and Fearagan; and let you go now without begrudging it," he said.</p> + +<p>So Conan went then to Liath Ard, and Aodh Beag and Finn's hounds along +with him. And as to Finn, he lay down to sleep, and it was not long till +he saw through his sleep Aodh Beag his son, and he without his head. And +after that he saw Goll fighting with a very strong man. And he awoke +from his sleep, and called the Druid of the Fianna to him, and asked him +the meaning of what he saw. "I am in dread there is some destruction +coming on the Fianna," said the Druid; "but Aodh Beag will not be +wounded in the fight, or Goll," he said.</p> + +<p>And it was not long till Finn heard a great shout, and he sounded the +Dord Fiann, and then he saw Conan running, and the hounds after him. And +Finn sounded the Dord Fiann again before Conan came up, and when he +came, Osgar asked him where was Aodh Beag. "He was at the door of the +cave when I left it," said Conan, "but I did not look behind me since +then," he said; "and it was not Aodh Beag was troubling me." "What was +troubling you then?" said Osgar. "Nothing troubles me but myself," said +Conan; "although I am well pleased at any good that comes to you," he +said.</p> + +<p>Osgar went then running hard, till he came to the cave, and there he +found Aodh Beag with no fear or trouble on him at all, stopping there +till he would hear the noise of the shields. And Osgar brought him back +to where the Fianna were, and they saw a great army coming as if in +search of them.</p> + +<p>And a beautiful woman, having a crimson cloak, came to them over the +plain, and she spoke to Finn, and her voice was as sweet as music. And +Finn asked her who was she, and who did she come looking for. "I am the +daughter of Garraidh, son of Dolar Dian, the Fierce," she said; "and my +curse upon the King of Greece that bound me to the man that is +following after me, and that I am going from, Tailc, son of Treon." +"Tell me why are you shunning him, and I will protect you in spite of +him," said Finn. "It is not without reason I hate him," said she, "for +he has no good appearance, and his skin is of the colour of coal, and he +has the head and the tail of a cat. And I have walked the world three +times," she said, "and I did not leave a king or a great man without +asking help from him, and I never got it yet." "I will give you +protection," said Finn, "or the seven battalions of the Fianna will fall +for your sake."</p> + +<p>With that they saw the big strange man, Tailc, son of Treon, coming +towards them, and he said no word at all of greeting to Finn, but he +called for a battle on account of his wife.</p> + +<p>So a thousand of the Fianna went out to meet him and his men; and if +they did they all fell, and not one of them came back again. And then +another thousand of the best men of the Fianna, having blue and green +shields, went out under Caoilte, son of Ronan, and they were worsted by +Tailc and his people. And then Osgar asked leave of Finn to go out and +fight the big man. "I will give you leave," said Finn, "although I am +sure you will fall by him." So Osgar went out, and he himself and Tailc, +son of Treon, were fighting through the length of five days and five +nights without food or drink or sleep. And at the end of that time, +Osgar made an end of Tailc, and struck his head off. And when the Fianna +saw that, they gave a shout of lamentation for those they had lost of +the Fianna, and two shouts of joy for the death of Tailc.</p> + +<p>And as to the young woman, when she saw all the slaughter that had been +done on account of her, shame reddened her face, and she fell dead there +and then. And to see her die like that, after all she had gone through, +preyed more on the Fianna than any other thing.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L79" id="L79" />CHAPTER II. MEARGACH'S WIFE</h2> + + +<p>And while the Fianna were gathered yet on the hill where Tailc, son of +Treon, had been put down, they saw a very great champion coming towards +them, having an army behind him. He took no notice of any one more than +another, but he asked in a very rough voice where was Finn, the Head of +the Fianna. And Aodh Beag, that had a quiet heart, asked him who was he, +and what was he come for. "I will tell you nothing at all, child," said +the big man, "for it is short your years are, and I will tell nothing at +all to any one but Finn." So Aodh Beag brought him to where Finn was, +and Finn asked him his name. "Meargach of the Green Spears is my name," +he said; "and arms were never reddened yet on my body, and no one ever +boasted of driving me backwards. And was it you, Finn," he said, "put +down Tailc, son of Treon?" "It was not by me he fell," said Finn, "but +by Osgar of the strong hand." "Was it not a great shame for you, Finn," +said Meargach then, "to let the queen-woman that had such a great name +come to her death by the Fianna?" "It was not by myself or by any of the +Fianna she got her death," said Finn; "it was seeing the army lost that +brought her to her death. But if it is satisfaction for her death or the +death of Tailc you want," he said, "You can get it from a man of the +Fianna, or you can go quietly from this place." Then Meargach said he +would fight with any man they would bring against him, to avenge Tailc, +son of Treon.</p> + +<p>And it was Osgar stood up against him, and they fought a very hard fight +through the length of three days, and at one time the Fianna thought it +was Osgar was worsted, and they gave a great sorrowful shout. But in the +end Osgar put down Meargach and struck his head off, and at that the +seven battalions of the Fianna gave a shout of victory, and the army of +Meargach keened him very sorrowfully. And after that, the two sons of +Meargach, Ciardan the Swift and Liagan the Nimble, came up and asked +who would come against them, hand to hand, that they might get +satisfaction for their father.</p> + +<p>And it was Goll stood up against Ciardan, and it was not long till he +put him down; and Conan came out against Liagan, and Liagan mocked at +him and said: "It is foolishness your coming is, bald man!" But Conan +made a quick blow and struck his head off before the fight was begun at +all.</p> + +<p>And Faolan said that was a shameful thing to do, not to stand his ground +and make a fair fight. But Conan said: "If I could make an end of the +whole army by one blow, I would do it, and I would not be ashamed, and +the whole of the Fianna could not shelter them from me."</p> + +<p>Then the two armies came towards each other, and they were making ready +for the attack. And they saw a beautiful golden-haired woman coming +towards them, and she crying and ever crying, and the battle was given +up on both sides, waiting for her to come; and the army of Meargach knew +it was their queen, Ailne of the Bright Face, and they raised a great +cry of grief; and the Fianna were looking at her, and said no word.</p> + +<p>And she asked where was her husband, and where were her two sons. "High +Queen," said Finn then, "for all they were so complete and quick and +strong, the three you are asking for fell in fight."</p> + +<p>And when the queen-woman heard that, she cried out aloud, and she went +to the place where her husband and her two sons were lying, and she +stood over their bodies, and her golden hair hanging, and she keened +them there. And her own people raised a sharp lamentation listening to +her, and the Fianna themselves were under grief.</p> + +<p>And it is what she said: "O Meargach," she said, "of the sharp green +spears, it is many a fight and many a heavy battle your hard hand fought +in the gathering of the armies or alone.</p> + +<p>"I never knew any wound to be on your body after them; and it is full +sure I am, it was not strength but treachery got the upper hand of you +now.</p> + +<p>"It is long your journey was from far off, from your own kind country to +Inisfail, to come to Finn and the Fianna, that put my three to death +through treachery.</p> + +<p>"My grief! to have lost my husband, my head, by the treachery of the +Fianna; my two sons, my two men that were rough in the fight.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my food and my drink; my grief! my teaching everywhere; my +grief! my journey from far off, and I to have lost my high heroes.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my house thrown down; my grief! my shelter and my shield; my +grief! Meargach and Ciardan; my grief! Liagan of the wide chest.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my protection and my shelter; my grief! my strength and my +power; my grief! there is darkness come from this thing; my grief +to-night you to be in your weakness.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my gladness and my pleasure; my grief! my desire in every +place; my grief! my courage is gone and my strength; my grief from this +night out for ever.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my guide and my going; my grief! my desire to the day of my +death; my grief! my store and my sway; my grief! my heroes that were +open-handed.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my bed and my sleep; my grief! my journey and my coming; my +grief! my teacher and my share; my sorrowful grief! my three men.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my beauty and my ornaments; my grief! my jewels and my +riches; my grief! my treasures and my goods; my grief! my three Candles +of Valour.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my friends and my kindred; my grief! my people and my +friends. My grief! my father and my mother; my grief and my trouble! you +to be dead.</p> + +<p>"My grief my portion and my welcome; my grief! my health at every time; +my grief! my increase and my light; my sore trouble, you to be without +strength.</p> + +<p>"My grief! your spear and your sword; my grief! your gentleness and your +love; my grief! your country and your home; my grief! you to be parted +from my reach.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my coasts and my harbours; my grief! my wealth and my +prosperity; my grief! my greatness and my kingdom; my grief and my +crying are until death.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my luck altogether; my grief for you in time of battle; my +grief! my gathering of armies; my grief! my three proud lions.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my games and my drinking; my grief! my music and my delight; +my grief! my sunny house and my women; my crying grief, you to be under +defeat.</p> + +<p>"My grief! my lands and my hunting; my grief! my three sure fighters; +Och! my grief! they are my sorrow, to fall far off by the Fianna.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the great host of the Sidhe that were fighting over the dun, +giving battle to one another in the valleys of the air, that destruction +would put down my three.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the noise of the voices of the Sidhe coming into my ears, +that a story of new sorrow was not far from me; it is your death it was +foretelling.</p> + +<p>"I knew at the beginning of the day when my three good men went from me, +when I saw tears of blood on their cheeks, that they would not come back +to me as winners.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the voice of the battle-crow over your dun every evening, +since you went from me comely and terrible, that misfortune and grief +were at hand.</p> + +<p>"It is well I remember, my three strong ones, how often I used to be +telling you that if you would go to Ireland, I would not see the joy of +victory on your faces.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the voice of the raven every morning since you went from me, +that your fall was sure and certain; that you would never come back to +your own country.</p> + +<p>"I knew, my three great ones, by your forgetting the thongs of your +hounds, that you would not gain the day or escape from the treachery of +the Fianna.</p> + +<p>"I knew, Candles of Valour, by the stream near the dun turning to blood +when you set out, that there would be treachery in Finn.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the eagle coming every evening over the dun, that it would +not be long till I would hear a story of bad news of my three.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the withering of the tree before the dun, that you would +never come back as conquerors from the treachery of Finn, son of +Cumhal."</p> + +<p>When Grania, now, heard what the woman was saying, there was anger on +her, and she said: "Do not be speaking against Finn or the Fianna, +Queen, for it was not by any treachery or any deceit your three men were +brought to their end."</p> + +<p>But Ailne made her no answer and gave no heed to her, but she went on +with her complaint, and she crying and ever crying.</p> + +<p>"I knew, looking after you the day you went out from the dun, by the +flight of the raven before you, there was no good sign of your coming +back again.</p> + +<p>"I knew by Ciardan's hounds that were howling mournfully every evening, +that it would not be long till I would have bad news of you.</p> + +<p>"I knew by my sleep that went from me, by my tears through every lasting +night, that there was no luck before you.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the sorrowful vision that showed myself in danger, my head +and my hands cut off, that it was yourselves were without sway.</p> + +<p>"I knew by the voice of Uaithnin, the hound that is dearest to Liagan, +howling early every morning, that death was certain for my three.</p> + +<p>"I knew when I saw in a vision a lake of blood in the place of the dun, +that my three were put down by the deceit that was always with Finn."</p> + +<p>"Do not be faulting Finn," said Grania then, "however vexed your heart +may be. And leave off now," she said, "speaking against the Fianna and +against himself; for if your men had stopped in their own country," she +said, "without coming to avenge the son of Treon, there would no harm +have happened them." "I would not put any reproach on the Fianna, +Grania," said Ailne, "if my three men had been put down in fair battle, +but they are not living to bear witness to me," she said; "and it is +likely they were put under Druid spells at the first, or they would +never have given in." "If they were living, Queen," said Grania, "they +would not be running down the Fianna, but they would tell you it was by +bravery and the strong hand they fell." "I do not believe you or the +Fianna when you say that," said Ailne; "for no one that came to meet +them ever got the sway over them by the right of the sword." "If you do +not believe what I am saying, beautiful Ailne," said Grania, "I tell +you more of your great army will fall by the Fianna, and that not by +treachery." "That is not so," said Ailne, "but I have good hopes that my +own army will do destruction on the Fianna, for the sake of the men that +are dead." "Well, Ailne," said Grania, "I know it is a far journey you +have come. And come now and eat and drink," she said, "with myself and +with the Fianna."</p> + +<p>But Ailne would not do that, but she said it would not be fitting for +her to take food from people that did such deeds, and what she wanted +was satisfaction for the death of her husband and her two sons.</p> + +<p>And first it was settled for two men of each side to go out against one +another; and then Ailne said that there should be thirty men on each +side, and then she said she would not be satisfied to go back to her own +country till she brought the head of Finn with her, or till the last of +his men had fallen. And there was a great battle fought in the end, and +it is seldom the Fianna fought so hard a battle as that.</p> + +<p>And it would be too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +many good men were killed on each side. But in the end Ailne of the +Bright Face was worsted, and she went back with what were left of her +men to their own country, and no one knew where they went.</p> + +<p>And the hill in the west those battles were fought on got the name of +Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L80" id="L80" />CHAPTER III. AILNE'S REVENGE</h2> + + +<p>One day Finn and his people were hunting on Slieve Fuad, and a stag +stood against them for a while and fought with his great rough horns, +and then he turned and ran, and the Fianna followed after him till they +came to the green hill of Liadhas, and from that to rocky Cairgin. And +there they lost him again for a while, till Sceolan started him again, +and he went back towards Slieve Fuad, and the Fianna after him.</p> + +<p>But Finn and Daire of the Songs, that were together, went astray and +lost the rest of their people, and they did not know was it east or west +they were going.</p> + +<p>Finn sounded the Dord Fiann then, and Daire played some sorrowful music +to let their people know where they were. But when the Fianna heard the +music, it seemed to be a long way off; and sometimes they thought it was +in the north it was, and sometimes in the east, and then it changed to +the west, the way they did not know in the wide world where was it +coming from.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn and Daire, a Druid mist came about them, and they did not +know what way they were going.</p> + +<p>And after a while they met with a young woman, comely and pleasant, and +they asked who was she, and what brought her there. "Glanluadh is my +name," she said, "and my husband is Lobharan; and we were travelling +over the plain together a while ago, and we heard the cry of hounds, and +he left me and went after the hunt, and I do not know where is he, or +what way did he go." "Come on then with us," said Finn, "and we will +take care of you, for we ourselves do not know what way the hunt is +gone, east or west." So they went on, and before long they came to a +hill, and they heard sleepy music of the Sidhe beside them. And after +that there came shouts and noises, and then the music began again, and +heavy sleep came on Finn and Daire. And when they awoke from their sleep +they saw a very large lighted house before them, and a stormy blue sea +around it. Then they saw a very big grey man coming through the waves, +and he took hold of Finn and of Daire, and all their strength went from +them, and he brought them across the waves and into the house, and he +shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My welcome to you, Finn of +the great name," he said then in a very harsh voice; "it is long we are +waiting here for you."</p> + +<p>They sat down then on the hard side of a bed, and the woman of the house +came to them, and they knew her to be Ailne, wife of Meargach. "It is +long I am looking for you, Finn," she said, "to get satisfaction for the +treachery you did on Meargach and on my two comely young sons, and on +Tailc, son of Treon, and all his people. And do you remember that, +Finn?" she said. "I remember well," said Finn, "that they fell by the +swords of the Fianna, not by treachery but in fighting." "It was by +treachery they fell," said the Grey Man then; "and it is our witness to +it, pleasant Ailne to be the way she is, and many a strong army under +grief on account of her." "What is Ailne to you, man of the rough +voice?" said Finn. "I am her own brother," said the man.</p> + +<p>With that he put bonds on the three, Finn and Daire and Glanluadh, and +he put them down into some deep shut place.</p> + +<p>They were very sorrowful then, and they stopped there to the end of five +days and five nights, without food, without drink, without music.</p> + +<p>And Ailne went to see them then, and Finn said to her: "O Ailne," he +said, "bring to mind the time you come to Cnoc-an-Air, and the way the +Fianna treated you with generosity; and it is not fitting for you," he +said, "to keep us now under shame and weakness and in danger of death." +"I know well I got kind treatment from Grania," said Ailne in a +sorrowful voice; "but for all that, Finn," she said, "if all the Fianna +were in that prison along with you under hard bonds, it would please me +well, and I would not pity their case. And what is it set you following +after Finn," she said then to Glanluadh, "for that is not a fitting +thing for you to do, and his own kind wife living yet."</p> + +<p>Then Glanluadh told her the whole story, and how she was walking the +plain with Lobharan her husband, and he followed the hunt, and the mist +came about her that she did not know east from west, and how she met +then with Finn that she never saw before that time. "If that is so," +said Ailne, "it is not right for you to be under punishment without +cause."</p> + +<p>She called then to her brother the Grey Man, and bade him take the +spells off Glanluadh. And when she was set free it is sorry she was to +leave Daire in bonds, and Finn. And when she had bidden them farewell +she went out with Ailne, and there was food brought to her, but a cloud +of weakness came on her of a sudden, that it was a pity to see the way +she was.</p> + +<p>And when Ailne saw that, she brought out an enchanted cup of the Sidhe +and gave her a drink from it. And no sooner did Glanluadh drink from the +cup than her strength and her own appearance came back to her again; but +for all that, she was fretting after Finn and Daire in their bonds. "It +seems to me, Glanluadh, you are fretting after those two men," said +Ailne. "I am sorry indeed," said Glanluadh, "the like of those men to be +shut up without food or drink." "If it is pleasing to you to give them +food you may give it," said Ailne, "for I will not make an end of them +till I see can I get the rest of the Fianna into bonds along with them." +The two women brought food and drink then to Finn, and to Daire; and +Glanluadh gave her blessing to Finn, and she cried when she saw the way +he was; but as to Ailne, she had no pity at all for the King of the +Fianna.</p> + +<p>Now as to the Grey Man, he heard them talking of the Fianna, and they +were saying that Daire had a great name for the sweetness of his music. +"I have a mind to hear that sweet music," said he. So he went to the +place where they were, and he bade Daire to let him hear what sort of +music he could make. "My music pleased the Fianna well," said Daire; +"but I think it likely it would not please you." "Play it for me now, +till I know if the report I heard of you is true," said the Grey Man. +"Indeed, I have no mind for music," said Daire, "being weak and +downhearted the way I am, through your spells that put down my courage." +"I will take my spells off you for so long as you play for me," said the +Grey Man. "I could never make music seeing Finn in bonds the way he is," +said Daire; "for it is worse to me, he to be under trouble than myself." +"I will take the power of my spells off Finn till you play for me," said +the Grey Man.</p> + +<p>He weakened the spells then, and gave them food and drink, and it +pleased him greatly the way Daire played the music, and he called to +Glanluadh and to Ailne to come and to listen to the sweetness of it. And +they were well pleased with it, and it is glad Glanluadh was, seeing +them not so discouraged as they were.</p> + +<p>Now as to the Fianna, they were searching for Finn and for Daire in +every place they had ever stopped in. And when they came to this place +they could hear Daire's sweet music; and at first they were glad when +they heard it, and then when they knew the way he himself and Finn were, +they made an attack on Ailne's dun to release them.</p> + +<p>But the Grey Man heard their shouts, and he put the full power of his +spells again on Finn and on Daire. And the Fianna heard the music as if +stammering, and then they heard a great noise like the loud roaring of +waves, and when they heard that, there was not one of them but fell into +a sleep and clouds of death, under those sorrowful spells.</p> + +<p>And then the Grey Man and Ailne came out quietly from where they were, +and they brought the whole of the men of the Fianna that were there into +the dun. And they put hard bonds on them, and put them where Finn and +Daire were. And there was great grief on Finn and Daire when they saw +them, and they were all left there together for a while.</p> + +<p>Then Glanluadh said to the Grey Man: "If Daire's music is pleasing to +you, let him play it to us now." "If you have a mind for music," said +the Grey Man, "Daire must play it for us, and for Finn and his army as +well."</p> + +<p>They went then to where they were, and bade Daire to play. "I could +never play sweet music," said Daire, "the time the Fianna are in any +trouble; for when they are in trouble, I myself am in trouble, and I +could not sound any sweet string," he said, "while there is trouble on +any man of them." The Grey Man weakened the spells then on them all, and +Daire played first the strings of sweetness, and of the noise of +shouting, and then he sang his own grief and the grief of all the +Fianna. And at that the Grey Man said it would not be long before he +would put the whole of the Fianna to death; and then Daire played a tune +of heavy shouts of lamentation. And then at Finn's bidding he played the +music of sweet strings for the Fianna.</p> + +<p>They were kept, now, a long time in that prison, and they got very hard +treatment; and sometimes Ailne's brother would come in and strike the +heads off some of them, for none of them could rise up from the seats +they were sitting on through his enchantments. But one time he was going +to strike the bald head off Conan, and Conan made a great leap from the +seat; but if he did, he left strips of his skin hanging to it, that his +back was left bare. And then he came round the Grey Man with his pitiful +words: "Stop your hand now," he said, "for that is enough for this time; +and do not send me to my death yet awhile, and heal me of my wounds +first," he said, "before you make an end of me." And the reason he said +that was because he knew Ailne to have an enchanted cup in the dun, that +had cured Glanluadh.</p> + +<p>And the Grey Man took pity on his case, and he brought him out and bade +Ailne to bring the cup to him and to cure his wounds. "I will not bring +it," said Ailne, "for it would be best give no time at all to him or to +the Fianna, but to make an end of them." "It is not to be saved from +death I am asking, bright-faced Ailne," said Conan, "but only not to go +to my death stripped bare the way I am." When Ailne heard that, she +brought a sheepskin and she put it on Conan's back, and it fitted and +grew to him, and covered his wounds. "I will not put you to death, +Conan," said the Grey Man then, "but you can stop with myself to the end +of your life." "You will never be without grief and danger and the fear +of treachery if you keep him with you," said Ailne; "for there is +treachery in his heart the same as there is in the rest of them." "There +is no fear of that," said her brother, "or I will make no delay until I +put the whole of the Fianna to death." And with that he brought Conan to +where the enchanted cup was, and he put it in his hand. And just at that +moment they heard Daire playing very sweet sorrowful music, and the Grey +Man went to listen to it, very quick and proud. And Conan followed him +there, and after a while the Grey Man asked him what did he do with the +enchanted cup. "I left it where I found it, full of power," said Conan.</p> + +<p>The Grey Man hurried back then to the place where the treasures of the +dun were. But no sooner was he gone than Conan took out the cup that he +had hidden, and he gave a drink from it to Finn and to Osgar and to the +rest of the Fianna. And they that were withered and shaking, without +strength, without courage, got back their own appearance and their +strength again on the moment.</p> + +<p>And when the Grey Man came back from looking for the cup, and saw what +had happened, he took his sword and made a stroke at Conan. But Conan +called to Osgar to defend him, and Osgar attacked the Grey Man, and it +was not long till he made him acquainted with death.</p> + +<p>And when Ailne saw that, with the grief and the dread that came on her, +she fell dead then and there.</p> + +<p>Then all the Fianna made a feast with what they found of food and of +drink, and they were very joyful and merry. But when they rose up in the +morning, there was no trace or tidings of the dun, but it was on the +bare grass they were lying.</p> + +<p>But as to Conan, the sheepskin never left him; and the wool used to grow +on it every year, the same as it would on any other skin.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L81" id="L81" />BOOK NINE: THE WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. THE QUARREL WITH THE SONS OF MORNA</h2> + + +<p>One time when the Fianna were gone here and there hunting, Black +Garraidh and Caoilte were sitting beside Finn, and they were talking of +the battle where Finn's father was killed. And Finn said then to +Garraidh: "Tell me now, since you were there yourself, what way was it +you brought my father Cumhal to his death?" "I will tell you that since +you ask me," said Garraidh; "it was my own hand and the hands of the +rest of the sons of Morna that made an end of him." "That is cold +friendship from my followers the sons of Morna," said Finn. "If it is +cold friendship," said Garraidh, "put away the liking you are letting on +to have for us, and show us the hatred you have for us all the while." +"If I were to lift my hand against you now, sons of Morna," said Finn, +"I would be well able for you all without the help of any man." "It was +by his arts Cumhal got the upper hand of us," said Garraidh; "and when +he got power over us," he said, "he banished us to every far country; a +share of us he sent to Alban, and a share of us to dark Lochlann, and a +share of us to bright Greece, parting us from one another; and for +sixteen years we were away from Ireland, and it was no small thing to us +to be without seeing one another through that time. And the first day we +came back to Ireland," he said, "we killed sixteen hundred men, and no +lie in it, and not a man of them but would be keened by a hundred. And +we took their duns after that," he said, "and we went on till we were +all around one house in Munster of the red walls. But so great was the +bravery of the man in that house, that was your father, that it was +easier to find him than to kill him. And we killed all that were of his +race out on the hill, and then we made a quick rush at the house where +Cumhal was, and every man of us made a wound on his body with his spear. +And I myself was in it, and it was I gave him the first wound. And +avenge it on me now, Finn, if you have a mind to," he said.</p> + +<hr class="thought-break" /> + +<p>It was not long after that, Finn gave a feast at Almhuin for all his +chief men, and there came to it two sons of the King of Alban, and sons +of the kings of the great world. And when they were all sitting at the +feast, the serving-men rose up and took drinking-horns worked by skilled +men, and having shining stones in them, and they poured out strong drink +for the champions; and it is then mirth rose up in their young men, and +courage in their fighting men, and kindness and gentleness in their +women, and knowledge and foreknowledge in their poets.</p> + +<p>And then a crier rose up and shook a rough iron chain to silence the +clowns and the common lads and idlers, and then he shook a chain of old +silver to silence the high lords and chief men of the Fianna, and the +learned men, and they all listened and were silent.</p> + +<p>And Fergus of the True Lips rose up and sang before Finn the songs and +the good poems of his forefathers; and Finn and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son +rewarded him with every good thing. And then he went on to Goll, son of +Morna, and told the fights and the destructions and the cattle-drivings +and the courtings of his fathers; and it is well-pleased and high-minded +the sons of Morna were, listening to that.</p> + +<p>And Goll said then: "Where is my woman-messenger?" "I am here, King of +the Fianna," said she. "Have you brought me my hand-tribute from the men +of Lochlann?" "I have brought it surely," said she. And with that she +rose up and laid on the floor of the hall before Goll a load of pure +gold, the size of a good pig, and that would be a heavy load for a +strong man. And Goll loosened the covering that was about it, and he +gave Fergus a good reward from it as he was used to do; for there never +was a wise, sharp-worded poet, or a sweet harp-player, or any learned +man of Ireland or of Alban, but Goll would give him gold or silver or +some good thing.</p> + +<p>And when Finn saw that, he said: "How long is it, Goll, you have this +rent on the men of Lochlann, and my own rent being on them always with +it, and one of my own men, Ciaran son of Latharne, and ten hundred men +of his household, guarding it and guarding my right of hunting?" And +Goll saw there was anger on Finn, and he said: "It is a long time, Finn, +I have that rent on the men of Lochlann, from the time your father put +war and quarrels on me, and the King of Ireland joined with him, and I +was made to quit Ireland by them. And I went into Britain," he said, +"and I took the country and killed the king himself and did destruction +on his people, but Cumhal put me out of it; and from that I went to +Fionnlochlann, and the king fell by me, and his household, and Cumhal +put me out of it; and I went from that to the country of the Saxons, and +the king and his household fell by me, and Cumhal put me out of it. But +I came back then to Ireland, and I fought a battle against your father, +and he fell by me there. And it was at that time I put this rent upon +the men of Lochlann. And, Finn," he said, "it is not a rent of the +strong hand you have put on them, but it is a tribute for having the +protection of the Fianna of Ireland, and I do not lessen that. And you +need not begrudge that tribute to me," he said, "for if I had more than +that again, it is to you and to the men of Ireland I would give it."</p> + +<p>There was great anger on Finn then, and he said: "You tell me, Goll," he +said, "by your own story, that you came from the city of Beirbhe to +fight against my father, and that you killed him in the battle; and it +is a bold thing you to tell that to me." "By your own hand," said Goll, +"if you were to give me the same treatment your father gave me, I would +pay you the same way as I paid him." "It would be hard for you to do +that," said Finn, "for there are a hundred men in my household against +every man there is in your household." "That was the same with your +father," said Goll, "and I avenged my disgrace on him; and I would do +the same on yourself if you earned it," he said.</p> + +<p>Then Cairell of the White Skin, son of Finn, said: "It is many a man of +Finn's household you have put down, Goll!" And Bald Conan when he heard +that said: "I swear by my arms, Goll was never without having a hundred +men in his household, every one of them able to get the better of +yourself." "And is it to them you belong, crooked-speaking, bare-headed +Conan?" said Cairell. "It is to them I belong, you black, feeble, +nail-scratching, rough-skinned Cairell; and I will make you know it was +Finn was in the wrong," said Conan.</p> + +<p>With that Cairell rose up and gave a furious blow of his fist to Conan, +and Conan took it with no great patience, but gave him back a blow in +his teeth, and from that they went on to worse blows again. And the two +sons of Goll rose up to help Conan, and Osgar went to the help of +Cairell, and it was not long till many of the chief men of the Fianna +were fighting on the one side or the other, on the side of Finn or on +the side of the sons of Morna.</p> + +<p>But then Fergus of the True Lips rose up, and the rest of the poets of +the Fianna along with him, and they sang their songs and their poems to +check and to quiet them. And they left off their fighting at the sound +of the poets' songs, and they let their weapons fall on the floor, and +the poets took them up, and made peace between the fighters; and they +put bonds on Finn and on Goll to keep the peace for a while, till they +could ask for a judgment from the High King of Ireland. And that was the +end for that time of the little quarrel at Almhuin.</p> + +<p>But it broke out again, one time there was a falling out between Finn +and Goll as to the dividing of a pig of the pigs of Manannan. And at +Daire Tardha, the Oak Wood of Bulls, in the province of Connacht, there +was a great fight between Finn's men and the sons of Morna. And the sons +of Morna were worsted, and fifteen of their men were killed; and they +made their mind up that from that time they would set themselves against +any friends of Finn or of his people. And it was Conan the Bald gave +them that advice, for he was always bitter, and a maker of quarrels and +of mischief in every place.</p> + +<p>And they kept to their word, and spared no one. There was a +yellow-haired queen that Finn loved, Berach Brec her name was, and she +was wise and comely and worthy of any good man, and she had her house +full of treasures, and never refused the asking of any. And any one that +came to her house at Samhain time might stay till Beltaine, and have his +choice then to go or to stay. And the sons of Morna had fostered her, +and they went where she was and bade her to give up Finn and she need be +in no dread of them. But she said she would not give up her kind lover +to please them; and she was going away from them to her ship, and Art, +son of Morna, made a cast of his spear that went through her body, that +she died, and her people brought her up from the strand and buried her.</p> + +<p>And as to Goll, he took a little hound that Finn thought a great deal +of, Conbeg its name was, and he drowned it in the sea; and its body was +brought up to shore by a wave afterwards, and it was buried under a +little green hill by the Fianna. And Caoilte made a complaint over it, +and he said how swift the little hound was after deer, or wild pigs, and +how good at killing them, and that it was a pity it to have died, out on +the cold green waves. And about that time, nine women of the Tuatha de +Danaan came to meet with nine men of the Fianna, and the sons of Morna +saw them coming and made an end of them.</p> + +<p>And when Caoilte met with Goll, he made a cast of his spear at him that +struck the golden helmet off his head and a piece of his flesh along +with it. But Goll took it very proudly, and put on the helmet again and +took up his weapons, and called out to his brothers that he was no way +ashamed.</p> + +<p>And Finn went looking for the sons of Morna in every place to do +vengeance on them. They were doing robbery and destruction one time in +Slieve Echtge, that got its name from Echtge, daughter of Nuada of the +Silver Hand, and Finn and the Fianna were to the west, at Slieve Cairn +in the district of Corcomruadh. And Finn was in doubt if the sons of +Morna were gone southward into Munster or north into Connacht. So he +sent Aedan and Cahal, two sons of the King of Ulster, and two hundred +righting men with them, into the beautiful pleasant province of +Connacht, and every day they used to go looking for the sons of Morna +from place to place. But after a while the three battalions of the +Fianna that were in Corcomruadh saw the track of a troop of men, and +they thought it to be the track of the sons of Morna; and they closed +round them at night, and made an end of them all. But when the full +light came on the morrow, they knew them to be their own people, that +were with the King of Ulster's sons, and they gave three great heavy +cries, keening the friends they had killed in mistake.</p> + +<p>And Caoilte and Oisin went to Rath Medba and brought a great stone and +put it over the king's sons, and it was called Lia an Imracail, the +Stone of the Mistake. And the place where Goll brought his men the time +he parted from Finn in anger got the name of Druimscarha, the Parting +Hill of Heroes.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L82" id="L82" />CHAPTER II. DEATH OF GOLL</h2> + + +<p>And at last it chanced that Goll and Cairell, son of Finn, met with one +another, and said sharp words, and they fought in the sea near the +strand, and Cairell got his death by Goll. And there was great anger and +great grief on Finn, seeing his son, that was so strong and comely, +lying dead and grey, like a blighted branch.</p> + +<p>And as to Goll, he went away to a cave that was in a point stretching +out into the sea; and he thought to stop there till Finn's anger would +have passed.</p> + +<p>And Osgar knew where he was, and he went to see him, that had been his +comrade in so many battles. But Goll thought it was as an enemy he came, +and he made a cast of his spear at him, and though Osgar got no wound by +it, it struck his shield and crushed it. And Finn took notice of the way +the shield was, and when he knew that Goll had made a cast at Osgar +there was greater anger again on him. And he sent out his men and bade +them to watch every path and every gap that led to the cave where Goll +was, the way they would make an end of him.</p> + +<p>And when Goll knew Finn to be watching for his life that way, he made no +attempt to escape, but stopped where he was, without food, without +drink, and he blinded with the sand that was blowing into his eyes.</p> + +<p>And his wife came to a rock where she could speak with him, and she +called to him to come to her. "Come over to me," she said; "and it is a +pity you to be blinded where you are, on the rocks of the waste sea, +with no drink but the salt water, a man that was first in every fight. +And come now to be sleeping beside me," she said; "and in place of the +hard sea-water I will nourish you from my own breast, and it is I will +do your healing. And the gold of your hair is my desire for ever," she +said, "and do not stop withering there like an herb in the winter-time, +and my heart black with grief within me."</p> + +<p>But Goll would not leave the spot where he was for all she could say. +"It is best as it is," he said, "and I never took the advice of a woman +east or west, and I never will take it. And O sweet-voiced queen," he +said, "what ails you to be fretting after me; and remember now your +silver and your gold, and your silks and stuffs, and remember the seven +hounds I gave you at Cruadh Ceirrge, and every one of them without +slackness till he has killed the deer. And do not be crying tears after +me, queen with the white hands," he said; "but remember your constant +lover, Aodh, the son of the best woman of the world, that came out from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought at Corcar-an-Deirg; and go to +him now," he said, "for it is bad when a woman is in want of a good +man."</p> + +<p>And he lay down on the rocks, and at the end of twelve days he died. And +his wife keened him there, and made a great lamentation for her husband +that had such a great name, and that was the second best of the Fianna +of Ireland.</p> + +<p>And when Conan heard of the death of Goll his brother, there was great +anger on him, and he went to Garraidh, and asked him to go with him to +Finn to ask satisfaction for Goll. "I am not willing to go," said +Garraidh, "since we could get no satisfaction for the great son of +Morna." "Whether you have a mind to go or not, I will go," said Conan; +"and I will make an end of every man I meet with, for the sake of +yellow-haired Goll; I will have the life of Oisin, Finn's great son, and +of Osgar and of Caoilte and of Daire of the Songs; I will have no +forgiveness for them; we must show no respect for Finn, although we may +die in the fight, having no help from Goll. And let us take that work in +hand, and make no delay," he said; "for if Finn is there, his strength +will be there, until we put him under his flag-stone."</p> + +<p>But it is not likely Garraidh went with him, and he after speaking such +foolish words.</p> + +<p>And what happened Conan in the end is not known. But there is a cairn of +stones on a hill of Burren, near to Corcomruadh, and the people of +Connacht say it is there he is buried, and that there was a stone found +there one time, having on it in the old writing: "Conan the +swift-footed, the bare-footed." But the Munster people say it is on +their own side of Burren he is buried.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L83" id="L83" />CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF GABHRA</h2> + + +<p>Now, with one thing and another, the High King of Ireland had got to be +someway bitter against Finn and the Fianna; and one time that he had a +gathering of his people he spoke out to them, and he bade them to +remember all the harm that had been done them through the Fianna, and +all their pride, and the tribute they asked. "And as to myself," he +said, "I would sooner die fighting the Fianna, if I could bring them +down along with me, than live with Ireland under them the way it is +now."</p> + +<p>All his people were of the same mind, and they said they would make no +delay, but would attack the Fianna and make an end of them. "And we will +have good days of joy and of feasting," they said, "when once Almhuin is +clear of them."</p> + +<p>And the High King began to make plans against Finn; and he sent to all +the men of Ireland to come and help him. And when all was ready, he sent +and bade Osgar to come to a feast he was making at Teamhair.</p> + +<p>And Osgar, that never was afraid before any enemy, set out for Teamhair, +and three hundred of his men with him. And on the way they saw a woman +of the Sidhe washing clothes at a river, and there was the colour of +blood on the water where she was washing them. And Osgar said to her: +"There is red on the clothes you are washing; and it is for the dead you +are washing them." And the woman answered him, and it is what she said: +"It is not long till the ravens will be croaking over your own head +after the battle." "Is there any weakness in our eyes," said Osgar, +"that a little story like that would set us crying? And do another +foretelling for us now," he said, "and tell us will any man of our +enemies fall by us before we ourselves are made an end of?"</p> + +<p>"There will nine hundred fall by yourself," she said; "and the High +King himself will get his death-wound from you."</p> + +<p>Osgar and his men went on then to the king's house at Teamhair, and they +got good treatment, and the feast was made ready, and they were three +days at pleasure and at drinking.</p> + +<p>And on the last day of the drinking, the High King called out with a +loud voice, and he asked Osgar would he make an exchange of spears with +him. "Why do you ask that exchange," said Osgar, "when I myself and my +spear were often with yourself in time of battle? And you would not ask +it of me," he said, "if Finn and the Fianna were with me now." "I would +ask it from any fighting man among you," said the king, "and for rent +and tribute along with it." "Any gold or any treasure you might ask of +us, we would give it to you," said Osgar, "but it is not right for you +to ask my spear." There were very high words between them then, and they +threatened one another, and at the last the High King said: "I will put +my spear of the seven spells out through your body." "And I give my word +against that," said Osgar, "I will put my spear of the nine spells +between the meeting of your hair and your beard."</p> + +<p>With that he and his men rose up and went out of Teamhair, and they +stopped to rest beside a river, and there they heard the sound of a very +sorrowful tune, that was like keening, played on a harp. And there was +great anger on Osgar when he heard that, and he rose up and took his +arms and roused his people, and they went on again to where Finn was. +And there came after them a messenger from the High King, and the +message he brought was this, that he never would pay tribute to the +Fianna or bear with them at all from that time.</p> + +<p>And when Finn heard that, he sent a challenge of battle, and he gathered +together all the Fianna that were left to him. But as to the sons of +Morna, it was to the High King of Ireland they gathered.</p> + +<p>And it was at the hill of Gabhra the two armies met, and there were +twenty men with the King of Ireland for every man that was with Finn.</p> + +<p>And it is a very hard battle was fought that day, and there were great +deeds done on both sides; and there never was a greater battle fought in +Ireland than that one.</p> + +<p>And as to Osgar, it would be hard to tell all he killed on that day; +five score of the Sons of the Gael, and five score fighting men from the +Country of Snow, and seven score of the Men of Green Swords that never +went a step backward, and four hundred from the Country of the Lion, and +five score of the sons of kings; and the shame was for the King of +Ireland.</p> + +<p>But as to Osgar himself, that began the day so swift and so strong, at +the last he was like leaves on a strong wind, or like an aspen-tree that +is falling. But when he saw the High King near him, he made for him like +a wave breaking on the strand; and the king saw him coming, and shook +his greedy spear, and made a cast of it, and it went through his body +and brought him down on his right knee, and that was the first grief of +the Fianna. But Osgar himself was no way daunted, but he made a cast of +his spear of the nine spells that went into the High King at the meeting +of the hair and the beard, and gave him his death. And when the men +nearest to the High King saw that, they put the king's helmet up on a +pillar, the way his people would think he was living yet. But Osgar saw +it, and he lifted a thin bit of a slab-stone that was on the ground +beside him, and he made a cast of it that broke the helmet where it was; +and then he himself fell like a king.</p> + +<p>And there fell in that battle the seven sons of Caoilte, and the son of +the King of Lochlann that had come to give them his help, and it would +be hard to count the number of the Fianna that fell in that battle.</p> + +<p>And when it was ended, those that were left of them went looking for +their dead. And Caoilte stooped down over his seven brave sons, and +every living man of the Fianna stooped over his own dear friends. And it +was a lasting grief to see all that were stretched in that place, but +the Fianna would not have taken it to heart the way they did, but for +being as they were, a beaten race.</p> + +<p>And as to Oisin, he went looking for Osgar, and it is the way he found +him, lying stretched, and resting on his left arm and his broken shield +beside him, and his sword in his hand yet, and his blood about him on +every side. And he put out his hand to Oisin, and Oisin took it and gave +out a very hard cry. And Osgar said: "It is glad I am to see you safe, +my father." And Oisin had no answer to give him. And just then Caoilte +came where they were, and he looked at Osgar. "What way are you now, my +darling?" he said. "The way you would like me to be," said Osgar.</p> + +<p>Then Caoilte searched the wound, and when he saw how the spear had torn +its way through to the back, he cried out, and a cloud came over him and +his strength failed him. "O Osgar," he said, "you are parted from the +Fianna, and they themselves must be parted from battle from this out," +he said, "and they must pay their tribute to the King of Ireland."</p> + +<p>Then Caoilte and Oisin raised up Osgar on their shields and brought him +to a smooth green hill till they would take his dress off. And there was +not a hands-breadth of his white body that was without a wound.</p> + +<p>And when the rest of the Fianna saw what way Osgar was, there was not a +man of them that keened his own son or his brother, but every one of +them came keening Osgar.</p> + +<p>And after a while, at noonday, they saw Finn coming towards them, and +what was left of the Sun-banner raised on a spear-shaft. All of them +saluted Finn then, but he made no answer, and he came up to the hill +where Osgar was. And when Osgar saw him coming he saluted him, and he +said: "I have got my desire in death, Finn of the sharp arms." And Finn +said: "It is worse the way you were, my son, on the day of the battle at +Beinn Edair when the wild geese could swim on your breast, and it was my +hand that gave you healing." "There can no healing be done for me now +for ever," said Osgar, "since the King of Ireland put the spear of seven +spells through my body." And Finn said: "It is a pity it was not I +myself fell in sunny scarce Gabhra, and you going east and west at the +head of the Fianna." "And if it was yourself fell in the battle," said +Osgar, "you would not hear me keening after you; for no man ever knew +any heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered +with iron. But the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the +keening of the old righting men, and the crying of the women one after +another, those are the things that are vexing me." And Finn said: "Child +of my child, calf of my calf, white and slender, it is a pity the way +you are. And my heart is starting like a deer," he said, "and I am weak +after you and after the Fianna of Ireland. And misfortune has followed +us," he said; "and farewell now to battles and to a great name, and +farewell to taking tributes; for every good thing I ever had is gone +from me now," he said.</p> + +<p>And when Osgar heard those words he stretched out his hands, and his +eyelids closed. And Finn turned away from the rest, and he cried tears +down; and he never shed a tear through the whole length of his lifetime +but only for Osgar and for Bran.</p> + +<p>And all that were left of the Fianna gave three gorrowful cries after +Osgar, for there was not one of the Fianna beyond him, unless it might +be Finn or Oisin.</p> + +<p>And it is many of the Fianna were left dead in Gabhra, and graves were +made for them. And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was so tall a man and so +good a fighter, they made a very wide grave for him, as was fitting for +a king. And the whole length of the rath at Gabhra, from end to end, it +is that was the grave of Osgar, son of Oisin, son of Finn.</p> + +<p>And as to Finn himself, he never had peace or pleasure again from that +day.</p> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L84" id="L84" />BOOK TEN: THE END OF THE FIANNA.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. DEATH OF BRAN</h2> + + +<p>One day Finn was hunting, and Bran went following after a fawn. And they +were coming towards Finn, and the fawn called out, and it said: "If I go +into the sea below I will never come back again; and if I go up into the +air above me, it will not save me from Bran." For Bran would overtake +the wild geese, she was that swift.</p> + +<p>"Go out through my legs," said Finn then. So the fawn did that, and Bran +followed her; and as Bran went under him, Finn squeezed his two knees on +her, that she died on the moment.</p> + +<p>And there was great grief on him after that, and he cried tears down the +same as he did when Osgar died.</p> + +<p>And some said it was Finn's mother the fawn was, and that it was to save +his mother he killed Bran. But that is not likely, for his mother was +beautiful Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of the Tuatha de +Danaan, and it was never heard that she was changed into a fawn. It is +more likely it was Oisin's mother was in it.</p> + +<p>But some say Bran and Sceolan are still seen to start at night out of +the thicket on the hill of Almhuin.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L85" id="L85" />CHAPTER II. THE CALL OF OISIN</h2> + + +<p>One misty morning, what were left of the Fianna were gathered together +to Finn, and it is sorrowful and downhearted they were after the loss of +so many of their comrades.</p> + +<p>And they went hunting near the borders of Loch Lein, where the bushes +were in blossom and the birds were singing; and they were waking up the +deer that were as joyful as the leaves of a tree in summer-time.</p> + +<p>And it was not long till they saw coming towards them from the west a +beautiful young woman, riding on a very fast slender white horse. A +queen's crown she had on her head, and a dark cloak of silk down to the +ground, having stars of red gold on it; and her eyes were blue and as +clear as the dew on the grass, and a gold ring hanging down from every +golden lock of her hair; and her cheeks redder than the rose, and her +skin whiter than the swan upon the wave, and her lips as sweet as honey +that is mixed through red wine.</p> + +<p>And in her hand she was holding a bridle having a golden bit, and there +was a saddle worked with red gold under her. And as to the horse, he had +a wide smooth cloak over him, and a silver crown on the back of his +head, and he was shod with shining gold.</p> + +<p>She came to where Finn was, and she spoke with a very kind, gentle +voice, and she said: "It is long my journey was, King of the Fianna." +And Finn asked who was she, and what was her country and the cause of +her coming. "Niamh of the Golden Head is my name," she said; "and I have +a name beyond all the women of the world, for I am the daughter of the +King of the Country of the Young." "What was it brought you to us from +over the sea, Queen?" said Finn then. "Is it that your husband is gone +from you, or what is the trouble that is on you?" "My husband is not gone +from me," she said, "for I never went yet to any man. But O King of the +Fianna," she said, "I have given my love and my affection to your own +son, Oisin of the strong hands." "Why did you give your love to him +beyond all the troops of high princes that are under the sun?" said +Finn. "It was by reason of his great name, and of the report I heard of +his bravery and of his comeliness," she said. "And though there is many +a king's son and high prince gave me his love, I never consented to any +till I set my love on Oisin."</p> + +<p>When Oisin heard what she was saying, there was not a limb of his body +that was not in love with beautiful Niamh; and he took her hand in his +hand, and he said: "A true welcome before you to this country, young +queen. It is you are the shining one," he said; "it is you are the +nicest and the comeliest; it is you are better to me than any other +woman; it is you are my star and my choice beyond the women of the +entire world." "I put on you the bonds of a true hero," said Niamh then, +"you to come away with me now to the Country of the Young." And it is +what she said:</p> + +<p>"It is the country is most delightful of all that are under the sun; the +trees are stooping down with fruit and with leaves and with blossom.</p> + +<p>"Honey and wine are plentiful there, and everything the eye has ever +seen; no wasting will come on you with the wasting away of time; you +will never see death or lessening.</p> + +<p>"You will get feasts, playing and drinking; you will get sweet music on +the strings; you will get silver and gold and many jewels.</p> + +<p>"You will get, and no lie in it, a hundred swords; a hundred cloaks of +the dearest silk; a hundred horses, the quickest in battle; a hundred +willing hounds.</p> + +<p>"You will get the royal crown of the King of the Young that he never +gave to any one under the sun. It will be a shelter to you night and +day in every rough fight and in every battle.</p> + +<p>"You will get a right suit of armour; a sword, gold-hilted, apt for +striking; no one that ever saw it got away alive from it.</p> + +<p>"A hundred coats of armour and shirts of satin; a hundred cows and a +hundred calves; a hundred sheep having golden fleeces; a hundred jewels +that are not of this world.</p> + +<p>"A hundred glad young girls shining like the sun, their voices sweeter +than the music of birds; a hundred armed men strong in battle, apt at +feats, waiting on you, if you will come with me to the Country of the +Young.</p> + +<p>"You will get everything I have said to you, and delights beyond them, +that I have no leave to tell; you will get beauty, strength and power, +and I myself will be with you as a wife."</p> + +<p>And after she had made that song, Oisin said: "O pleasant golden-haired +queen, you are my choice beyond the women of the world; and I will go +with you willingly," he said.</p> + +<p>And with that he kissed Finn his father and bade him farewell, and he +bade farewell to the rest of the Fianna, and he went up then on the +horse with Niamh.</p> + +<p>And the horse set out gladly, and when he came to the strand he shook +himself and he neighed three times, and then he made for the sea. And +when Finn and the Fianna saw Oisin facing the wide sea, they gave three +great sorrowful shouts. And as to Finn, he said: "It is my grief to see +you going from me; and I am without a hope," he said, "ever to see you +coming back to me again."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L86" id="L86" />CHAPTER III. THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN</h2> + + +<p>And indeed that was the last time Finn and Oisin and the rest of the +Fianna of Ireland were gathered together, for hunting, for battle, for +chess-playing, for drinking or for music; for they all wore away after +that, one after another.</p> + +<p>As to Caoilte, that was old and had lost his sons, he used to be +fretting and lonesome after the old times. And one day that there was +very heavy snow on the ground, he made this complaint:—</p> + +<p>"It is cold the winter is; the wind is risen; the fierce high-couraged +stag rises up; it is cold the whole mountain is to-night, yet the fierce +stag is calling. The deer of Slievecarn of the gatherings does not lay +his side to the ground; he no less than the stag of the top of cold +Echtge hears the music of the wolves.</p> + +<p>"I, Caoilte, and brown-haired Diarmuid and pleasant light-footed Osgar, +we used to be listening to the music of the wolves through the end of +the cold night. It is well the brown deer sleeps with its hide to the +hollow, hidden as if in the earth, through the end of the cold night.</p> + +<p>"To-day I am in my age, and I know but a few men; I used to shake my +spear bravely in the ice-cold morning. It is often I put silence on a +great army that is very cold to-night."</p> + +<p>And after a while he went into a hill of the Sidhe to be healed of his +old wounds. And whether he came back from there or not is not known; and +there are some that say he used to be talking with Patrick of the Bells +the same time Oisin was with him. But that is not likely, or Oisin would +not have made complaints about his loneliness the way he did.</p> + +<p>But a long time after that again, there was a king of Ireland making a +journey. And he and his people missed their way, and when night-time +came on, they were in a dark wood, and no path before them.</p> + +<p>And there came to them a very tall man, that was shining like a burning +flame, and he took hold of the bridle of the king's horse, and led him +through the wood till they came to the right road. And the King of +Ireland asked him who was he, and first he said: "I am your +candlestick"; and then he said: "I was with Finn one time." And the king +knew it was Caoilte, son of Ronan, was in it.</p> + +<p>And three times nine of the rest of the Fianna came out of the west one +time to Teamhair. And they took notice that now they were wanting their +full strength and their great name, no one took notice of them or came +to speak with them at all. And when they saw that, they lay down on the +side of the hill at Teamhair, and put their lips to the earth and died.</p> + +<p>And for three days and a month and a year from the time of the +destruction of the Fianna of Ireland, Loch Dearg was under mists.</p> + +<hr class="thought-break" /> + +<p>And as to Finn, there are some say he died by the hand of a fisherman; +but it is likely that is not true, for that would be no death for so +great a man as Finn, son of Cumhal. And there are some say he never +died, but is alive in some place yet.</p> + +<p>And one time a smith made his way into a cave he saw, that had a door to +it, and he made a key that opened it. And when he went in he saw a very +wide place, and very big men lying on the floor. And one that was bigger +than the rest was lying in the middle, and the Dord Fiann beside him; +and he knew it was Finn and the Fianna were in it.</p> + +<p>And the smith took hold of the Dord Fiann, and it is hardly he could +lift it to his mouth, and he blew a very strong blast on it, and the +sound it made was so great, it is much the rocks did not come down on +him. And at the sound, the big men lying on the ground shook from head +to foot. He gave another blast then, and they all turned on their +elbows.</p> + +<p>And great dread came on him when he saw that, and he threw down the Dord +Fiann and ran from the caye and locked the door after him, and threw the +key into the lake. And he heard them crying after him, "You left us +worse than you found us." And the cave was not found again since that +time.</p> + +<p>But some say the day will come when the Dord Fiann will be sounded three +times, and that at the sound of it the Fianna will rise up as strong and +as well as ever they were. And there are some say Finn, son of Cumhal, +has been on the earth now and again since the old times, in the shape of +one of the heroes of Ireland.</p> + +<p>And as to the great things he and his men did when they were together, +it is well they have been kept in mind through the poets of Ireland and +of Alban. And one night there were two men minding sheep in a valley, +and they were saying the poems of the Fianna while they were there. And +they saw two very tall shapes on the two hills on each side of the +valley, and one of the tall shapes said to the other: "Do you hear that +man down below? I was the second doorpost of battle at Gabhra, and that +man knows all about it better than myself."</p> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L87" id="L87" />BOOK ELEVEN: OISIN AND PATRICK.</h2> + +<h2>CHAPTER I. OISIN'S STORY</h2> + + +<p>As to Oisin, it was a long time after he was brought away by Niamh that +he came back again to Ireland. Some say it was hundreds of years he was +in the Country of the Young, and some say it was thousands of years he +was in it; but whatever time it was, it seemed short to him.</p> + +<p>And whatever happened him through the time he was away, it is a withered +old man he was found after coming back to Ireland, and his white horse +going away from him, and he lying on the ground.</p> + +<p>And it was S. Patrick had power at that time, and it was to him Oisin +was brought; and he kept him in his house, and used to be teaching him +and questioning him. And Oisin was no way pleased with the way Ireland +was then, but he used to be talking of the old times, and fretting after +the Fianna.</p> + +<p>And Patrick bade him to tell what happened him the time he left Finn and +the Fianna and went away with Niamh. And it is the story Oisin +told:—"The time I went away with golden-haired Niamh, we turned our +backs to the land, and our faces westward, and the sea was going away +before us, and filling up in waves after us. And we saw wonderful things +on our journey," he said, "cities and courts and duns and lime-white +houses, and shining sunny-houses and palaces. And one time we saw beside +us a hornless deer running hard, and an eager white red-eared hound +following after it. And another time we saw a young girl on a horse and +having a golden apple in her right hand, and she going over the tops of +the waves; and there was following after her a young man riding a white +horse, and having a crimson cloak and a gold-hilted sword in his right +hand."</p> + +<p>"Follow on with your story, pleasant Oisin," said Patrick, "for you did +not tell us yet what was the country you went to."</p> + +<p>"The Country of the Young, the Country of Victory, it was," said Oisin. +"And O Patrick," he said, "there is no lie in that name; and if there +are grandeurs in your Heaven the same as there are there, I would give +my friendship to God.</p> + +<p>"We turned our backs then to the dun," he said, "and the horse under us +was quicker than the spring wind on the backs of the mountains. And it +was not long till the sky darkened, and the wind rose in every part, and +the sea was as if on fire, and there was nothing to be seen of the sun.</p> + +<p>"But after we were looking at the clouds and the stars for a while the +wind went down, and the storm, and the sun brightened. And we saw before +us a very delightful country under full blossom, and smooth plains in +it, and a king's dun that was very grand, and that had every colour in +it, and sunny-houses beside it, and palaces of shining stones, made by +skilled men. And we saw coming out to meet us three fifties of armed +men, very lively and handsome. And I asked Niamh was this the Country of +the Young, and she said it was. 'And indeed, Oisin,' she said, 'I told +you no lie about it, and you will see all I promised you before you for +ever.'</p> + +<p>"And there came out after that a hundred beautiful young girls, having +cloaks of silk worked with gold, and they gave me a welcome to their own +country. And after that there came a great shining army, and with it a +strong beautiful king, having a shirt of yellow silk and a golden cloak +over it, and a very bright crown on his head. And there was following +after him a young queen, and fifty young girls along with her.</p> + +<p>"And when all were come to the one spot, the king took me by the hand, +and he said out before them all: 'A hundred thousand welcomes before +you, Oisin, son of Finn. And as to this country you are come to,' he +said, 'I will tell you news of it without a lie. It is long and lasting +your life will be in it, and you yourself will be young for ever. And +there is no delight the heart ever thought of,' he said, 'but it is +here against your coming. And you can believe my words, Oisin,' he said, +'for I myself am the King of the Country of the Young, and this is its +comely queen, and it was golden-headed Niamh our daughter that went over +the sea looking for you to be her husband for ever.' I gave thanks to +him then, and I stooped myself down before the queen, and we went +forward to the royal house, and all the high nobles came out to meet us, +both men and women, and there was a great feast made there through the +length of ten days and ten nights.</p> + +<p>"And that is the way I married Niamh of the Golden Hair, and that is the +way I went to the Country of the Young, although it is sorrowful to me +to be telling it now, O Patrick from Rome," said Oisin.</p> + +<p>"Follow on with your story, Oisin of the destroying arms," said Patrick, +"and tell me what way did you leave the Country of the Young, for it is +long to me till I hear that; and tell us now had you any children by +Niamh, and was it long you were in that place."</p> + +<p>"Two beautiful children I had by Niamh," said Oisin, "two young sons and +a comely daughter. And Niamh gave the two sons the name of Finn and of +Osgar, and the name I gave to the daughter was The Flower.</p> + +<p>"And I did not feel the time passing, and it was a long time I stopped +there," he said, "till the desire came on me to see Finn and my comrades +again. And I asked leave of the king and of Niamh to go back to Ireland. +'You will get leave from me,' said Niamh; 'but for all that,' she said, +'it is bad news you are giving me, for I am in dread you will never come +back here again through the length of your days.' But I bade her have no +fear, since the white horse would bring me safe back again from Ireland. +'Bear this in mind, Oisin,' she said then, 'if you once get off the +horse while you are away, or if you once put your foot to ground, you +will never come back here again. And O Oisin,' she said, 'I tell it to +you now for the third time, if you once get down from the horse, you +will be an old man, blind and withered, without liveliness, without +mirth, without running, without leaping. And it is a grief to me, +Oisin,' she said, 'you ever to go back to green Ireland; and it is not +now as it used to be, and you will not see Finn and his people, for +there is not now in the whole of Ireland but a Father of Orders and +armies of saints; and here is my kiss for you, pleasant Oisin,' she +said, 'for you will never come back any more to the Country of the +Young.'</p> + +<p>"And that is my story, Patrick, and I have told you no lie in it," said +Oisin. "And O Patrick," he said, "if I was the same the day I came here +as I was that day, I would have made an end of all your clerks, and +there would not be a head left on a neck after me."</p> + +<p>"Go on with your story," said Patrick, "and you will get the same good +treatment from me you got from Finn, for the sound of your voice is +pleasing to me."</p> + +<p>So Oisin went on with his story, and it is what he said: "I have nothing +to tell of my journey till I came back into green Ireland, and I looked +about me then on all sides, but there were no tidings to be got of Finn. +And it was not long till I saw a great troop of riders, men and women, +coming towards me from the west. And when they came near they wished me +good health; and there was wonder on them all when they looked at me, +seeing me so unlike themselves, and so big and so tall.</p> + +<p>"I asked them then did they hear if Finn was still living, or any other +one of the Fianna, or what had happened them. 'We often heard of Finn +that lived long ago,' said they, 'and that there never was his equal for +strength or bravery or a great name; and there is many a book written +down,' they said, 'by the sweet poets of the Gael, about his doings and +the doings of the Fianna, and it would be hard for us to tell you all +of them. And we heard Finn had a son,' they said, 'that was beautiful +and shining, and that there came a young girl looking for him, and he +went away with her to the Country of the Young.'</p> + +<p>"And when I knew by their talk that Finn was not living or any of the +Fianna, it is downhearted I was, and tired, and very sorrowful after +them. And I made no delay, but I turned my face and went on to Almhuin +of Leinster. And there was great wonder on me when I came there to see +no sign at all of Finn's great dun, and his great hall, and nothing in +the place where it was but weeds and nettles."</p> + +<p>And there was grief on Oisin then, and he said: "Och, Patrick! Och, +ochone, my grief! It is a bad journey that was to me; and to be without +tidings of Finn or the Fianna has left me under pain through my +lifetime."</p> + +<p>"Leave off fretting, Oisin," said Patrick, "and shed your tears to the +God of grace. Finn and the Fianna are slack enough now, and they will +get no help for ever." "It is a great pity that would be," said Oisin, +"Finn to be in pain for ever; and who was it gained the victory over +him, when his own hand had made an end of so many a hard fighter?"</p> + +<p>"It is God gained the victory over Finn," said Patrick, "and not the +strong hand of an enemy; and as to the Fianna, they are condemned to +hell along with him, and tormented for ever."</p> + +<p>"O Patrick," said Oisin, "show me the place where Finn and his people +are, and there is not a hell or a heaven there but I will put it down. +And if Osgar, my own son, is there," he said, "the hero that was bravest +in heavy battles, there is not in hell or in the Heaven of God a troop +so great that he could not destroy it."</p> + +<p>"Let us leave off quarrelling on each side now," said Patrick; "and go +on, Oisin, with your story. What happened you after you knew the Fianna +to be at an end?"</p> + +<p>"I will tell you that, Patrick," said Oisin. "I was turning to go away, +and I saw the stone trough that the Fianna used to be putting their +hands in, and it full of water. And when I saw it I had such a wish and +such a feeling for it that I forgot what I was told, and I got off the +horse. And in the minute all the years came on me, and I was lying on +the ground, and the horse took fright and went away and left me there, +an old man, weak and spent, without sight, without shape, without +comeliness, without strength or understanding, without respect.</p> + +<p>"There, Patrick, is my story for you now," said Oisin, "and no lie in +it, of all that happened me going away and coming back again from the +Country of the Young."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L88" id="L88" />CHAPTER II. OISIN IN PATRICK'S HOUSE</h2> + + +<p>And Oisin stopped on with S. Patrick, but he was not very well content +with the way he was treated. And one time he said: "They say I am +getting food, but God knows I am not, or drink; and I Oisin, son of +Finn, under a yoke, drawing stones." "It is my opinion you are getting +enough," said S. Patrick then, "and you getting a quarter of beef and a +churn of butter and a griddle of bread every day." "I often saw a +quarter of a blackbird bigger than your quarter of beef," said Oisin, +"and a rowan berry as big as your churn of butter, and an ivy leaf as +big as your griddle of bread." S, Patrick was vexed when he heard that, +and he said to Oisin that he had told a lie.</p> + +<p>There was great anger on Oisin then, and he went where there was a +litter of pups, and he bade a serving-boy to nail up the hide of a +freshly killed bullock to the wall, and to throw the pups against it one +by one. And every one that he threw fell down from the hide till it came +to the last, and he held on to it with his teeth and his nails. "Rear +that one," said Oisin, "and drown all the rest."</p> + +<p>Then he bade the boy to keep the pup in a dark place, and to care it +well, and never to let it taste blood or see the daylight. And at the +end of a year, Oisin was so well pleased with the pup, that he gave it +the name of Bran Og, young Bran.</p> + +<p>And one day he called to the serving-boy to come on a journey with him, +and to bring the pup in a chain. And they set out and passed by +Slieve-nam-ban, where the witches of the Sidhe do be spinning with their +spinning-wheels; and then they turned eastward into Gleann-na-Smol. And +Oisin raised a rock that was there, and he bade the lad take from under +it three things, a great sounding horn of the Fianna, and a ball of iron +they had for throwing, and a very sharp sword. And when Oisin saw those +things, he took them in his hands, and he said: "My thousand farewells +to the day when you were put here!" He bade the lad to clean them well +then; and when he had done that, he bade him to sound a blast on the +horn. So the boy did that, and Oisin asked him did he see anything +strange. "I did not," said the boy. "Sound it again as loud as you can," +said Oisin. "That is as hard as I can sound it, and I can see nothing +yet," said the boy when he had done that. Then Oisin took the horn +himself, and he put it to his mouth, and blew three great blasts on it. +"What do you see now?" he said. "I see three great clouds coming," he +said, "and they are settling down in the valley; and the first cloud is +a flight of very big birds, and the second cloud is a flight of birds +that are bigger again, and the third flight is of the biggest and the +blackest birds the world ever saw."</p> + +<p>"What is the dog doing?" said Oisin. "The eyes are starting from his +head, and there is not a rib of hair on him but is standing up." "Let +him loose now," said Oisin.</p> + +<p>The dog rushed down to the valley then, and he made an attack on one of +the birds, that was the biggest of all, and that had a shadow like a +cloud. And they fought a very fierce fight, but at last Bran Og made an +end of the big bird, and lapped its blood. But if he did, madness came +on him, and he came rushing back towards Oisin, his jaws open and his +eyes like fire. "There is dread on me, Oisin," said the boy, "for the +dog is making for us, mad and raging." "Take this iron ball and make a +cast at him when he comes near," said Oisin. "I am in dread to do that," +said the boy. "Put it in my hand, and turn it towards him," said Oisin. +The boy did that, and Oisin made a cast of the ball that went into the +mouth and the throat of the dog, and choked him, and he fell down the +slope, twisting and foaming.</p> + +<p>Then they went where the great bird was left dead, and Oisin bade the +lad to cut a quarter off it with the sword, and he did so. And then he +bade him cut open the body, and in it he found a rowan berry, the +biggest he had ever seen, and an ivy leaf that was bigger than the +biggest griddle.</p> + +<p>So Oisin turned back then, and went to where S. Patrick was, and he +showed him the quarter of the bird that was bigger than any quarter of a +bullock, and the rowan berry that was bigger than a churning of butter, +and the leaf. "And you know now, Patrick of the Bells," he said, "that I +told no lie; and it is what kept us all through our lifetime," he said, +"truth that was in our hearts, and strength in our arms, and fulfilment +in our tongues."</p> + +<p>"You told no lie indeed," said Patrick.</p> + +<p>And when Oisin had no sight left at all, he used every night to put up +one of the serving-men on his shoulders, and to bring him out to see how +were the cattle doing. And one night the servants had no mind to go, and +they agreed together to tell him it was a very bad night.</p> + +<p>And it is what the first of them said; "It is outside there is a heavy +sound with the heavy water dropping from the tops of trees; the sound of +the waves is not to be heard for the loud splashing of the rain." And +then the next one said: "The trees of the wood are shivering, and the +birch is turning black; the snow is killing the birds; that is the story +outside." And the third said: "It is to the east they have turned their +face, the white snow and the dark rain; it is what is making the plain +so cold is the snow that is dripping and getting hard."</p> + +<p>But there was a serving-girl in the house, and she said: "Rise up, +Oisin, and go out to the white-headed cows, since the cold wind is +plucking the trees from the hills."</p> + +<p>Oisin went out then, and the serving-man on his shoulders; but it is +what the serving-man did, he brought a vessel of water and a birch broom +with him, and he was dashing water in Oisin's face, the way he would +think it was rain. But when they came to the pen where the cattle were, +Oisin found the night was quiet, and after that he asked no more news of +the weather from the servants.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L89" id="L89" />CHAPTER III. THE ARGUMENTS</h2> + + +<p>And S. Patrick took in hand to convert Oisin, and to bring him to +baptism; but it was no easy work he had to do, and everything he would +say, Oisin would have an answer for it. And it is the way they used to +be talking and arguing with one another, as it was put down afterwards +by the poets of Ireland:—</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Oisin, it is long your sleep is. Rise up and listen to the +Psalm. Your strength and your readiness are gone from you, though you +used to be going into rough fights and battles."</p> + +<p>OLSIN. "My readiness and my strength are gone from me since Finn has no +armies living; I have no liking for clerks, their music is not sweet to +me after his."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "You never heard music so good from the beginning of the world +to this day; it is well you would serve an army on a hill, you that are +old and silly and grey."</p> + +<p>OLSIN. "I used to serve an army on a hill, Patrick of the closed-up +mind; it is a pity you to be faulting me; there was never shame put on +me till now.</p> + +<p>"I have heard music was sweeter than your music, however much you are +praising your clerks: the song of the blackbird in Leiter Laoi, and the +sound of the Dord Fiann; the very sweet thrush of the Valley of the +Shadow, or the sound of the boats striking the strand. The cry of the +hounds was better to me than the noise of your schools, Patrick.</p> + +<p>"Little Nut, little Nut of my heart, the little dwarf that was with +Finn, when he would make tunes and songs he would put us all into deep +sleep.</p> + +<p>"The twelve hounds that belonged to Finn, the time they would be let +loose facing out from the Siuir, their cry was sweeter than harps and +than pipes.</p> + +<p>"I have a little story about Finn; we were but fifteen men; we took the +King of the Saxons of the feats, and we won a battle against the King of +Greece.</p> + +<p>"We fought nine battles in Spain, and nine times twenty battles in +Ireland; from Lochlann and from the eastern world there was a share of +gold coming to Finn.</p> + +<p>"My grief! I to be stopping after him, and without delight in games or +in music; to be withering away after my comrades; my grief it is to be +living. I and the clerks of the Mass books are two that can never agree.</p> + +<p>"If Finn and the Fianna were living, I would leave the clerks and the +bells; I would follow the deer through the valleys, I would like to be +close on his track.</p> + +<p>"Ask Heaven of God, Patrick, for Finn of the Fianna and his race; make +prayers for the great man; you never heard of his like."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "I will not ask Heaven for Finn, man of good wit that my anger +is rising against, since his delight was to be living in valleys with +the noise of hunts."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If you had been in company with the Fianna, Patrick of the +joyless clerks and of the bells, you would not be attending on schools +or giving heed to God."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "I would not part from the Son of God for all that have lived +east or west; O Oisin, O shaking poet, there will harm come on you in +satisfaction for the priests."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "It was a delight to Finn the cry of his hounds on the mountains, +the wild dogs leaving their harbours, the pride of his armies, those +were his delights."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "There was many a thing Finn took delight in, and there is not +much heed given to it after him; Finn and his hounds are not living now, +and you yourself will not always be living, Oisin."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "There is a greater story of Finn than of us, or of any that have +lived in our time; all that are gone and all that are living, Finn was +better to give out gold than themselves."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "All the gold you and Finn used to be giving out, it is little +it does for you now; he is in Hell in bonds because he did treachery and +oppression."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "It is little I believe of your truth, man from Rome with the +white books, Finn the open-handed head of the Fianna to be in the hands +of devils or demons."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Finn is in bonds in Hell, the pleasant man that gave out +gold; in satisfaction for his disrespect to God, he is under grief in +the house of pain."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If the sons of Morna were within it, or the strong men of the +sons of Baiscne, they would take Finn out of it, or they would have the +house for themselves."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "If the five provinces of Ireland were within it, or the strong +seven battalions of the Fianna, they would not be able to bring Finn out +of it, however great their strength might be."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and brown-haired Diarmuid and +brave Osgar, Finn of the Fianna could not be held in any house that was +made by God or devils."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and all the Fianna that ever +were, they could not bring out Finn from the house where he is in pain."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "What did Finn do against God but to be attending on schools and +on armies? Giving gold through a great part of his time, and for another +while trying his hounds."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "In payment for thinking of his hounds and for serving the +schools of the poets, and because he gave no heed to God, Finn of the +Fianna is held down."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "You say, Patrick of the Psalms, that the Fianna could not take +out Finn, or the five provinces of Ireland along with them.</p> + +<p>"I have a little story about Finn. We were but fifteen men when we took +the King of Britain of the feasts by the strength of our spears and our +own strength.</p> + +<p>"We took Magnus the great, the son of the King of Lochlann of the +speckled ships; we came back no way sorry or tired, we put our rent on +far places.</p> + +<p>"O Patrick, the story is pitiful, the King of the Fianna to be under +locks; a heart without envy, without hatred, a heart hard in earning +victory.</p> + +<p>"It is an injustice, God to be unwilling to give food and riches; Finn +never refused strong or poor, although cold Hell is now his +dwelling-place.</p> + +<p>"It is what Finn had a mind for, to be listening to the sound of Druim +Dearg; to sleep at the stream of Ess Ruadh, to be hunting the deer of +Gallimh of the bays.</p> + +<p>"The cries of the blackbird of Leiter Laoi, the wave of Rudraighe +beating the strand, the bellowing of the ox of Magh Maoin, the lowing of +the calf of Gleann da Mhail.</p> + +<p>"The noise of the hunt on Slieve Crot, the sound of the fawns round +Slieve Cua, the scream of the sea-gulls there beyond on Iorrus, the +screech of the crows over the battle.</p> + +<p>"The waves vexing the breasts of the boats, the howling of the hounds at +Druim Lis; the voice of Bran on Cnoc-an-Air, the outcry of the streams +about Slieve Mis.</p> + +<p>"The call of Osgar going to the hunt; the voice of the hounds on the +road of the Fianna, to be listening to them and to the poets, that was +always his desire.</p> + +<p>"A desire of the desires of Osgar was to listen to the striking of +shields; to be hacking at bones in a battle, it is what he had a mind +for always.</p> + +<p>"We went westward one time to hunt at Formaid of the Fianna, to see the +first running of our hounds.</p> + +<p>"It was Finn was holding Bran, and it is with myself Sceolan was; +Diarmuid of the Women had Fearan, and Osgar had lucky Adhnuall.</p> + +<p>"Conan the Bald had Searc; Caoilte, son of Ronan, had Daol; Lugaidh's +Son and Goll were holding Fuaim and Fothran.</p> + +<p>"That was the first day we loosed out a share of our hounds to a +hunting; and Och! Patrick, of all that were in it, there is not one left +living but myself.</p> + +<p>"O Patrick, it is a pity the way I am now, a spent old man without +sway, without quickness, without strength, going to Mass at the altar.</p> + +<p>"Without the great deer of Slieve Luchra; without the hares of Slieve +Cuilinn; without going into fights with Finn; without listening to the +poets.</p> + +<p>"Without battles, without taking of spoils; without playing at nimble +feats; without going courting or hunting, two trades that were my +delight."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Leave off, old man, leave your foolishness; let what you have +done be enough for you from this out. Think on the pains that are before +you; the Fianna are gone, and you yourself will be going."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If I go, may yourself not be left after me, Patrick of the +hindering heart; if Conan, the least of the Fianna, were living, your +buzzing would not be left long to you."</p> + +<p>"Or if this was the day I gave ten hundred cows to the headless woman +that came to the Valley of the Two Oxen; the birds of the air brought +away the ring I gave her, I never knew where she went herself from me."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "That is little to trouble you, Oisin; it was but for a while +she was with you; it is better for you to be as you are than to be among +them again."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "O Son of Calphurn of the friendly talk, it is a pity for him +that gives respect to clerks and bells; I and Caoilte my friend, we were +not poor when we were together.</p> + +<p>"The music that put Finn to his sleep was the cackling of the ducks from +the lake of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of +Doire an Cairn, the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries.</p> + +<p>"The whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories, or from the +rough branches of the ridge by the stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim-re-Coir.</p> + +<p>"The song of the blackbird of Doire an Cairn indeed I never heard +sweeter music, if I could be under its nest.</p> + +<p>"My grief that I ever took baptism; it is little credit I got by it, +being without food, without drink, doing fasting and praying."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "In my opinion it did not harm you, old man; you will get nine +score cakes of bread, wine and meat to put a taste on it; it is bad talk +you are giving."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "This mouth that is talking with you, may it never confess to a +priest, if I would not sooner have the leavings of Finn's house than a +share of your own meals."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "He got but what he gathered from the banks, or whatever he +could kill on the rough hills; he got hell at the last because of his +unbelief."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "That was not the way with us at all, but our fill of wine and of +meat; justice and a right beginning at the feasts, sweet drinks and +every one drinking them.</p> + +<p>"It is fretting after Diarmuid and Goll I am, and after Fergus of the +True Lips, the time you will not let me be speaking of them, O new +Patrick from Rome."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "We would give you leave to be speaking of them, but first you +should give heed to God. Since you are now at the end of your days, +leave your foolishness, weak old man."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "O Patrick, tell me as a secret, since it is you have the best +knowledge, will my dog or my hound be let in with me to the court of the +King of Grace?"</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Old man in your foolishness that I cannot put any bounds to, +your dog or your hound will not be let in with you to the court of the +King of Power."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If I had acquaintance with God, and my hound to be at hand, I +would make whoever gave food to myself give a share to my hound as well.</p> + +<p>"One strong champion that was with the Fianna of Ireland would be better +than the Lord of Piety, and than you yourself, Patrick."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "O Oisin of the sharp blades, it is mad words you are saying. +God is better for one day than the whole of the Fianna of Ireland."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "Though I am now without sway and my life is spent to the end, do +not put abuse, Patrick, on the great men of the sons of Baiscne.</p> + +<p>"If I had Conan with me, the man that used to be running down the +Fianna, it is he would break your head within among your clerks and your +priests."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "It is a silly thing, old man, to be talking always of the +Fianna; remember your end is come, and take the Son of God to help you."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "I used to sleep out on the mountain under the grey dew; I was +never used to go to bed without food, while there was a deer on the hill +beyond."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "You are astray at the end of your life between the straight +way and the crooked. Keep out from the crooked path of pains, and the +angels of God will come beneath your head."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If myself and open-handed Fergus and Diarmuid were together now +on this spot, we would go in every path we ever went in, and ask no +leave of the priests."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Leave off, Oisin; do not be speaking against the priests that +are telling the word of God in every place. Unless you leave off your +daring talk, it is great pain you will have in the end."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "When myself and the leader of the Fianna were looking for a boar +in a valley, it was worse to me not to see it than all your clerks to be +without their heads."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "It is pitiful seeing you without sense; that is worse to you +than your blindness; if you were to get sight within you, it is great +your desire would be for Heaven."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "It is little good it would be to me to be sitting in that city, +without Caoilte, without Osgar, without my father being with me.</p> + +<p>"The leap of the buck would be better to me, or the sight of badgers +between two valleys, than all your mouth is promising me, and all the +delights I could get in Heaven."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Your thoughts are foolish, they will come to nothing; your +pleasure and your mirth are gone. Unless you will take my advice +to-night, you will not get leave on this side or that."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If myself and the Fianna were on the top of a hill to-day +drawing our spear-heads, we would have our choice of being here or there +in spite of books and priests and bells."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "You were like the smoke of a wisp, or like a stream in a +valley, or like a whirling wind on the top of a hill, every tribe of you +that ever lived."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "If I was in company with the people of strong arms, the way I +was at Bearna da Coill, I would sooner be looking at them than at this +troop of the crooked croziers.</p> + +<p>"If I had Scolb Sceine with me, or Osgar, that was smart in battles, I +would not be without meat to-night at the sound of the bell of the seven +tolls."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Oisin, since your wits are gone from you be glad at what I +say; it is certain to me you will leave the Fianna and that you will +receive the God of the stars."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "There is wonder on me at your hasty talk, priest that has +travelled in every part, to say that I would part from the Fianna, a +generous people, never niggardly."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "If you saw the people of God, the way they are settled at +feasts, every good thing is more plentiful with them than with Finn's +people, however great their name was.</p> + +<p>"Finn and the Fianna are lying now very sorrowful on the flag-stone of +pain; take the Son of God in their place; make your repentance and do +not lose Heaven."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "I do not believe your talk now. O Patrick of the crooked staves, +Finn and the Fianna to be there within, unless they find pleasure being +in it."</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Make right repentance now, before you know when your end is +coming; God is better for one hour than the whole of the Fianna of +Ireland."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "That is a daring answer to make to me, Patrick of the crooked +crozier; your crozier would be in little bits if I had Osgar with me +now.</p> + +<p>"If my son Osgar and God were hand to hand on the Hill of the Fianna, if +I saw my son put down, I would say that God was a strong man.</p> + +<p>"How could it be that God or his priests could be better men than Finn, +the King of the Fianna, a generous man without crookedness.</p> + +<p>"If there was a place above or below better than the Heaven of God, it +is there Finn would go, and all that are with him of his people.</p> + +<p>"You say that a generous man never goes to the hell of pain; there was +not one among the Fianna that was not generous to all.</p> + +<p>"Ask of God, Patrick, does He remember when the Fianna were alive, or +has He seen east or west any man better than themselves in their +fighting.</p> + +<p>"The Fianna used not to be saying treachery; we never had the name of +telling lies. By truth and the strength of our hands we came safe out of +every battle.</p> + +<p>"There never sat a priest in a church, though you think it sweet to be +singing psalms, was better to his word than the Fianna, or more generous +than Finn himself.</p> + +<p>"If my comrades were living to-night, I would take no pleasure in your +crooning in the church; as they are not living now, the rough voice of +the bells has deafened me.</p> + +<p>"Och! in the place of battles and heavy fights, where I used to have my +place and to take my pleasure, the crozier of Patrick being carried, and +his clerks at their quarrelling.</p> + +<p>"Och! slothful, cheerless Conan, it is great abuse I used to be giving +you; why do you not come to see me now? you would get leave for making +fun and reviling through the whole of the niggardly clerks.</p> + +<p>"Och! where are the strong men gone that they do not come together to +help me! O Osgar of the sharp sword of victory, come and free your +father from his bonds!</p> + +<p>"Where is the strong son of Lugaidh? Och! Diarmuid of all the women! +Och! Caoilte, son of Ronan, think of our love, and travel to me!"</p> + +<p>PATRICK. "Stop your talk, you withered, witless old man; it is my King +that made the Heavens, it is He that gives blossom to the trees, it is +He made the moon and the sun, the fields and the grass."</p> + +<p>OISIN. "It was not in shaping fields and grass that my king took his +delight, but in overthrowing fighting men, and defending countries, and +bringing his name into every part.</p> + +<p>"In courting, in playing, in hunting, in baring his banner at the first +of a fight; in playing at chess, at swimming, in looking around him at +the drinking-hall.</p> + +<p>"O Patrick, where was your God when the two came over the sea that +brought away the queen of Lochlann of the Ships? Where was He when Dearg +came, the son of the King of Lochlann of the golden shields? Why did not +the King of Heaven protect them from the blows of the big man?</p> + +<p>"Or when Tailc, son of Treon, came, the man that did great slaughter on +the Fianna; it was not by God that champion fell, but by Osgar, in the +sight of all.</p> + +<p>"Many a battle and many a victory was gained by the Fianna of Ireland; I +never heard any great deed was done by the King of Saints, or that He +ever reddened His hand.</p> + +<p>"It would be a great shame for God not to take the locks of pain off +Finn; if God Himself were in bonds, my king would fight for His sake.</p> + +<p>"Finn left no one in pain or in danger without freeing him by silver or +gold, or by fighting till he got the victory.</p> + +<p>"For the strength of your love, Patrick, do not forsake the great men; +bring in the Fianna unknown to the King of Heaven.</p> + +<p>"It is a good claim I have on your God, to be among his clerks the way I +am; without food, without clothing, without music, without giving +rewards to poets.</p> + +<p>"Without the cry of the hounds or the horns, without guarding coasts, +without courting generous women; for all that I have suffered by the +want of food, I forgive the King of Heaven in my will."</p> + +<p>Oisin said: "My story is sorrowful. The sound of your voice is not +pleasant to me. I will cry my fill, but not for God, but because Finn +and the Fianna are not living."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L90" id="L90" />CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S LAMENTS</h2> + + +<p>And Oisin used to be making laments, and sometimes he would be making +praises of the old times and of Finn; and these are some of them that +are remembered yet:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>I saw the household of Finn; it was not the household of a soft + race; I had a vision of that man yesterday.</p> + +<p> I saw the household of the High King, he with the brown, + sweet-voiced son; I never saw a better man.</p> + +<p> I saw the household of Finn; no one saw it as I saw it; I saw Finn + with the sword, Mac an Luin. Och! it was sorrowful to see it.</p> + +<p> I cannot tell out every harm that is on my head; free us from our + trouble for ever; I have seen the household of Finn.</p></div> + +<p>It is a week from yesterday I last saw Finn; I never saw a braver man. A +king of heavy blows; my law, my adviser, my sense and my wisdom, prince +and poet, braver than kings, King of the Fianna, brave in all countries; +golden salmon of the sea, clean hawk of the air, rightly taught, +avoiding lies; strong in his doings, a right judge, ready in courage, a +high messenger in bravery and in music.</p> + +<p>His skin lime-white, his hair golden; ready to work, gentle to women. +His great green vessels full of rough sharp wine, it is rich the king +was, the head of his people.</p> + +<p>Seven sides Finn's house had, and seven score shields on every side. +Fifty fighting men he had about him having woollen cloaks; ten bright +drinking-cups in his hall; ten blue vessels, ten golden horns.</p> + +<p>It is a good household Finn had, without grudging, without lust, without +vain boasting, without chattering, without any slur on any one of the +Fianna.</p> + +<p>Finn never refused any man; he never put away any one that came to his +house. If the brown leaves falling in the woods were gold, if the white +waves were silver, Finn would have given away the whole of it.</p> + +<p>Blackbird of Doire an Chairn, your voice is sweet; I never heard on any +height of the world music was sweeter than your voice, and you at the +foot of your nest.</p> + +<p>The music is sweetest in the world, it is a pity not to be listening to +it for a while, O son of Calphurn of the sweet bells, and you would +overtake your nones again.</p> + +<p>If you knew the story of the bird the way I know it, you would be crying +lasting tears, and you would give no heed to your God for a while.</p> + +<p>In the country of Lochlann of the blue streams, Finn, son of Cumhal, of +the red-gold cups, found that bird you hear now; I will tell you its +story truly.</p> + +<p>Doire an Chairn, that wood there to the west, where the Fianna used to +be delaying, it is there they put the blackbird, in the beauty of the +pleasant trees.</p> + +<p>The stag of the heather of quiet Cruachan, the sorrowful croak from the +ridge of the Two Lakes; the voice of the eagle of the Valley of the +Shapes, the voice of the cuckoo on the Hill of Brambles.</p> + +<p>The voice of the hounds in the pleasant valley; the scream of the eagle +on the edge of the wood; the early outcry of the hounds going over the +Strand of the Red Stones.</p> + +<p>The time Finn lived and the Fianna, it was sweet to them to be listening +to the whistle of the blackbird; the voice of the bells would not have +been sweet to them.</p> + + +<p>There was no one of the Fianna without his fine silken shirt and his +soft coat, without bright armour, without shining stones on his head, +two spears in his hand, and a shield that brought victory.</p> + +<p>If you were to search the world you would not find a harder man, best of +blood, best in battle; no one got the upper hand of him. When he went +out trying his white hound, which of us could be put beside Finn?</p> + +<p>One time we went hunting on Slieve-nam-ban; the sun was beautiful +overhead, the voice of the hounds went east and west, from hill to hill. +Finn and Bran sat for a while on the hill, every man was jealous for the +hunt. We let out three thousand hounds from their golden chains; every +hound of them brought down two deer.</p> + +<p>Patrick of the true crozier, did you ever see, east or west, a greater +hunt than that hunt of Finn and the Fianna? O son of Calphurn of the +bells, that day was better to me than to be listening to your +lamentations in the church.</p> + +<hr class="thought-break" /> + +<p>There is no strength in my hands to-night, there is no power within me; +it is no wonder I to be sorowful, being thrown down in the sorrow of old +age.</p> + +<p>Everything is a grief to me beyond any other man on the face of the +earth, to be dragging stones along to the church and the hill of the +priests.</p> + +<p>I have a little story of our people. One time Finn had a mind to make a +dun on the bald hill of Cuailgne, and he put it on the Fianna of Ireland +to bring stones for building it; a third on the sons of Morna, a third +on myself, and a third on the sons of Baiscne.</p> + +<p>I gave an answer to Finn, son of Cumhal; I said I would be under his +sway no longer, and that I would obey him no more.</p> + +<p>When Finn heard that, he was silent a long time, the man without a He, +without fear. And he said to me then: "You yourself will be dragging +stones before your death comes to you."</p> + +<p>I rose up then with anger on me, and there followed me the fourth of the +brave battalions of the Fianna. I gave my own judgments, there were many +of the Fianna with me.</p> + +<p>Now my strength is gone from me, I that was adviser to the Fianna; my +whole body is tired to-night, my hands, my feet, and my head, tired, +tired, tired.</p> + +<p>It is bad the way I am after Finn of the Fianna; since he is gone away, +every good is behind me.</p> + +<p>Without great people, without mannerly ways; it is sorrowful I am after +our king that is gone.</p> + +<p>I am a shaking tree, my leaves gone from me; an empty nut, a horse +without a bridle; a people without a dwelling-place, I Oisin, son of +Finn.</p> + +<hr class="thought-break" /> + +<p>It is long the clouds are over me to-night! it is long last night was; +although this day is long, yesterday was longer again to me; every day +that comes is long to me!</p> + +<p>That is not the way I used to be, without fighting, without battles, +without learning feats, without young girls, without music, without +harps, without bruising bones, without great deeds; without increase of +learning, without generosity, without drinking at feasts, without +courting, without hunting, the two trades I was used to; without going +out to battle, Ochone! the want of them is sorrowful to me.</p> + +<p>No hunting of deer or stag, it is not like that I would wish to be; no +leashes for our hounds, no hounds; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night!</p> + +<p>Without rising up to do bravery as we were used, without playing as we +had a mind; without swimming of our fighting men in the lake; it is long +the clouds are over me to-night!</p> + +<p>There is no one at all in the world the way I am; it is a pity the way I +am; an old man dragging stones; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night!</p> + +<p>I am the last of the Fianna, great Oisin, son of Finn, listening to the +voice of bells; it is long the clouds are over me to-night!</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L91" id="L91" />NOTES</h2> + +<h2>I. THE APOLOGY</h2> + + +<p>The Irish text of the greater number of the stories in this book has +been published, and from this text I have worked, making my own +translation as far as my scholarship goes, and when it fails, taking the +meaning given by better scholars. In some cases the Irish text has not +been printed, and I have had to work by comparing and piecing together +various translations. I have had to put a connecting sentence of my own +here and there, and I have fused different versions together, and +condensed many passages, and I have left out many, using the choice that +is a perpetual refusing, in trying to get some clear outline of the +doings of the heroes.</p> + +<p>I have found it more natural to tell the stories in the manner of the +thatched houses, where I have heard so many legends of Finn and his +friends, and Oisin and Patrick, and the Ever-Living Ones, and the +Country of the Young, rather than in the manner of the slated houses, +where I have not heard them.</p> + +<p>Four years ago, Dr Atkinson, a Professor of Trinity College, Dublin, in +his evidence before the Commission of Intermediate Education, said of +the old literature of Ireland:—"It has scarcely been touched by the +movements of the great literatures; it is the untrained popular feeling. +Therefore it is almost intolerably low in tone—I do not mean naughty, +but low; and every now and then, when the circumstance occasions it, it +goes down lower than low ... If I read the books in the Greek, the Latin +or the French course, in almost every one of them there is something +with an ideal ring about it—something that I can read with positive +pleasure—something that has what the child might take with him as a + +κ +τ +η +μ +α + +ε +ι +ς + +δ +ε +ι +—a perpetual treasure; but if I read the Irish +books, I see nothing ideal in them, and my astonishment is that through +the whole range of Irish literature that I have read (and I have read +an enormous range of it), the smallness of the element of idealism is +most noticeable ... And as there is very little idealism there is very +little imagination ... The Irish tales as a rule are devoid of it +fundamentally."</p> + +<p>Dr Atkinson is an Englishman, but unfortunately not only +fellow-professors in Trinity but undergraduates there have been +influenced by his opinion, that Irish literature is a thing to be +despised. I do not quote his words to draw attention to a battle that is +still being fought, but to explain my own object in working, as I have +worked ever since that evidence was given, to make a part of Irish +literature accessible to many, especially among my young countrymen, who +have not opportunity to read the translations of the chief scholars, +scattered here and there in learned periodicals, or patience and time to +disentangle overlapping and contradictory versions, that they may judge +for themselves as to its "lowness" and "want of imagination," and the +other well-known charges brought against it before the same Commission.</p> + +<p>I believe that those who have once learned to care for the story of +Cuchulain of Muirthemne, and of Finn and Lugh and Etain, and to +recognise the enduring belief in an invisible world and an immortal life +behind the visible and the mortal, will not be content with my +redaction, but will go, first to the fuller versions of the best +scholars, and then to the manuscripts themselves. I believe the forty +students of old Irish lately called together by Professor Kuno Meyer +will not rest satisfied until they have explored the scores and scores +of uncatalogued and untranslated manuscripts in Trinity College Library, +and that the enthusiasm which the Gaelic League has given birth to will +lead to much fine scholarship.</p> + +<p>A day or two ago I had a letter from one of the best Greek scholars and +translators in England, who says of my "Cuchulain": "It opened up a +great world of beautiful legend which, though accounting myself as an +Irishman, I had never known at all. I am sending out copies to Irish +friends in Australia who, I am sure, will receive the same sort of +impression, almost an impression of pride in the beauty of the Irish +mind, as I received myself." And President Roosevelt wrote to me a +little time ago that after he had read "Cuchulain of Muirthemne," he had +sent for all the other translations from the Irish he could get, to take +on his journey to the Western States.</p> + +<p>I give these appreciative words not, I think, from vanity, for they are +not for me but for my material, to show the effect our old literature +has on those who come fresh to it, and that they do not complain of its +"want of imagination." I am, of course, very proud and glad in having +had the opportunity of helping to make it known, and the task has been +pleasant, although toil-some. Just now, indeed, on the 6th October, I am +tired enough, and I think with sympathy of the old Highland piper, who +complained that he was "withered with yelping the seven Fenian +battalions."</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L92" id="L92" />II. THE AGE AND ORIGIN OF THE STORIES OF THE FIANNA</h2> + + +<p>Mr Alfred Nutt says in <i>Ossian and the Ossianic Literature,</i> No. 3 of +his excellent series of sixpenny pamphlets, <i>Popular Studies in +Mythology, Romance, and Folklore</i>:—</p> + +<p>"The body of Gaelic literature connected with the name of Ossian is of +very considerable extent and of respectable antiquity. The oldest texts, +prose for the most part, but also in verse, are preserved in Irish MSS. +of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and go back to a period from one +hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty years older at least. The +bulk of Ossianic literature is, however, of later date as far as the +form under which it has come down to us is concerned. A number of +important texts, prose for the most part, are preserved in MSS. of the +fourteenth century, but were probably redacted in the thirteenth and +twelfth centuries. But by far the largest mass consists of narrative +poems, as a rule dramatic in structure. These have come down to us in +MSS. written in Scotland from the end of the fifteenth to the middle of +the seventeenth century, in Ireland from the sixteenth down to the +middle of the nineteenth century. The Gaelic-speaking peasantry, alike +in Ireland and Scotland, have preserved orally a large number of these +ballads, as also a great mass of prose narratives, the heroes of which +are Ossian and his comrades.</p> + +<p>"Were all Ossianic texts preserved in MSS. older than the present +century to be printed, they would fill some eight to ten thousand octavo +pages. The mere bulk of the literature, even if we allow for +considerable repetition of incident, arrests attention. If we further +recall that for the last five hundred years this body of romance has +formed the chief imaginative recreation of Gaeldom, alike in Ireland and +Scotland, and that a peasantry unable to read or write has yet preserved +it almost entire, its claims to consideration and study will appear +manifest."</p> + +<p>He then goes on to discuss how far the incidents in the stories can be +accepted as they were accepted by Irish historical writers of the +eleventh century as authentic history:—</p> + +<p>"Fortunately there is little need for me to discuss the credibility or +otherwise of the historic records concerning Finn, his family, and his +band of warriors. They may be accepted or rejected according to +individual bent of mind without really modifying our view of the +literature. For when we turn to the romances, whether in prose or verse, +we find that, although the history is professedly the same as that of +the Annals, firstly, we are transported to a world entirely romantic, in +which divine and semi-divine beings, ungainly monsters and giants, play a +prominent part, in which men and women change shapes with animals, in +which the lives of the heroes are miraculously prolonged—in short, we +find ourselves in a land of Faery; secondly, we find that the historic +conditions in which the heroes are represented as living do not, for the +most part, answer to anything we know or can surmise of the third +century. For Finn and his warriors are perpetually on the watch to guard +Ireland against the attacks of over-sea raiders, styled Lochlannac by +the narrators, and by them undoubtedly thought of as Norsemen. But the +latter, as is well known, only came to Ireland at the close of the +eighth century, and the heroic period of their invasions extended for +about a century, from 825 to 925; to be followed by a period of +comparative settlement during the tenth century, until at the opening of +the eleventh century the battle of Clontarf, fought by Brian, the great +South Irish chieftain, marked the break-up of the separate Teutonic +organisations and the absorption of the Teutons into the fabric of Irish +life. In these pages then we may disregard the otherwise interesting +question of historic credibility in the Ossianic romances: firstly, +because they have their being in a land unaffected by fact; secondly, +because if they ever did reflect the history of the third century the +reflection was distorted in after-times, and a pseudo-history based upon +events of the ninth and tenth centuries was substituted for it. What the +historian seeks for in legend is far more a picture of the society in +which it took rise than a record of the events which it commemorates."</p> + +<p>In a later part of the pamphlet Mr Nutt discusses such questions as +whether we may look for examples of third-century customs in the +stories, what part of the stories first found their way into writing, +whether the Oisin and Patrick dialogues were written under the influence +of actual Pagan feeling persisting from Pagan times, or whether "a +change came over the feeling of Gaeldom during the fourteenth and +fifteenth centuries," when the Oisin and Patrick dialogues in their +present form began to be written. His final summing-up is that +"well-nigh the same stories that were told of Finn and his warrior +braves by the Gael of the eleventh century are told in well-nigh the +same way by his descendant to-day." Mr Nutt does not enquire how long +the stories may have been told before the first story was written down. +Larminie, however, whose early death was the first great loss of our +intellectual movement, pushes them backward for untold ages in the +introduction to his <i>West Irish Folk Tales and Romances</i>. He builds up a +detailed and careful argument, for which I must refer readers to his +book, to prove that the Scottish Highlands and Ireland have received +their folk-lore both from "Aryan and Non-Aryan sources," and that in the +Highlands there is more non-Aryan influence and more non-Aryan blood +than in Ireland. He argues that nothing is more improbable than that all +folk-tales are Aryan, as has sometimes been supposed, and sums up as +follows:—</p> + +<p>"They bear the stamp of the genius of more than one race. The pure and +placid but often cold imagination of the Aryan has been at work on some. +In others we trace the more picturesque fancy, the fierceness and +sensuality, the greater sense of artistic elegance belonging to races +whom the Aryan, in spite of his occasional faults of hardness and +coarseness, has, on the whole, left behind him. But as the greatest +results in the realm of the highest art have always been achieved in the +case of certain blends of Aryan with other blood, I should hardly deem +it extravagant if it were asserted that in the humbler regions of the +folk-tale we might trace the working of the same law. The process which +has gone on may in part have been as follows:—Every race which has +acquired very definite characteristics must have been for a long time +isolated. The Aryans during their period of isolation probably developed +many of their folk-germs into their larger myths, owing to the greater +constructiveness of their imagination, and thus, in a way, they used up +part of their material. Afterwards, when they became blended with other +races less advanced, they acquired fresh material to work on. We have in +Ireland an instance to hand, of which a brief discussion may help to +illustrate the whole race theory.</p> + +<p>"The larger Irish legendary literature divides itself into three +cycles—the divine, the heroic, the Fenian. Of these three the last is +so well-known orally in Scotland that it has been a matter of dispute to +which country it really belongs. It belongs, in fact, to both. Here, +however, comes in a strange contrast with the other cycles. The first +is, so far as I am aware, wholly unknown in Scotland, the second +comparatively unknown. What is the explanation? Professor Zimmer not +having established his late-historical view as regards Finn, and the +general opinion among scholars having tended of recent years towards the +mythical view, we want to know why there is so much more community in +one case than in the other. Mr O'Grady long since seeing this +difficulty, and then believing Finn to be historical, was induced to +place the latter in point of time before Cuchulain and his compeers. But +this view is of course inadmissible when Finn is seen not to be +historical at all. There remains but one explanation. The various bodies +of legend in question are, so far as Ireland is concerned, only earlier +or later, as they came into the island with the various races to which +they belonged. The wider prevalence, then, of the Finn Saga would +indicate that it belonged to an early race occupying both Ireland and +Scotland. Then entered the Aryan Gael, and for him henceforth, as the +ruler of the island, his own gods and heroes were sung by his own bards. +His legends became the subject of what I may call the court poetry, the +aristocratic literature. When he conquered Scotland, he took with him +his own gods and heroes; but in the latter country the bardic system +never became established, and hence we find but feeble echoes of the +heroic cycle among the mountains of the North. That this is the +explanation is shown by what took place in Ireland. Here the heroic +cycle has been handed down in remembrance almost solely by the bardic +literature. The popular memory retains but few traces of it. Its +essentially aristocratic character is shown by the fact that the people +have all but forgotten it, if they ever knew it. But the Fenian cycle +has not been forgotten. Prevailing everywhere, still cherished by the +conquered peoples, it held its ground in Scotland and Ireland alike, +forcing its way in the latter country even into the written literature, +and so securing a twofold lease of existence ... The Fenian cycle, in a +word, is non-Aryan folk-literature partially subjected to Aryan +treatment."</p> + +<p>The whole problem is extremely complex, and several other writers have +written upon it. Mr Borlase, for instance, has argued in his big book on +the Dolmens that the cromlechs, and presumably the Diarmuid and Crania +legend, is connected with old religious rites of an erotic nature coming +down from a very primitive state of society.</p> + +<p>I have come to my own conclusion not so much because of any weight of +argument, as because I found it impossible to arrange the stories in a +coherent form so long as I considered them a part of history. I tried to +work on the foundation of the Annalists, and fit the Fianna into a +definite historical epoch, but the whole story seemed trivial and +incoherent until I began to think of them as almost contemporaneous with +the battle of Magh Tuireadh, which even the Annalists put back into +mythical ages. In this I have only followed some of the story-tellers, +who have made the mother of Lugh of the Long Hand the grandmother of +Finn, and given him a shield soaked with the blood of Balor. I cannot +think of any of the stories as having had a modern origin, or that the +century in which each was written down gives any evidence as to its age. +"How Diarmuid got his Love-Spot," for instance, which was taken down +only a few years ago from some old man's recitation by Dr Hyde, may well +be as old as "Finn and the Phantoms," which is in one of the earliest +manuscripts. It seems to me that one cannot choose any definite period +either from the vast living mass of folk-lore in the country or from the +written text, and that there is as good evidence of Finn being of the +blood of the gods as of his being, as some of the people tell me, "the +son of an O'Shaughnessy who lived at Kiltartan Cross."</p> + +<p>Dr Douglas Hyde, although he placed the Fenian after the Cuchulain cycle +in his <i>History of Irish Literature</i>, has allowed me to print this +note:—</p> + +<p>"While believing in the real objective existence of the Fenians as a +body of Janissaries who actually lived, ruled, and hunted in King +Cormac's time, I think it equally certain that hundreds of stories, +traits, and legends far older and more primitive than any to which they +themselves could have given rise, have clustered about them. There is +probably as large a bulk of primitive mythology to be found in the Finn +legend as in that of the Red Branch itself. The story of the Fenians was +a kind of nucleus to which a vast amount of the flotsam and jetsam of a +far older period attached itself, and has thus been preserved."</p> + +<p>As I found it impossible to give that historical date to the stories, I, +while not adding in anything to support my theory, left out such names +as those of Cormac and Art, and such more or less historical personages, +substituting "the High King." And in the "Battle of the White Strand," I +left out the name of Caelur, Tadg's wife, because I had already followed +another chronicler in giving him Ethlinn for a wife. In the earlier part +I have given back to Angus Og the name of "The Disturber," which had, as +I believe, strayed from him to the Saint of the same name.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L93" id="L93" />III. THE AUTHORITIES</h2> + + +<p>The following is a list of the authorities I have been chiefly helped by +in putting these stories together and in translation of the text. But I +cannot make it quite accurate, for I have sometimes transferred a mere +phrase, sometimes a whole passage from one story to another, where it +seemed to fit better. I have sometimes, in the second part of the book, +used stories preserved in the Scottish Gaelic, as will be seen by my +references. I am obliged to write these notes away from libraries, and +cannot verify them, but I think they are fairly correct.</p> + + + +<h3><a name="L94" id="L94" /> +PART ONE. BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE</h3> + +<ul class="auth"> + <li>THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN, AND LUGH OF THE LONG HAND, AND THE COMING OF THE GAEL.— + <ul class="authSub"> + <li>O'Curry, <i>Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish</i>;</li> + <li><i>MSS. Materials</i>;</li> + <li><i>Atlantis</i>;</li> + <li>De Jubainville, <i>Cycle Mythologique</i>;</li> + <li>Hennessy, <i>Chronicum Scotorum</i>;</li> + <li>Atkinson, <i>Book of Leinster</i>;</li> + <li><i>Annals of the Four Masters</i>;</li> + <li>Nennius, <i>Hist, Brit.</i> (Irish Version);</li> + <li>Zimmer, <i>Glossae Hibernacae</i>;</li> + <li>Whitley Stokes, <i>Three Irish Glossaries</i>;</li> + <li><i>Revue Celtique</i> and <i>Irische Texte</i>;</li> + <li><i>Gaedelica</i>;</li> + <li>Nutt, <i>Voyage of Bran</i>;</li> + <li><i>Proceedings Ossianic Societ</i>;</li> + <li>O'Beirne Crowe, <i>Amra Columcille</i>;</li> + <li>Dean of Lismore's Book;</li> + <li>Windisch, <i>Irische Texte</i>;</li> + <li>Hennessy and others in <i>Revue Celtique</i>;</li> + <li><i>Kilkenny Archaeological Journal</i>;</li> + <li>Keatinge's <i>History</i>;</li> + <li><i>Ogyia</i>;</li> + <li>Curtin's <i>Folk Tales</i>;</li> + <li><i>Proceedings Royal Irish Academy</i>, MSS. Series;</li> + <li>Dr Sigerson, <i>Bards of Gael and Gall</i>;</li> + <li>Miscellanies, <i>Celtic Society</i>.</li> + </ul> + </li> +</ul> + + +<h3> +BOOK FOUR: THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES</h3> + +<p>I have used many of the above, and for separate stories, I may +give these authorities:—</p> + +<ul class="auth"><li>MIDHIR AND ETAIN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Curry, <i>Manners and Customs</i>;</li> +<li>Professor Kuno Meyer in Nutt's <i>Voyage of Bran</i>;</li> +<li>Müller, <i>Revue Celtique</i>;</li> +<li>Nutt, <i>Voyage of Bran</i>;</li> +<li>De Jubainville, <i>Epopée Celtique</i>;</li> +<li>Standish Hayes O'Grady, MS. lent me by him. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>MANANNAN AT PLAY.— +<ul class="authSub"><li>S. Hayes O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HIS CALL TO BRAN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Professor Kuno Meyer in Nutt's <i>Voyage of Bran</i>;</li> +<li>S. Hayes O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>De Jubainville, <i>Cycle Mythologique</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Whitley Stokes, <i>Irische Texte</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>CLIODNA'S WAVE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>S. Hayes O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>Whitley Stokes, <i>Dinnsenchus</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HIS CALL TO CONNLA.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Beirne Crowe, <i>Kilkenny Arch. Journal</i>;</li> +<li>Windisch, <i>Irische Texte</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>TADG IN THE ISLANDS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>S. Hayes O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>S.H. O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>; +Kuno Meyer in Nutt's <i>Voyage of Bran</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Curry, <i>Atlantis</i>.</li> +</ul> +</li> +</ul> + + +<h3>PART TWO. THE FIANNA</h3> +<ul class="auth"><li>THE COMING OF FINN, AND FINN'S HOUSEHOLD.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proceedings Ossianic Society</i>;</li> +<li>Kuno Meyer, <i>Four Songs of Summer and Winter</i>;</li> +<li><i>Revue Celtique</i>;</li> +<li>S. Hayes O'Grady, <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>Curtin's <i>Folk Tales</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>BIRTH OF BRAN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>OISIN'S MOTHER.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Kennedy, <i>Legendary Fictions Irish Celts</i>;</li> +<li>Mac Innis;</li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Dean of Lismore's Book;</li> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica;</i></li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"> + <li>LAD OF THE SKINS.— + <ul class="authSub"> + <li><i>Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition</i>;</li> + <li>Larminie's <i>Folk Tales</i>;</li> + <li>Curtin's <i>Tales</i>.</li> + </ul> + </li> +</ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE HOUND.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>Whitley Stokes, <i>Dinnsenchus</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>RED RIDGE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Kuno Meyer, <i>Anec. Oxonienses</i>;</li> +<li>Hanmer's <i>Chronicle</i>;</li> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li>Curtin's <i>Tales</i>;</li> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>.</li> +</ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>KING OF BRITAIN'S SON.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>DONN, SON OF MIDHIR.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>;</li> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales of the Western Highlands</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>LOMNA'S HEAD.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Curry, <i>Orc. Treith</i>, O'Donovan, ed. Stokes. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>ILBREC OF ESS RUADH.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>CAVE OF CRUACHAN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Stokes, <i>Irische Texts.</i> +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE SHADOWY ONE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Curry. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>FINN'S MADNESS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE RED WOMAN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Hyde, <i>Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>FINN AND THE PHANTOMS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Kuno Meyer, <i>Revue Celtique</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE PIGS OF ANGUS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>OISIN'S CHILDREN.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>O'Curry;</li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>;</li> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales of the Western Highlands</i>;</li> +<li>Stokes, <i>Irische Texte</i>;</li> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li><i>Celtic Magazine</i>;</li> +<li><i>Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>BIRTH OF DIARMUID.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grania</i> (Society for Preservation of the Irish Language);</li> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Hyde, <i>Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE HARD SERVANT.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>MSS. in Royal Irish Academy, and in Dr Hyde's possession. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>DIARMUID AND GRANIA.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Text Published by S. Hayes O'Grady, +<i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>, and re-edited by N. O'Duffey for Society for Preservation of the Irish Language;</li> +<li>Kuno Meyer, <i>Revue Celtique</i>, and <i>Four Songs</i>;</li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>;</li> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales</i>;</li> +<li><i>Kilkenny Arch. Journal</i>;</li> +<li><i>Folk Lore</i>, vol. vii., 1896;</li> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li>Nutt, <i>Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>CNOC-AN-AIR, ETC.— +<ul class="authSub"><li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li><i>Leabhar na Feinne</i>;</li> +<li>Campbell's <i>Popular Tales</i>;</li> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>;</li> +<li>O'Curry;</li> +<li><i>Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition</i>;</li> +<li>Stokes, <i>Irische Texte</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>THE END OF THE FIANNA.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li>Hyde, <i>Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach</i>;</li> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>;</li> +<li><i>Silva Gaedelica</i>;</li> +<li>Miss Brooke's <i>Reliques</i>;</li> +<li><i>Annals of the Four Masters</i>;</li> +<li><i>Celtic Magazine</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + +<ul class="auth"><li>OISIN AND PATRICK, AND OISIN'S LAMENTS.— +<ul class="authSub"> +<li><i>Proc. Ossianic Society</i>;</li> +<li>Dean of Lismore;</li> +<li><i>Kilkenny Arch, fournal</i>;</li> +<li>Curtin's <i>Tales</i>. +</li></ul></li></ul> + + +<p>I have taken Grania's sleepy song, and the description of Finn's shield +and of Cumhal's treasure-bag, and the fact of Finn's descent from +Ethlinn, from <i>Duanaire Finn</i>, now being edited for the Irish Texts +Society by Mr John MacNeill, the proofs of which I have been kindly +allowed to see. And I have used sometimes parts of stories, or comments +on them gathered directly from the people, who have kept these heroes so +much in mind. The story of Caoilte coming to the help of the King of +Ireland in a dark wood is the only one I have given without either a +literary or a folk ancestry. It was heard or read by Mr Yeats, he cannot +remember where, but he had, with it in his mind, written of "Caoilte's +burning hair" in one of his poems.</p> + +<p>I and my readers owe special thanks to those good workers in the +discovery of Irish literature, Professor Kuno Meyer and Mr Whitley +Stokes, translators of so many manuscripts; and to my friend and kinsman +Standish Hayes O'Grady, for what I have taken from that wonderful +treasure-house, his <i>Silva Gaedelica</i>.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L95" id="L95" />IV. THE PRONUNCIATION</h2> + +<p>This is the approximate pronunciation of some of the more difficult +names:</p> + +<ul class="auth"> + <li>Adhnuall + <ul class="authSub"> + <li>Ai-noo-al.</li> + </ul> + </li> +</ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ailbhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Alva.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Almhuin +<ul class="authSub"><li>All-oon, <i>or</i> Alvin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Aobh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Aev, <i>or</i> Eev.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Aodh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ae (rhyming to "day").</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Aoibhill +<ul class="authSub"><li>Evill.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Aoife +<ul class="authSub"><li>Eefa.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Badb +<ul class="authSub"><li>Bibe.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Beltaine, or Bealtaine +<ul class="authSub"><li>Bal-tinna.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bladhma +<ul class="authSub"><li>Bly-ma.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bodb Dearg +<ul class="authSub"><li>Bove Darrig.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Caoilte +<ul class="authSub"><li>Cweeltia.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cam Ruidhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Corn Rwee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ciabhan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Kee-a-van.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cliodna +<ul class="authSub"><li>Cleevna.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Coincheann +<ul class="authSub"><li>Kun-Kann.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Crann Buidhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Cran bwee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Credhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Crae-a.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cumhal +<ul class="authSub"><li>Coo-al.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Deaghadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>D'ya-a.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Dubhthach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Duffach.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Duibhreann +<ul class="authSub"><li>Dhiv-ran.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Duibhrium +<ul class="authSub"><li>Dhiv-rinn.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Dun +<ul class="authSub"><li>Doon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Eimher +<ul class="authSub"><li>Aevir.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Emhain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Avvin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Eochaid +<ul class="authSub"><li>Eohee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Eoghan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Owen.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fionnchad +<ul class="authSub"><li>Finn-ăch-a.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fodhla +<ul class="authSub"><li>Fóla.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fodla +<ul class="authSub"><li>Fola.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gallimh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Gol-yiv.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Glas Gaibhnenn +<ul class="authSub"><li>Glos Gov-nan.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Leith Laeig +<ul class="authSub"><li>Lĕh Laeg.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Dairbhreach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Darvragh.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Lugaidh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loo-ee, <i>or</i> Lewy.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Lugh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh an Ionganaidh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy-in-eean-ee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Cuillean +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy Cullin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Feabhail +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy Fowl.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Macraimhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy Mucrivva.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Mell +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy Mal.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Rein +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moy Raen.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Tuireadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moytirra.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Manannan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Mānănaun.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Midhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Mee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Midhna +<ul class="authSub"><li>Mec-na.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Mochaomhog +<ul class="authSub"><li>Mo-cwecv-ōg.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Muadhan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moo-aun.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Murchadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Murachu.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Nemhnain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Now-nin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Niamh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Nee-av.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Og +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ŏg.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Rath Medba, or Meadhbha +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ra Maev-a.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Rudraighe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Rury.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Samhain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Sow-in.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Scathniamh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Scau-nee-av.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Sceolan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Skolaun.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Searbhan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Sharavaun.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Sidhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Shee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Echtge +<ul class="authSub"><li>Sleev Acht-ga.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tadg +<ul class="authSub"><li>Teig.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Teamhair +<ul class="authSub"><li>T'yower, <i>or</i> Tavvir.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tuatha de Danaan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Too-ă-hă Donnan.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tuathmumhain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Too-moon.</li></ul></li></ul> + +<p>I have not followed a fixed rule as to the spelling of Irish names; I +have taken the spelling I give from various good authorities, but they +vary so much that, complete accuracy not being easy, I sometimes look to +custom and convenience. I use, for instance, "Slieve" for "Sliabh," +because it comes so often, and a mispronunciation would spoil so many +names. I have treated "Inbhir" (a river mouth) in the same way, spelling +it "Inver," and even adopting it as an English word, because it is so +useful. The forty scholars of the New School of Old Irish will do us +good service if they work at the question both of spelling and of +pronunciation of the old names and settle them as far as is possible.</p> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="L96" id="L96" />V. THE PLACE NAMES</h2> + +<ul class="auth"><li>Accuill +<ul class="authSub"><li>Achill, Co. Mayo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Aine Cliach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Cnoc Aine, Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Almhuin +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Kildare.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ath Cliath +<ul class="authSub"><li>Dublin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Athluain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Athlone.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ath na Riogh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Athenry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Badhamain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Cahir, Co. Tipperary.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Baile Cronin +<ul class="authSub"><li>Barony of Imokilty, Co. Cork.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Banna +<ul class="authSub"><li>The Bann.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Beare +<ul class="authSub"><li>Berehaven.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bearna na Eadargana +<ul class="authSub"><li>Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bearnas Mor +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Donegal.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Beinn Gulbain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Benbulban, Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Beire do Bhunadas +<ul class="authSub"><li>Berehaven.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bel-atha Senaig +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ballyshannon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Belgata +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Connemara.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Benna Boirde +<ul class="authSub"><li>Source of the Bann and Mourne Mountains.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Berramain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Tralee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bhas +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Bush.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Boinn +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Boyne.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Bri Leith +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Longford.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cairbre +<ul class="authSub"><li>Carbury.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cairgin +<ul class="authSub"><li>Three miles south of Londonderry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Carrthach River +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Carra, near Dunkerrin Mountains.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ceanntaile +<ul class="authSub"><li>Kinsale.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ceiscorainn +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cill Dolun +<ul class="authSub"><li>Killaloe, Co. Clare.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cliodna's Wave +<ul class="authSub"><li>At Glandore, Co. Cork.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cluantarbh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Clontarf.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cnoc Aine +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cnoc-an-Air +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cnoc na righ +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Corca Duibhne +<ul class="authSub"><li>Corcaguiny, Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Corrslieve +<ul class="authSub"><li>Carlow Mountains.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Crotta Cliach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Galtee Mountains.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cruachan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Cruachan Aigle +<ul class="authSub"><li>Croagh Patrick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Doire a Cairn +<ul class="authSub"><li>Derrycarn, Co. Meath.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Doire-da-Bhoth +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Slieve Echtge.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Druim Cleibh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Druim Lis +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Loch Gill.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Druimscarha +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near River Arighis, Co. Cork.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Dun Sobairce +<ul class="authSub"><li>Dunsevenh, Co. Antrim.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Durlas +<ul class="authSub"><li>Thurles.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ess Dara +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ess Ruadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Assaroe, Co. Donegal.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fidh Gaible +<ul class="authSub"><li>Fergill, Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Finntraighe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ventry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fionn +<ul class="authSub"><li>The Finn.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fionnabraic +<ul class="authSub"><li>Kilfenna, Co. Clare.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fionntutach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Fleisge +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gabhra +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Tara.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gaibh atha na Fiann +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Leamhar, flows from Killarney.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gairech and Ilgairech +<ul class="authSub"><li>Hills near Mullingar.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gallimh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Galway.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gleann na Caor +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Cork.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Gullach Dollairb +<ul class="authSub"><li>Barony of Rathconrath.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Hill of Bairnech +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Killarney.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Hill of Uisnech +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Westmeath.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Inver Cechmaine +<ul class="authSub"><li>East coast of Ulster.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Inver Colpa +<ul class="authSub"><li>Drogheda.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Inver Slane +<ul class="authSub"><li>N.E. of Leinster.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Irrus Domnann +<ul class="authSub"><li>Erris, Co. Mayo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Island of Toraig +<ul class="authSub"><li>Tory Island, Co. Donegal.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Laoi +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Lee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Leith Laoi +<ul class="authSub"><li>Leitrim.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Linn Feic +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Slaney.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Bel Sead +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Tipperary.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Cé +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Dairbhreach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Derryvaragh, Co. Westmeath.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Deirg Dheirc +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Derg on the Shannon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Eirne +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Erne.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Feabhail +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Foyle.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Lein +<ul class="authSub"><li>Killarney.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch Orbson +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Corrib.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Loch na-n Ean +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Lough Neatach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Loch Neagh.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Luimneach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Maev Mhagh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Plain about Loughrea.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Cobha +<ul class="authSub"><li>Iveagh, Co. Down.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Cuilenn +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moycullen, Co. Galway.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Femen +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Tipperary.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Larg +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Leine +<ul class="authSub"><li>King's County.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Luirg +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Maini +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Wexford.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Mucraimhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Athenry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Nia +<ul class="authSub"><li>Same as Magh Tuireadh.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Rein +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Leitrim.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Magh Tuireadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Moytura near Sligo, scene of great battle, and Moytura, near Cong, scene of first battle.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>March of Finnliath +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Lee, near Tralee.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Midhe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Meath, west of Ardagh.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Mis Geadh +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Bay of Erris.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Muaid +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Moy.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Muc-inis +<ul class="authSub"><li>Muckinish, off Connemara.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Nas +<ul class="authSub"><li>Naas.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Nem +<ul class="authSub"><li>The Nem.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Oenach Clochan +<ul class="authSub"><li>Morristown, Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Osraige +<ul class="authSub"><li>Ossory.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Paps of Dana +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Portlairge +<ul class="authSub"><li>Waterford.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>River Maigh +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ros da Shioleach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ruirlech +<ul class="authSub"><li>Liffey.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Samair +<ul class="authSub"><li>R. Cumhair, runs through Bruff.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Sionnan +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Shannon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Siuir Beoir and Berba +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Suir, Co. Tipperary. Siuir and Suir and Nore and Barrow.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Baisne +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Bladmai +<ul class="authSub"><li>Slieve Bloom.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Buane +<ul class="authSub"><li>Slieve Banne, Co. Roscommon.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Conaill +<ul class="authSub"><li>Border of Leitrim and Donegal.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Crot +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Tipperary.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Cua +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Waterford.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Cua and Slieve Crot +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Galtee Mountains.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Cuailgne +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Louth.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Echtge +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Galway.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Fuad +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Armagh.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Guaire +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Cavan.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Luchra +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Lugha +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Mayo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Mis +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve Muice +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Tipperary.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Slieve-nam-Ban +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Tipperary</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Sligach +<ul class="authSub"><li>Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Srub Bruin +<ul class="authSub"><li>In West Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Sruth na Maoile +<ul class="authSub"><li>Mull of Cantire.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tailltin +<ul class="authSub"><li>Telltown.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Teamhair +<ul class="authSub"><li>Tara, Co. Meath.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Teunhair Luchra +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Castle Island, Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>The Beith +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Behy, Barony of Dunkerrin.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>The Beoir +<ul class="authSub"><li>The Berba.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>The Islands of Mod +<ul class="authSub"><li>In Clew Bay.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>The Lemain +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Laune, Co. Kerry.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>The Muaidh +<ul class="authSub"><li>River Moy, Co. Sligo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tonn Toime +<ul class="authSub"><li>Toines, near Killarney.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Traigh Eothaile +<ul class="authSub"><li>Near Ballisodare.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Tuathmumain +<ul class="authSub"><li>Thomond.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ui Chonaill Gabhra +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Limerick.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Ui Fiachraih, Fiachraig +<ul class="authSub"><li>Co. Mayo.</li></ul></li></ul> +<ul class="auth"><li>Wave of Rudraighe +<ul class="authSub"><li>Bay of Dundrum.</li></ul></li></ul> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Gods and Fighting Men, by Lady I. A. 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Gregory + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Gods and Fighting Men + +Author: Lady I. A. Gregory + +Release Date: December 25, 2004 [EBook #14465] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GODS AND FIGHTING MEN *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Robert Ledger and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + +GODS AND FIGHTING MEN: + +THE STORY OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN +AND OF THE FIANNA OF IRELAND, + +ARRANGED AND PUT INTO ENGLISH BY LADY GREGORY. + +WITH A PREFACE BY W.B. YEATS + +1905 + + + + +DEDICATION TO THE MEMBERS OF THE IRISH LITERARY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK + + +My Friends, those I know and those I do not know, I am glad in the year +of the birth of your Society to have this book to offer you. + +It has given great courage to many workers here--working to build up +broken walls--to know you have such friendly thoughts of them in your +minds. A few of you have already come to see us, and we begin to hope +that one day the steamers across the Atlantic will not go out full, but +come back full, until some of you find your real home is here, and say +as some of us say, like Finn to the woman of enchantments-- + +[Illustration: Irish Gaelic] + +"We would not give up our own country--Ireland--if we were to get the +whole world as an estate, and the Country of the Young along with it." + +AUGUSTA GREGORY. + + + + +PREFACE + +I + +A few months ago I was on the bare Hill of Allen, "wide Almhuin of +Leinster," where Finn and the Fianna lived, according to the stories, +although there are no earthen mounds there like those that mark the +sites of old buildings on so many hills. A hot sun beat down upon +flowering gorse and flowerless heather; and on every side except the +east, where there were green trees and distant hills, one saw a level +horizon and brown boglands with a few green places and here and there +the glitter of water. One could imagine that had it been twilight and +not early afternoon, and had there been vapours drifting and frothing +where there were now but shadows of clouds, it would have set stirring +in one, as few places even in Ireland can, a thought that is peculiar to +Celtic romance, as I think, a thought of a mystery coming not as with +Gothic nations out of the pressure of darkness, but out of great spaces +and windy light. The hill of Teamhair, or Tara, as it is now called, +with its green mounds and its partly wooded sides, and its more gradual +slope set among fat grazing lands, with great trees in the hedgerows, +had brought before one imaginations, not of heroes who were in their +youth for hundreds of years, or of women who came to them in the +likeness of hunted fawns, but of kings that lived brief and politic +lives, and of the five white roads that carried their armies to the +lesser kingdoms of Ireland, or brought to the great fair that had given +Teamhair its sovereignty, all that sought justice or pleasure or had +goods to barter. + + +II + +It is certain that we must not confuse these kings, as did the mediaeval +chroniclers, with those half-divine kings of Almhuin. The chroniclers, +perhaps because they loved tradition too well to cast out utterly much +that they dreaded as Christians, and perhaps because popular imagination +had begun the mixture, have mixed one with another ingeniously, making +Finn the head of a kind of Militia under Cormac MacArt, who is supposed +to have reigned at Teamhair in the second century, and making Grania, +who travels to enchanted houses under the cloak of Angus, god of Love, +and keeps her troubling beauty longer than did Helen hers, Cormac's +daughter, and giving the stories of the Fianna, although the impossible +has thrust its proud finger into them all, a curious air of precise +history. It is only when one separates the stories from that mediaeval +pedantry, as in this book, that one recognises one of the oldest worlds +that man has imagined, an older world certainly than one finds in the +stories of Cuchulain, who lived, according to the chroniclers, about the +time of the birth of Christ. They are far better known, and one may be +certain of the antiquity of incidents that are known in one form or +another to every Gaelic-speaking countryman in Ireland or in the +Highlands of Scotland. Sometimes a labourer digging near to a cromlech, +or Bed of Diarmuid and Crania as it is called, will tell one a tradition +that seems older and more barbaric than any description of their +adventures or of themselves in written text or story that has taken form +in the mouths of professed story-tellers. Finn and the Fianna found +welcome among the court poets later than did Cuchulain; and one finds +memories of Danish invasions and standing armies mixed with the +imaginations of hunters and solitary fighters among great woods. One +never hears of Cuchulain delighting in the hunt or in woodland things; +and one imagines that the story-teller would have thought it unworthy in +so great a man, who lived a well-ordered, elaborate life, and had his +chariot and his chariot-driver and his barley-fed horses to delight in. +If he is in the woods before dawn one is not told that he cannot know +the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of the oak; and when Emer +laments him no wild creature comes into her thoughts but the cuckoo that +cries over cultivated fields. His story must have come out of a time +when the wild wood was giving way to pasture and tillage, and men had no +longer a reason to consider every cry of the birds or change of the +night. Finn, who was always in the woods, whose battles were but hours +amid years of hunting, delighted in the "cackling of ducks from the Lake +of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of Doire an +Cairn; the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries; the +whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories or from the rough +branches of the Ridge of the Stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim re Coir." When sorrow comes +upon the queens of the stories, they have sympathy for the wild birds +and beasts that are like themselves: "Credhe wife of Cael came with the +others and went looking through the bodies for her comely comrade, and +crying as she went. And as she was searching she saw a crane of the +meadows and her two nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching +the nestlings; and when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, +he would make a rush at the other bird, the way she had to stretch +herself out over the birds; and she would sooner have got her own death +by the fox than the nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was +looking at that, and she said: 'It is no wonder I to have such love for +my comely sweetheart, and the bird in that distress about her +nestlings.'" + + +III + +One often hears of a horse that shivers with terror, or of a dog that +howls at something a man's eyes cannot see, and men who live primitive +lives where instinct does the work of reason are fully conscious of many +things that we cannot perceive at all. As life becomes more orderly, +more deliberate, the supernatural world sinks farther away. Although the +gods come to Cuchulain, and although he is the son of one of the +greatest of them, their country and his are far apart, and they come to +him as god to mortal; but Finn is their equal. He is continually in +their houses; he meets with Bodb Dearg, and Angus, and Manannan, now as +friend with friend, now as with an enemy he overcomes in battle; and +when he has need of their help his messenger can say: "There is not a +king's son or a prince, or a leader of the Fianna of Ireland, without +having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother or a sweetheart of the +Tuatha de Danaan." When the Fianna are broken up at last, after hundreds +of years of hunting, it is doubtful that he dies at all, and certain +that he comes again in some other shape, and Oisin, his son, is made +king over a divine country. The birds and beasts that cross his path in +the woods have been fighting men or great enchanters or fair women, and +in a moment can take some beautiful or terrible shape. One thinks of him +and of his people as great-bodied men with large movements, that seem, +as it were, flowing out of some deep below the narrow stream of personal +impulse, men that have broad brows and quiet eyes full of confidence in +a good luck that proves every day afresh that they are a portion of the +strength of things. They are hardly so much individual men as portions +of universal nature, like the clouds that shape themselves and re-shape +themselves momentarily, or like a bird between two boughs, or like the +gods that have given the apples and the nuts; and yet this but brings +them the nearer to us, for we can remake them in our image when we will, +and the woods are the more beautiful for the thought. Do we not always +fancy hunters to be something like this, and is not that why we think +them poetical when we meet them of a sudden, as in these lines in +"Pauline": + + "An old hunter + Talking with gods; or a nigh-crested chief + Sailing with troops of friends to Tenedos" + + +IV + +One must not expect in these stories the epic lineaments, the many +incidents, woven into one great event of, let us say, the story of the +War for the Brown Bull of Cuailgne, or that of the last gathering at +Muirthemne. Even Diarmuid and Grania, which is a long story, has nothing +of the clear outlines of Deirdre, and is indeed but a succession of +detached episodes. The men who imagined the Fianna had the imagination +of children, and as soon as they had invented one wonder, heaped another +on top of it. Children--or, at any rate, it is so I remember my own +childhood--do not understand large design, and they delight in little +shut-in places where they can play at houses more than in great expanses +where a country-side takes, as it were, the impression of a thought. The +wild creatures and the green things are more to them than to us, for +they creep towards our light by little holes and crevices. When they +imagine a country for themselves, it is always a country where one can +wander without aim, and where one can never know from one place what +another will be like, or know from the one day's adventure what may meet +one with to-morrow's sun. I have wished to become a child again that I +might find this book, that not only tells one of such a country, but is +fuller than any other book that tells of heroic life, of the childhood +that is in all folk-lore, dearer to me than all the books of the western +world. + +Children play at being great and wonderful people, at the ambitions +they will put away for one reason or another before they grow into +ordinary men and women. Mankind as a whole had a like dream once; +everybody and nobody built up the dream bit by bit, and the ancient +story-tellers are there to make us remember what mankind would have been +like, had not fear and the failing will and the laws of nature tripped +up its heels. The Fianna and their like are themselves so full of power, +and they are set in a world so fluctuating and dream-like, that nothing +can hold them from being all that the heart desires. + +I have read in a fabulous book that Adam had but to imagine a bird, and +it was born into life, and that he created all things out of himself by +nothing more important than an unflagging fancy; and heroes who can make +a ship out of a shaving have but little less of the divine prerogatives. +They have no speculative thoughts to wander through eternity and waste +heroic blood; but how could that be otherwise, for it is at all times +the proud angels who sit thinking upon the hill-side and not the people +of Eden. One morning we meet them hunting a stag that is "as joyful as +the leaves of a tree in summer-time"; and whatever they do, whether they +listen to the harp or follow an enchanter over-sea, they do for the sake +of joy, their joy in one another, or their joy in pride and movement; +and even their battles are fought more because of their delight in a +good fighter than because of any gain that is in victory. They live +always as if they were playing a game; and so far as they have any +deliberate purpose at all, it is that they may become great gentlemen +and be worthy of the songs of poets. It has been said, and I think the +Japanese were the first to say it, that the four essential virtues are +to be generous among the weak, and truthful among one's friends, and +brave among one's enemies, and courteous at all times; and if we +understand by courtesy not merely the gentleness the story-tellers have +celebrated, but a delight in courtly things, in beautiful clothing and +in beautiful verse, one understands that it was no formal succession of +trials that bound the Fianna to one another. Only the Table Round, that +is indeed, as it seems, a rivulet from the same river, is bound in a +like fellowship, and there the four heroic virtues are troubled by the +abstract virtues of the cloister. Every now and then some noble knight +builds himself a cell upon the hill-side, or leaves kind women and +joyful knights to seek the vision of the Grail in lonely adventures. But +when Oisin or some kingly forerunner--Bran, son of Febal, or the +like--rides or sails in an enchanted ship to some divine country, he but +looks for a more delighted companionship, or to be in love with faces +that will never fade. No thought of any life greater than that of love, +and the companionship of those that have drawn their swords upon the +darkness of the world, ever troubles their delight in one another as it +troubles Iseult amid her love, or Arthur amid his battles. It is one of +the ailments of our speculation that thought, when it is not the +planning of something, or the doing of something or some memory of a +plain circumstance separates us from one another because it makes us +always more unlike, and because no thought passes through another's ear +unchanged. Companionship can only be perfect when it is founded on +things, for things are always the same under the hand, and at last one +comes to hear with envy of the voices of boys lighting a lantern to +ensnare moths, or of the maids chattering in the kitchen about the fox +that carried off a turkey before breakfast. This book is full of +fellowship untroubled like theirs, and made noble by a courtesy that has +gone perhaps out of the world. I do not know in literature better +friends and lovers. When one of the Fianna finds Osgar dying the proud +death of a young man, and asks is it well with him, he is answered, "I +am as you would have me be." The very heroism of the Fianna is indeed +but their pride and joy in one another, their good fellowship. Goll, old +and savage, and letting himself die of hunger in a cave because he is +angry and sorry, can speak lovely words to the wife whose help he +refuses. "'It is best as it is,' he said, 'and I never took the advice +of a woman east or west, and I never will take it. And oh, sweet-voiced +queen,' he said, 'what ails you to be fretting after me? and remember +now your silver and your gold, and your silks ... and do not be crying +tears after me, queen with the white hands,' he said, 'but remember your +constant lover Aodh, son of the best woman of the world, that came from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought on Corcar-an-Dearg; and go to +him now,' he said, 'for it is bad when a woman is without a good man.'" + + +VI + +They have no asceticism, but they are more visionary than any ascetic, +and their invisible life is but the life about them made more perfect +and more lasting, and the invisible people are their own images in the +water. Their gods may have been much besides this, for we know them from +fragments of mythology picked out with trouble from a fantastic history +running backward to Adam and Eve, and many things that may have seemed +wicked to the monks who imagined that history, may have been altered or +left out; but this they must have been essentially, for the old stories +are confirmed by apparitions among the country-people to-day. The Men of +Dea fought against the mis-shapen Fomor, as Finn fights against the +Cat-Heads and the Dog-Heads; and when they are overcome at last by men, +they make themselves houses in the hearts of hills that are like the +houses of men. When they call men to their houses and to their country +Under-Wave they promise them all that they have upon earth, only in +greater abundance. The god Midhir sings to Queen Etain in one of the +most beautiful of the stories: "The young never grow old; the fields and +the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's eggs; +warm streams of mead and wine flow through that country; there is no +care or no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we ourselves are not +seen." These gods are indeed more wise and beautiful than men; but men, +when they are great men, are stronger than they are, for men are, as it +were, the foaming tide-line of their sea. One remembers the Druid who +answered, when some one asked him who made the world, "The Druids made +it." All was indeed but one life flowing everywhere, and taking one +quality here, another there. It sometimes seems to one as if there is a +kind of day and night of religion, and that a period when the influences +are those that shape the world is followed by a period when the greater +power is in influences that would lure the soul out of the world, out of +the body. When Oisin is speaking with S. Patrick of the friends and the +life he has outlived, he can but cry out constantly against a religion +that has no meaning for him. He laments, and the country-people have +remembered his words for centuries: "I will cry my fill, but not for +God, but because Finn and the Fianna are not living." + + +VII + +Old writers had an admirable symbolism that attributed certain energies +to the influence of the sun, and certain others to the lunar influence. +To lunar influence belong all thoughts and emotions that were created by +the community, by the common people, by nobody knows who, and to the sun +all that came from the high disciplined or individual kingly mind. I +myself imagine a marriage of the sun and moon in the arts I take most +pleasure in; and now bride and bridegroom but exchange, as it were, full +cups of gold and silver, and now they are one in a mystical embrace. +From the moon come the folk-songs imagined by reapers and spinners out +of the common impulse of their labour, and made not by putting words +together, but by mixing verses and phrases, and the folk-tales made by +the capricious mixing of incidents known to everybody in new ways, as +one deals out cards, never getting the same hand twice over. When one +hears some fine story, one never knows whether it has not been hazard +that put the last touch of adventure. Such poetry, as it seems to me, +desires an infinity of wonder or emotion, for where there is no +individual mind there is no measurer-out, no marker-in of limits. The +poor fisher has no possession of the world and no responsibility for it; +and if he dreams of a love-gift better than the brown shawl that seems +too common for poetry, why should he not dream of a glove made from the +skin of a bird, or shoes made from the skin of a fish, or a coat made +from the glittering garment of the salmon? Was it not Aeschylus who said +he but served up fragments from the banquet of Homer?--but Homer himself +found the great banquet on an earthen floor and under a broken roof. We +do not know who at the foundation of the world made the banquet for the +first time, or who put the pack of cards into rough hands; but we do +know that, unless those that have made many inventions are about to +change the nature of poetry, we may have to go where Homer went if we +are to sing a new song. Is it because all that is under the moon thirsts +to escape out of bounds, to lose itself in some unbounded tidal stream, +that the songs of the folk are mournful, and that the story of the +Fianna, whenever the queens lament for their lovers, reminds us of songs +that are still sung in country-places? Their grief, even when it is to +be brief like Grania's, goes up into the waste places of the sky. But +in supreme art or in supreme life there is the influence of the sun too, +and the sun brings with it, as old writers tell us, not merely +discipline but joy; for its discipline is not of the kind the multitudes +impose upon us by their weight and pressure, but the expression of the +individual soul turning itself into a pure fire and imposing its own +pattern, its own music, upon the heaviness and the dumbness that is in +others and in itself. When we have drunk the cold cup of the moon's +intoxication, we thirst for something beyond ourselves, and the mind +flows outward to a natural immensity; but if we have drunk from the hot +cup of the sun, our own fullness awakens, we desire little, for wherever +one goes one's heart goes too; and if any ask what music is the +sweetest, we can but answer, as Finn answered, "what happens." And yet +the songs and stories that have come from either influence are a part, +neither less than the other, of the pleasure that is the bride-bed of +poetry. + + +VIII + +Gaelic-speaking Ireland, because its art has been made, not by the +artist choosing his material from wherever he has a mind to, but by +adding a little to something which it has taken generations to invent, +has always had a popular literature. One cannot say how much that +literature has done for the vigour of the race, for one cannot count the +hands its praise of kings and high-hearted queens made hot upon the +sword-hilt, or the amorous eyes it made lustful for strength and beauty. +One remembers indeed that when the farming people and the labourers of +the towns made their last attempt to cast out England by force of arms +they named themselves after the companions of Finn. Even when Gaelic has +gone, and the poetry with it, something of the habit of mind remains in +ways of speech and thought and "come-all-ye"s and poetical saying; nor +is it only among the poor that the old thought has been for strength or +weakness. Surely these old stories, whether of Finn or Cuchulain, helped +to sing the old Irish and the old Norman-Irish aristocracy to their end. +They heard their hereditary poets and story-tellers, and they took to +horse and died fighting against Elizabeth or against Cromwell; and when +an English-speaking aristocracy had their place, it listened to no +poetry indeed, but it felt about it in the popular mind an exacting and +ancient tribunal, and began a play that had for spectators men and women +that loved the high wasteful virtues. I do not think that their own +mixed blood or the habit of their time need take all, or nearly all, +credit or discredit for the impulse that made our modern gentlemen fight +duels over pocket-handkerchiefs, and set out to play ball against the +gates of Jerusalem for a wager, and scatter money before the public eye; +and at last, after an epoch of such eloquence the world has hardly seen +its like, lose their public spirit and their high heart and grow +querulous and selfish as men do who have played life out not heartily +but with noise and tumult. Had they understood the people and the game a +little better, they might have created an aristocracy in an age that has +lost the meaning of the word. When one reads of the Fianna, or of +Cuchulain, or of some great hero, one remembers that the fine life is +always a part played finely before fine spectators. There also one +notices the hot cup and the cold cup of intoxication; and when the fine +spectators have ended, surely the fine players grow weary, and +aristocratic life is ended. When O'Connell covered with a dark glove the +hand that had killed a man in the duelling field, he played his part; +and when Alexander stayed his army marching to the conquest of the world +that he might contemplate the beauty of a plane-tree, he played his +part. When Osgar complained as he lay dying, of the keening of the women +and the old fighting men, he too played his part; "No man ever knew any +heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered with +iron; but the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the keening +of the old fighting men and the crying of the women one after another, +those are the things that are vexing me." If we would create a great +community--and what other game is so worth the labour?--we must recreate +the old foundations of life, not as they existed in that splendid +misunderstanding of the eighteenth century, but as they must always +exist when the finest minds and Ned the beggar and Seaghan the fool +think about the same thing, although they may not think the same thought +about it. + + +IX + +When I asked the little boy who had shown me the pathway up the Hill of +Allen if he knew stories of Finn and Oisin, he said he did not, but that +he had often heard his grandfather telling them to his mother in Irish. +He did not know Irish, but he was learning it at school, and all the +little boys he knew were learning it. In a little while he will know +enough stories of Finn and Oisin to tell them to his children some day. +It is the owners of the land whose children might never have known what +would give them so much happiness. But now they can read this book to +their children, and it will make Slieve-na-man, Allen, and Benbulben, +the great mountain that showed itself before me every day through all my +childhood and was yet unpeopled, and half the country-sides of south and +west, as populous with memories as are Dundealgan and Emain Macha and +Muirthemne; and after a while somebody may even take them to some famous +place and say, "This land where your fathers lived proudly and finely +should be dear and dear and again dear"; and perhaps when many names +have grown musical to their ears, a more imaginative love will have +taught them a better service. + + +X + +I need say nothing about the translation and arrangement of this book +except that it is worthy to be put beside "Cuchulain of Muirthemne." +Such books should not be commended by written words but by spoken words, +were that possible, for the written words commending a book, wherein +something is done supremely well, remain, to sound in the ears of a +later generation, like the foolish sound of church bells from the tower +of a church when every pew is full. + +W.B. YEATS. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +PART I. THE GODS + + Book I. The Coming of the Tuatha de Danaan + + Chap. I. The Fight with the Firbolgs + II. The Reign of Bres + + Book II. Lugh of the Long Hand + + Chap. I. The Coming of Lugh + II. The Sons of Tuireann + III. The Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh + IV. The Hidden House of Lugh + + Book III. The Coming of the Gael + + Chap. I. The Landing + II. The Battle of Tailltin + + Book IV. The Ever-Living Living Ones + + Chap. I. Bodb Dearg + II. The Dagda + III. Angus Og + IV. The Morrigu + V. Aine + VI. Aoibhell + VII. Midhir and Etain + VIII. Manannan + IX. Manannan at play + X. His Call to Bran + XI. His Three Calls to Cormac + XII. Cliodna's Wave + XIII. His Call to Connla + XIV. Tadg in Manannan's Islands + XV. Laegaire in the Happy Plain + + Book V. The Fate of The Children of Lir + + +PART II. THE FIANNA + + Book I. Finn, Son of Cumhal + + Chap. I. The Coming of Finn + II. Finn's Household + III. Birth of Bran + IV. Oisin's Mother + V. The Best Men of the Fianna + + Book II. Finn's Helpers + + Chap. I. The Lad of the Skins + II. Black, Brown, and Grey + III. The Hound + IV. Red Ridge + + Book III. The Battle of the White Strand + + Chap. I. The Enemies of Ireland + II. Cael and Credhe + III. Conn Crither + IV. Glas, Son of Dremen + V. The Help of the Men of Dea + VI. The March of the Fianna + VII. The First Fighters + VIII. The King of Ulster's Son + IX. The High King's Son + X. The King of Lochlann and his Sons + XI. Labran's Journey + XII. The Great Fight + XIII. Credhe's Lament + + Book IV. Huntings and Enchantments + + Chap. I. The King of Britain's Son + II. The Cave of Ceiscoran + III. Donn, Son of Midhir + IV. The Hospitality of Cuanna's House + V. Cat-Heads and Dog-Heads + VI. Lomna's Head + VII. Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh + VIII. The Cave of Cruachan + IX. The Wedding at Ceann Slieve + X. The Shadowy One + XI. Finn's Madness + XII. The Red Woman + XIII. Finn and the Phantoms + XIV. The Pigs of Angus + XV. The Hunt of Slieve Cuilinn + + Book V. Oisin's Children + + + Book VI. Diarmuid + + Chap. I. Birth of Diarmuid + II. How Diarmuid got his Love-Spot + III. The Daughter of King Under-Wave + IV. The Hard Servant + V. The House of the Quicken Trees + + Book VII. Diarmuid and Grania + + Chap. I. The Flight from Teamhair + II. The Pursuit + III. The Green Champions + IV. The Wood of Dubhros + V. The Quarrel + VI. The Wanderers + VII. Fighting and Peace + VIII. The Boar of Beinn Gulbain + + Book VIII. Cnoc-an-Air + + Chap. I. Tailc, Son of Treon + II. Meargach's Wife + III. Ailne's Revenge + + Book IX. The Wearing Away of the Fianna + + Chap. I. The Quarrel with the Sons of Morna + II. Death of Goll + III. The Battle of Gabhra + + Book X. The End of the Fianna + + Chap. I. Death of Bran + II. The Call of Oisin + III. The Last of the Great Men + + Book XI. Oisin and Patrick + + Chap. I. Oisin's Story + II. Oisin in Patrick's House + III. The Arguments + IV. Oisin's Laments + + + + +GODS AND FIGHTING MEN. + +PART ONE: THE GODS. + +BOOK ONE: THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN. + +CHAPTER I. THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRBOLGS + + +It was in a mist the Tuatha de Danaan, the people of the gods of Dana, +or as some called them, the Men of Dea, came through the air and the +high air to Ireland. + +It was from the north they came; and in the place they came from they +had four cities, where they fought their battle for learning: great +Falias, and shining Gorias, and Finias, and rich Murias that lay to the +south. And in those cities they had four wise men to teach their young +men skill and knowledge and perfect wisdom: Senias in Murias; and Arias, +the fair-haired poet, in Finias; and Urias of the noble nature in +Gorias; and Morias in Falias itself. And they brought from those four +cities their four treasures: a Stone of Virtue from Falias, that was +called the Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny; and from Gorias they brought +a Sword; and from Finias a Spear of Victory; and from Murias the fourth +treasure, the Cauldron that no company ever went away from unsatisfied. + +It was Nuada was king of the Tuatha de Danaan at that time, but +Manannan, son of Lir, was greater again. And of the others that were +chief among them were Ogma, brother to the king, that taught them +writing, and Diancecht, that understood healing, and Neit, a god of +battle, and Credenus the Craftsman, and Goibniu the Smith. And the +greatest among their women were Badb, a battle goddess; and Macha, whose +mast-feeding was the heads of men killed in battle; and the Morrigu, +the Crow of Battle; and Eire and Fodla and Banba, daughters of the +Dagda, that all three gave their names to Ireland afterwards; and Eadon, +the nurse of poets; and Brigit, that was a woman of poetry, and poets +worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was +a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it +was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the +night. And the one side of her face was ugly, but the other side was +very comely. And the meaning of her name was Breo-saighit, a fiery +arrow. And among the other women there were many shadow-forms and great +queens; but Dana, that was called the Mother of the Gods, was beyond +them all. + +And the three things they put above all others were the plough and the +sun and the hazel-tree, so that it was said in the time to come that +Ireland was divided between those three, Coll the hazel, and Cecht the +plough, and Grian the sun. + +And they had a well below the sea where the nine hazels of wisdom were +growing; that is, the hazels of inspiration and of the knowledge of +poetry. And their leaves and their blossoms would break out in the same +hour, and would fall on the well in a shower that raised a purple wave. +And then the five salmon that were waiting there would eat the nuts, and +their colour would come out in the red spots of their skin, and any +person that would eat one of those salmon would know all wisdom and all +poetry. And there were seven streams of wisdom that sprang from that +well and turned back to it again; and the people of many arts have all +drank from that well. + +It was on the first day of Beltaine, that is called now May Day, the +Tuatha de Danaan came, and it was to the north-west of Connacht they +landed. But the Firbolgs, the Men of the Bag, that were in Ireland +before them, and that had come from the South, saw nothing but a mist, +and it lying on the hills. + +Eochaid, son of Erc, was king of the Firbolgs at that time, and +messengers came to him at Teamhair, and told him there was a new race of +people come into Ireland, but whether from the earth or the skies or on +the wind was not known, and that they had settled themselves at Magh +Rein. + +They thought there would be wonder on Eochaid when he heard that news; +but there was no wonder on him, for a dream had come to him in the +night, and when he asked his Druids the meaning of the dream, it is what +they said, that it would not be long till there would be a strong enemy +coming against him. + +Then King Eochaid took counsel with his chief advisers, and it is what +they agreed, to send a good champion of their own to see the strangers +and to speak with them. So they chose out Sreng, that was a great +fighting man, and he rose up and took his strong red-brown shield, and +his two thick-handled spears, and his sword, and his head-covering, and +his thick iron club, and he set out from Teamhair, and went on towards +the place the strangers were, at Magh Rein. + +But before he reached it, the watchers of the Tuatha de Danaan got sight +of him, and they sent out one of their own champions, Bres, with his +shield and his sword and his two spears, to meet him and to talk with +him. + +So the two champions went one towards the other slowly, and keeping a +good watch on one another, and wondering at one another's arms, till +they came near enough for talking; and then they stopped, and each put +his shield before his body and struck it hard into the ground, and they +looked at one another over the rim. Bres was the first to speak, and +when Sreng heard it was Irish he was talking, his own tongue, he was +less uneasy, and they drew nearer, and asked questions as to one +another's family and race. + +And after a while they put their shields away, and it was what Sreng +said, that he had raised his in dread of the thin, sharp spears Bres had +in his hand. And Bres said he himself was in dread of the thick-handled +spears he saw with Sreng, and he asked were all the arms of the Firbolgs +of the same sort. And Sreng took off the tyings of his spears to show +them better, and Bres wondered at them, being so strong and so heavy, +and so sharp at the sides though they had no points. And Sreng told him +the name of those spears was Craisech, and that they would break through +shields and crush flesh and bones, so that their thrust was death or +wounds that never healed. And then he looked at the sharp, thin, +hard-pointed spears that were with Bres. And in the end they made an +exchange of spears, the way the fighters on each side would see the +weapons the others were used to. And it is the message Bres sent to the +Firbolgs, that if they would give up one half of Ireland, his people +would be content to take it in peace; but if they would not give up that +much, there should be a battle. And he and Sreng said to one another +that whatever might happen in the future, they themselves would be +friends. + +Sreng went back then to Teamhair and gave the message and showed the +spear; and it is what he advised his people, to share the country and +not to go into battle with a people that had weapons so much better than +their own. But Eochaid and his chief men consulted together, and they +said in the end: "We will not give up the half of the country to these +strangers; for if we do," they said, "they will soon take the whole." + +Now as to the Men of Dea, when Bres went back to them, and showed them +the heavy spear, and told them of the strong, fierce man he had got it +from, and how sturdy he was and well armed, they thought it likely there +would soon be a battle. And they went back from where they were to a +better place, farther west in Connacht, and there they settled +themselves, and made walls and ditches on the plain of Magh Nia, where +they had the great mountain, Belgata, in their rear. And while they were +moving there and putting up their walls, three queens of them, Badb and +Macha and the Morrigu, went to Teamhair where the Firbolgs were making +their plans. And by the power of their enchantments they brought mists +and clouds of darkness over the whole place, and they sent showers of +fire and of blood over the people, the way they could not see or speak +with one another through the length of three days. But at the end of +that time, the three Druids of the Firbolgs, Cesarn and Gnathach and +Ingnathach, broke the enchantment. + +The Firbolgs gathered their men together then, and they came with their +eleven battalions and took their stand at the eastern end of the plain +of Magh Nia. + +And Nuada, king of the Men of Dea, sent his poets to make the same offer +he made before, to be content with the half of the country if it was +given up to him. King Eochaid bade the poets to ask an answer of his +chief men that were gathered there; and when they heard the offer they +would not consent. So the messengers asked them when would they begin +the battle. "We must have a delay," they said; "for we want time to put +our spears and our armour in order, and to brighten our helmets and to +sharpen our swords, and to have spears made like the ones you have. And +as to yourselves," they said, "you will be wanting to have spears like +our Craisechs made for you." So they agreed then to make a delay of a +quarter of a year for preparation. + +It was on a Midsummer day they began the battle. Three times nine +hurlers of the Tuatha de Danaan went out against three times nine +hurlers of the Firbolgs, and they were beaten, and every one of them was +killed. And the king, Eochaid, sent a messenger to ask would they have +the battle every day or every second day. And it is what Nuada answered +that they would have it every day, but there should be just the same +number of men fighting on each side. Eochaid agreed to that, but he was +not well pleased, for there were more men of the Firbolgs than of the +Men of Dea. + +So the battle went on for four days, and there were great feats done on +each side, and a great many champions came to their death. But for those +that were alive at evening, the physicians on each side used to make a +bath of healing, with every sort of healing plant or herb in it, the way +they would be strong and sound for the next day's fight. + +And on the fourth day the Men of Dea got the upper hand, and the +Firbolgs were driven back. And a great thirst came on Eochaid, their +king, in the battle, and he went off the field looking for a drink, and +three fifties of his men protecting him; but three fifties of the Tuatha +de Danaan followed after them till they came to the strand that is +called Traigh Eothaile, and they had a fierce fight there, and at the +last King Eochaid fell, and they buried him there, and they raised a +great heap of stones over his grave. + +And when there were but three hundred men left of the eleven battalions +of the Firbolgs, and Sreng at the head of them, Nuada offered them +peace, and their choice among the five provinces of Ireland. And Sreng +said they would take Connacht; and he and his people lived there and +their children after them. It is of them Ferdiad came afterwards that +made such a good fight against Cuchulain, and Erc, son of Cairbre, that +gave him his death. And that battle, that was the first fought in +Ireland by the Men of Dea, was called by some the first battle of Magh +Tuireadh. + +And the Tuatha de Danaan took possession of Teamhair, that was sometimes +called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and Liathdruim, the Grey Ridge, +and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the Outlook, all those names were +given to Teamhair. And from that time it was above all other places, for +its king was the High King over all Ireland. The king's rath lay to the +north, and the Hill of the Hostages to the north-east of the High Seat, +and the Green of Teamhair to the west of the Hill of the Hostages. And +to the north-east, in the Hill of the Sidhe, was a well called Nemnach, +and out of it there flowed a stream called Nith, and on that stream the +first mill was built in Ireland. + +And to the north of the Hill of the Hostages was the stone, the Lia +Fail, and it used to roar under the feet of every king that would take +possession of Ireland. And the Wall of the Three Whispers was near the +House of the Women that had seven doors to the east, and seven doors to +the west; and it is in that house the feasts of Teamhair used to be +held. And there was the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, and near it, +to the south, the little Hill of the Woman Soldiers. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF BRES + + +But if Nuada won the battle, he lost his own arm in it, that was struck +off by Sreng; and by that loss there came troubles and vexation on his +people. + +For it was a law with the Tuatha de Danaan that no man that was not +perfect in shape should be king. And after Nuada had lost the battle he +was put out of the kingship on that account. + +And the king they chose in his place was Bres, that was the most +beautiful of all their young men, so that if a person wanted to praise +any beautiful thing, whether it was a plain, or a dun, or ale, or a +flame, or a woman, or a man, or a horse, it is what he would say, "It is +as beautiful as Bres." And he was the son of a woman of the Tuatha de +Danaan, but who his father was no one knew but herself. + +But in spite of Bres being so beautiful, his reign brought no great good +luck to his people; for the Fomor, whose dwelling-place was beyond the +sea, or as some say below the sea westward, began putting tribute on +them, the way they would get them under their own rule. + +It was a long time before that the Fomor came first to Ireland; dreadful +they were to look at, and maimed, having but one foot or one hand, and +they under the leadership of a giant and his mother. There never came to +Ireland an army more horrible or more dreadful than that army of the +Fomor. And they were friendly with the Firbolgs and content to leave +Ireland to them, but there was jealousy between them and the Men of Dea. + +And it was a hard tax they put on them, a third part of their corn they +asked, and a third part of their milk, and a third part of their +children, so that there was not smoke rising from a roof in Ireland but +was under tribute to them. And Bres made no stand against them, but let +them get their way. + +And as to Bres himself, he put a tax on every house in Ireland of the +milk of hornless dun cows, or of the milk of cows of some other single +colour, enough for a hundred men. And one time, to deceive him, Nechtan +singed all the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, and then he smeared +them with the ashes of flax seed, the way they were all dark brown. He +did that by the advice of the Druid Findgoll, son of Findemas. And +another time they made three hundred cows of wood with dark brown pails +in place of udders, and the pails were filled with black bog stuff. Then +Bres came to look at the cows, and to see them milked before him, and +Cian, father of Lugh, was there. And when they were milked it was the +bog stuff that was squeezed out; and Bres took a drink of it thinking it +to be milk, and he was not the better of it for a long time. + +And there was another thing against Bres; he was no way open-handed, and +the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan grumbled against him, for their +knives were never greased in his house, and however often they might +visit him there was no smell of ale on their breath. And there was no +sort of pleasure or merriment in his house, and no call for their poets, +or singers, or harpers, or pipers, or horn-blowers, or jugglers, or +fools. And as to the trials of strength they were used to see between +their champions, the only use their strength was put to now was to be +doing work for the king. Ogma himself, the shining poet, was under +orders to bring firing to the palace every day for the whole army from +the Islands of Mod; and he so weak for want of food that the sea would +sweep away two-thirds of his bundle every day. And as to the Dagda, he +was put to build raths, for he was a good builder, and he made a trench +round Rath Brese. And he used often to be tired at the work, and one +time he nearly gave in altogether for want of food, and this is the way +that happened. He used to meet in the house an idle blind man, Cridenbel +his name was, that had a sharp tongue, and that coveted the Dagda's +share of food, for he thought his own to be small beside it. So he said +to him: "For the sake of your good name let the three best bits of your +share be given to me." And the Dagda gave in to that every night; but he +was the worse of it, for what the blind man called a bit would be the +size of a good pig, and with his three bits he would take a full third +of the whole. + +But one day, as the Dagda was in the trench, he saw his son, Angus Og, +coming to him. "That is a good meeting," said Angus; "but what is on +you, for you have no good appearance to-day?" "There is a reason for +that," said the Dagda, "for every evening, Cridenbel, the blind man, +makes a demand for the three best bits of my share of food, and takes +them from me." "I will give you an advice," said Angus. He put his hand +in his bag then, and took out three pieces of gold and gave them to him. + +"Put these pieces of gold into the three bits you will give this evening +to Cridenbel," he said, "and they will be the best bits in the dish, and +the gold will turn within him the way he will die." + +So in the evening the Dagda did that; and no sooner had Cridenbel +swallowed down the gold than he died. Some of the people said then to +the king: "The Dagda has killed Cridenbel, giving him some deadly herb." +The king believed that, and there was anger on him against the Dagda, +and he gave orders he should be put to death. But the Dagda said: "You +are not giving the right judgment of a prince." And he told all that had +happened, and how Cridenbel used to say, "Give me the three best bits +before you, for my own share is not good to-night." "And on this +night," he said, "the three pieces of gold were the best things before +me, and I gave them to him, and he died." + +The king gave orders then to have the body cut open. And they found the +gold inside it, and they knew it was the truth the Dagda had told. + +And Angus came to him again the next day, and he said: "Your work will +soon be done, and when you are given your wages, take nothing they may +offer you till the cattle of Ireland are brought before you, and choose +out a heifer then, black and black-maned, that I will tell you the signs +of." + +So when the Dagda had brought his work to an end, and they asked him +what reward he wanted, he did as Angus had bidden him. And that seemed +folly to Bres; he thought the Dagda would have asked more than a heifer +of him. + +There came a day at last when a poet came to look for hospitality at the +king's house, Corpre, son of Etain, poet of the Tuatha de Danaan. And it +is how he was treated, he was put in a little dark narrow house where +there was no fire, or furniture, or bed; and for a feast three small +cakes, and they dry, were brought to him on a little dish. When he rose +up on the morrow he was no way thankful, and as he was going across the +green, it is what he said: "Without food ready on a dish; without milk +enough for a calf to grow on; without shelter; without light in the +darkness of night; without enough to pay a story-teller; may that be the +prosperity of Bres." + +And from that day there was no good luck with Bres, but it is going down +he was for ever after. And that was the first satire ever made in +Ireland. + +Now as to Nuada: after his arm being struck off, he was in his sickness +for a while, and then Diancecht, the healer, made an arm of silver for +him, with movement in every finger of it, and put it on him. And from +that he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand, for ever after. + +Now Miach, son of Diancecht, was a better hand at healing than his +father, and had done many things. He met a young man, having but one +eye, at Teamhair one time, and the young man said: "If you are a good +physician you will put an eye in the place of the eye I lost." "I could +put the eye of that cat in your lap in its place," said Miach. "I would +like that well," said the young man. So Miach put the cat's eye in his +head; but he would as soon have been without it after, for when he +wanted to sleep and take his rest, it is then the eye would start at the +squeaking of the mice, or the flight of the birds, or the movement of +the rushes; and when he was wanting to watch an army or a gathering, it +is then it was sure to be in a deep sleep. + +And Miach was not satisfied with what his father had done to the king, +and he took Nuada's own hand that had been struck off, and brought it to +him and set it in its place, and he said: "Joint to joint, and sinew to +sinew." Three days and three nights he was with the king; the first day +he put the hand against his side, and the second day against his breast, +till it was covered with skin, and the third day he put bulrushes that +were blackened in the fire on it, and at the end of that time the king +was healed. + +But Diancecht was vexed when he saw his son doing a better cure than +himself, and he threw his sword at his head, that it cut the flesh, but +the lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Then Diancecht threw it +a second time, that it reached the bone, but the lad was able to cure +the wound. Then he struck him the third time and the fourth, till he cut +out the brain, for he knew no physician could cure him after that blow; +and Miach died, and he buried him. + +And herbs grew up from his grave, to the number of his joints and +sinews, three hundred and sixty-five. And Airmed, his sister, came and +spread out her cloak and laid out the herbs in it, according to their +virtue. But Diancecht saw her doing that, and he came and mixed up the +herbs, so that no one knows all their right powers to this day. + +Then when the Tuatha de Danaan saw Nuada as well as he was before, they +gathered together to Teamhair, where Bres was, and they bade him give up +the kingship, for he had held it long enough. So he had to give it up, +though he was not very willing, and Nuada was put back in the kingship +again. + +There was great vexation on Bres then, and he searched his mind to know +how could he be avenged on those that had put him out, and how he could +gather an army against them; and he went to his mother, Eri, daughter of +Delbaith, and bade her tell him what his race was. + +"I know that well," she said; and she told him then that his father was +a king of the Fomor, Elathan, son of Dalbaech, and that he came to her +one time over a level sea in some great vessel that seemed to be of +silver, but she could not see its shape, and he himself having the +appearance of a young man with yellow hair, and his clothes sewed with +gold, and five rings of gold about his neck. And she that had refused +the love of all the young men of her own people, gave him her love, and +she cried when he left her. And he gave her a ring from his hand, and +bade her give it only to the man whose finger it would fit, and he went +away then the same way as he had come. + +And she brought out the ring then to Bres, and he put it round his +middle finger, and it fitted him well. And they went then together to +the hill where she was the time she saw the silver vessel coming, and +down to the strand, and she and Bres and his people set out for the +country of the Fomor. + +And when they came to that country they found a great plain with many +gatherings of people on it, and they went to the gathering that looked +the best, and the people asked where did they come from, and they said +they were come from Ireland. "Have you hounds with you?" they asked them +then, for it was the custom at that time, when strangers came to a +gathering, to give them some friendly challenge. "We have hounds," said +Bres. So the hounds were matched against one another, and the hounds of +the Tuatha de Danaan were better than the hounds of the Fomor. "Have you +horses for a race?" they asked then. "We have," said Bres. And the +horses of the Tuatha de Danaan beat the horses of the Fomor. + +Then they asked was any one among them a good hand with the sword, and +they said Bres was the best. But when he put his hand to his sword, +Elathan, his father, that was among them, knew the ring, and he asked +who was this young man. Then his mother answered him and told the whole +story, and that Bres was his own son. + +There was sorrow on his father then, and he said: "What was it drove you +out of the country you were king over?" And Bres said: "Nothing drove me +out but my own injustice and my own hardness; I took away their +treasures from the people, and their jewels, and their food itself. And +there were never taxes put on them before I was their king." + +"That is bad," said his father; "it is of their prosperity you had a +right to think more than of your own kingship. And their good-will +would be better than their curses," he said; "and what is it you are +come to look for here?" "I am come to look for fighting men," said Bres, +"that I may take Ireland by force." "You have no right to get it by +injustice when you could not keep it by justice," said his father. "What +advice have you for me then?" said Bres. + +And Elathan bade him go to the chief king of the Fomor, Balor of the +Evil Eye, to see what advice and what help would he give him. + + + + +BOOK TWO: LUGH OF THE LONG HAND. + +CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF LUGH + + +Now as to Nuada of the Silver Hand, he was holding a great feast at +Teamhair one time, after he was back in the kingship. And there were two +door-keepers at Teamhair, Gamal, son of Figal, and Camel, son of +Riagall. And a young man came to the door where one of them was, and +bade him bring him in to the king. "Who are you yourself?" said the +door-keeper. "I am Lugh, son of Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan, and of +Ethlinn, daughter of Balor, King of the Fomor," he said; "and I am +foster-son of Taillte, daughter of the King of the Great Plain, and of +Echaid the Rough, son of Duach." "What are you skilled in?" said the +door-keeper; "for no one without an art comes into Teamhair." "Question +me," said Lugh; "I am a carpenter." "We do not want you; we have a +carpenter ourselves, Luchtar, son of Luachaid." "Then I am a smith." "We +have a smith ourselves, Colum Cuaillemech of the Three New Ways." "Then +I am a champion." "That is no use to us; we have a champion before, +Ogma, brother to the king." "Question me again," he said; "I am a +harper." "That is no use to us; we have a harper ourselves, Abhean, son +of Bicelmos, that the Men of the Three Gods brought from the hills." "I +am-a poet," he said then, "and a teller of tales." "That is no use to +us; we have a teller of tales ourselves, Ere, son of Ethaman." "And I am +a magician." "That is no use to us; we have plenty of magicians and +people of power." "I am a physician," he said. "That is no use; we have +Diancecht-for our physician." "Let me be a cup-bearer," he said. "We do +not want you; we have nine cup-bearers ourselves." "I am a good worker +in brass." "We have a worker in brass ourselves, that is Credne Cerd." + +Then Lugh said: "Go and ask the king if he has any one man that can do +all these things, and if he has, I will not ask to come into Teamhair." +The door-keeper went into the king's house then and told him all that. +"There is a young man at the door," he said, "and his name should be the +Ildanach, the Master of all Arts, for all the things the people of your +house can do, he himself is able to do every one of them." "Try him with +the chess-boards," said Nuada. So the chess-boards were brought out, and +every game that was played, Lugh won it. And when Nuada was told that, +he said: "Let him in, for the like of him never came into Teamhair +before." + +Then the door-keeper let him pass, and he came into the king's house and +sat down in the seat of knowledge. And there was a great flag-stone +there that could hardly be moved by four times twenty yoke of oxen, and +Ogma took it up and hurled it out through the house, so that it lay on +the outside of Teamhair, as a challenge to Lugh. But Lugh hurled it back +again that it lay in the middle of the king's house. He played the harp +for them then, and he had them laughing and crying, till he put them +asleep at the end with a sleepy tune. And when Nuada saw all the things +Lugh could do, he began to think that by his help the country might get +free of the taxes and the tyranny put on it by the Fomor. And it is what +he did, he came down from his throne, and he put Lugh on it in his +place, for the length of thirteen days, the way they might all listen to +the advice he would give. + +This now is the story of the birth of Lugh. The time the Fomor used to +be coming to Ireland, Balor of the Strong Blows, or, as some called +him, of the Evil Eye, was living on the Island of the Tower of Glass. +There was danger for ships that went near that island, for the Fomor +would come out and take them. And some say the sons of Nemed in the old +time, before the Firbolgs were in Ireland, passed near it in their +ships, and what they saw was a tower of glass in the middle of the sea, +and on the tower something that had the appearance of men, and they went +against it with Druid spells to attack it. And the Fomor worked against +them with Druid spells of their own; and the sons of Nemed attacked the +tower, and it vanished, and they thought it was destroyed. But a great +wave rose over them then, and all their ships went down and all that +were in them. + +And the tower was there as it was before, and Balor living in it. And it +is the reason he was called "of the Evil Eye," there was a power of +death in one of his eyes, so that no person could look at it and live. +It is the way it got that power, he was passing one time by a house +where his father's Druids were making spells of death, and the window +being open he looked in, and the smoke of the poisonous spells was +rising up, and it went into his eye. And from that time he had to keep +it closed unless he wanted to be the death of some enemy, and then the +men that were with him would lift the eyelid with a ring of ivory. + +Now a Druid foretold one time that it was by his own grandson he would +get his death. And he had at that time but one child, a daughter whose +name was Ethlinn; and when he heard what the Druid said, he shut her up +in the tower on the island. And he put twelve women with her to take +charge of her and to guard her, and he bade them never to let her see a +man or hear the name of a man. + +So Ethlinn was brought up in the tower, and she grew to be very +beautiful; and sometimes she would see men passing in the currachs, and +sometimes she would see a man in her dreams. But when she would speak of +that to the women, they would give her no answer. + +So there was no fear on Balor, and he went on with war and robbery as he +was used, seizing every ship that passed by, and sometimes going over to +Ireland to do destruction there. + +Now it chanced at that time there were three brothers of the Tuatha de +Danaan living together in a place that was called Druim na Teine, the +Ridge of the Fire, Goibniu and Samthainn and Cian. Cian was a lord of +land, and Goibniu was the smith that had such a great name. Now Cian had +a wonderful cow, the Glas Gaibhnenn, and her milk never failed. And +every one that heard of her coveted her, and many had tried to steal her +away, so that she had to be watched night and day. + +And one time Cian was wanting some swords made, and he went to Goibniu's +forge, and he brought the Glas Gaibhnenn with him, holding her by a +halter. When he came to the forge his two brothers were there together, +for Samthainn had brought some steel to have weapons made for himself; +and Cian bade Samthainn to hold the halter while he went into the forge +to speak with Goibniu. + +Now Balor had set his mind for a long time on the Glas Gaibhnenn, but he +had never been able to get near her up to this time. And he was watching +not far off, and when he saw Samthainn holding the cow, he put on the +appearance of a little boy, having red hair, and came up to him and told +him he heard his two brothers that were in the forge saying to one +another that they would use all his steel for their own swords, and make +his of iron. "By my word," said Samthainn, "they will not deceive me so +easily. Let you hold the cow, little lad," he said, "and I will go in to +them." With that he rushed into the forge, and great anger on him. And +no sooner did Balor get the halter in his hand than he set out, dragging +the Glas along with him, to the strand, and across the sea to his own +island. + +When Cian saw his brother coming in he rushed out, and there he saw +Balor and the Glas out in the sea. And he had nothing to do then but to +reproach his brother, and to wander about as if his wits had left him, +not knowing what way to get his cow back from Balor. At last he went to +a Druid to ask an advice from him; and it is what the Druid told him, +that so long as Balor lived, the cow would never be brought back, for no +one would go within reach of his Evil Eye. + +Cian went then to a woman-Druid, Birog of the Mountain, for her help. +And she dressed him in a woman's clothes, and brought him across the sea +in a blast of wind, to the tower where Ethlinn was. Then she called to +the women in the tower, and asked them for shelter for a high queen she +was after saving from some hardship, and the women in the tower did not +like to refuse a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan, and they let her and her +comrade in. Then Birog by her enchantments put them all into a deep +sleep, and Cian went to speak with Ethlinn. And when she saw him she +said that was the face she had seen in her dreams. So she gave him her +love; but after a while he was brought away again on a blast of wind. + +And when her time came, Ethlinn gave birth to a son. And when Balor knew +that, he bade his people put the child in a cloth and fasten it with a +pin, and throw him into a current of the sea. And as they were carrying +the child across an arm of the sea, the pin dropped out, and the child +slipped from the cloth into the water, and they thought he was drowned. +But he was brought away by Birog of the Mountain, and she brought him to +his father Cian; and he gave him to be fostered by Taillte, daughter of +the King of the Great Plain. It is thus Lugh was born and reared. + +And some say Balor came and struck the head off Cian on a white stone, +that has the blood marks on it to this day; but it is likely it was some +other man he struck the head off, for it was by the sons of Tuireann +that Cian came to his death. + +And after Lugh had come to Teamhair, and made his mind up to join with +his father's people against the Fomor, he put his mind to the work; and +he went to a quiet place in Grellach Dollaid, with Nuada and the Dagda, +and with Ogma; and Goibniu and Diancecht were called to them there. A +full year they stopped there, making their plans together in secret, the +way the Fomor would not know they were going to rise against them till +such time as all would be ready, and till they would know what their +strength was. And it is from that council the place got the name +afterwards of "The Whisper of the Men of Dea." + +And they broke up the council, and agreed to meet again that day three +years, and every one of them went his own way, and Lugh went back to his +own friends, the sons of Manannan. + +And it was a good while after that, Nuada was holding a great assembly +of the people on the Hill of Uisnech, on the west side of Teamhair. And +they were not long there before they saw an armed troop coming towards +them from the east, over the plain; and there was a young man in front +of the troop, in command over the rest, and the brightness of his face +was like the setting sun, so that they were not able to look at him +because of its brightness. + +And when he came nearer they knew it was Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long +Hand, that had come back to them, and along with him were the Riders of +the Sidhe from the Land of Promise, and his own foster-brothers, the +sons of Manannan, Sgoith Gleigeil, the White Flower, and Goitne +Gorm-Shuileach, the Blue-eyed Spear, and Sine Sindearg, of the Red Ring, +and Donall Donn-Ruadh, of the Red-brown Hair. And it is the way Lugh +was, he had Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, of the One Mane, under him, +that was as swift as the naked cold wind of spring, and the sea was the +same as dry land to her, and the rider was never killed off her back. +And he had Manannan's breast-plate on him, that kept whoever was wearing +it from wounds, and a helmet on his head with two beautiful precious +stones set in the front of it and one at the back, and when he took it +off, his forehead was like the sun on a dry summer day. And he had +Manannan's sword, the Freagarthach, the Answerer, at his side, and no +one that was wounded by it would ever get away alive; and when that +sword was bared in a battle, no man that saw it coming against him had +any more strength than a woman in child-birth. + +And the troop came to where the King of Ireland was with the Tuatha de +Danaan, and they welcomed one another. + +And they were not long there till they saw a surly, slovenly troop +coming towards them, nine times nine of the messengers of the Fomor, +that were coming to ask rent and taxes from the men of Ireland; and the +names of the four that were the hardest and the most cruel were Eine and +Eathfaigh and Coron and Compar; and there was such great dread of these +four on the Tuatha de Danaan, that not one of them would so much as +punish his own son or his foster-son without leave from them. + +They came up then to where the King of Ireland was with the Riders of +the Sidhe, and the king and all the Tuatha de Danaan stood up before +them. And Lugh of the Long Hand said: "Why do you rise up before that +surly, slovenly troop, when you did not rise up before us?" + +"It is needful for us to do it," said the king; "for if there was but a +child of us sitting before them, they would not think that too small a +cause for killing him." "By my word," said Lugh, "there is a great +desire coming on me to kill themselves." "That is a thing would bring +harm on us," said the king, "for we would meet our own death and +destruction through it." "It is too long a time you have been under this +oppression," said Lugh. And with that he started up and made an attack +on the Fomor, killing and wounding them, till he had made an end of +eight nines of them, but he let the last nine go under the protection of +Nuada the king. "And I would kill you along with the others," he said, +"but I would sooner see you go with messages to your own country than my +own people, for fear they might get any ill-treatment." + +So the nine went back then till they came to Lochlann, where the men of +the Fomor were, and they told them the story from beginning to end, and +how a young well-featured lad had come into Ireland and had killed all +the tax-gatherers but themselves, "and it is the reason he let us off," +they said, "that we might tell you the story ourselves." + +"Do you know who is the young man?" said Balor of the Evil Eye then. + +"I know well," said Ceithlenn, his wife; "he is the son of your +daughter and mine. And it was foretold," she said, "that from the time +he would come into Ireland, we would never have power there again for +ever." + +Then the chief men of the Fomor went into a council, Eab, son of Neid, +and Seanchab, grandson of Neid, and Sital Salmhor, and Liath, son of +Lobais, and the nine poets of the Fomor that had learning and the gift +of foreknowledge, and Lobais the Druid, and Balor himself and his twelve +white-mouthed sons, and Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth, his queen. + +And it was just at that time Bres and his father Elathan were come to +ask help of the Fomor, and Bres said: "I myself will go to Ireland, and +seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor along with me, and I +will give battle to this Ildanach, this master of all arts, and I will +strike his head off and bring it here to you, to the green of Berbhe." +"It would be a fitting thing for you to do," said they all. "Let my +ships be made ready for me," said Bres, "and let food and provisions be +put in them." + +So they made no delay, but went and got the ships ready, and they put +plenty of food and drink in them, and the two swift Luaths were sent out +to gather the army to Bres. And when they were all gathered, they made +ready their armour and their weapons, and they set out for Ireland. + +And Balor the king followed them to the harbour, and he said: "Give +battle to that Ildanach, and strike off his head; and tie that island +that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying +water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not +one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time." + +Then they pushed out their ships and put up their painted sails, and +went out from the harbour on the untilled country, on the ridges of the +wide-lying sea, and they never turned from their course till they came +to the harbour of Eas Dara. And from that they sent out an army through +West Connacht and destroyed it altogether, through and through. And the +King of Connacht at that time was Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE SONS OF TUIREANN + + +And Lugh of the Long Hand was at that time at Teamhair with the King of +Ireland, and it was showed to him that the Fomor were after landing at +Eas Dara. And when he knew that, he made ready Manannan's horse, the +Aonbharr, at the time of the battle of the day and night; and he went +where Nuada the king was, and told him how the Fomor had landed at Eas +Dara and had spoiled Bodb Dearg's country; "and it is what I want," he +said, "to get help from you to give battle to them." But Nuada was not +minded to avenge the destruction that was done on Bodb Dearg and not on +himself, and Lugh was not well pleased with his answer, and he went +riding out of Teamhair westward. And presently he saw three armed men +coming towards him, his own father Cian, with his brothers Cu and +Ceithen, that were the three sons of Cainte, and they saluted him. "What +is the cause of your early rising?" they said. "It is good cause I have +for it," said Lugh, "for the Fomor are come into Ireland and have robbed +Bodb Dearg; and what help will you give me against them?" he said. + +"Each one of us will keep off a hundred from you in the battle," said +they. "That is a good help," said Lugh; "but there is a help I would +sooner have from you than that: to gather the Riders of the Sidhe to me +from every place where they are." + +So Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, and Cian set out northward, +and he did not stop till he reached the Plain of Muirthemne. And as he +was going across the plain he saw three armed men before him, that were +the three sons of Tuireann, son of Ogma. And it is the way it was +between the three sons of Tuireann and the three sons of Cainte, they +were in hatred and enmity towards one another, so that whenever they met +there was sure to be fighting among them. + +Then Cian said: "If my two brothers had been here it is a brave fight we +would make; but since they are not, it is best for me to fall back." +Then he saw a great herd of pigs near him, and he struck himself with a +Druid rod that put on him the shape of a pig of the herd, and he began +rooting up the ground like the rest. + +Then Brian, one of the sons of Tuireann, said to his brothers: "Did you +see that armed man that was walking the plain a while ago?" "We did see +him," said they. "Do you know what was it took him away?" said Brian. +"We do not know that," said they. "It is a pity you not to be keeping a +better watch over the plains of the open country in time of war," said +Brian; "and I know well what happened him, for he struck himself with +his Druid rod into the shape of a pig of these pigs, and he is rooting +up the ground now like any one of them; and whoever he is, he is no +friend to us." "That is bad for us," said the other two, "for the pigs +belong to some one of the Tuatha de Danaan, and even if we kill them +all, the Druid pig might chance to escape us in the end." + +"It is badly you got your learning in the city of learning," said Brian, +"when you cannot tell an enchanted beast from a natural beast." And +while he was saying that, he struck his two brothers with his Druid +rod, and he turned them into two thin, fast hounds, and they began to +yelp sharply on the track of the enchanted pig. + +And it was not long before the pig fell out from among the others, and +not one of the others made away but only itself, and it made for a wood, +and at the edge of the wood Brian gave a cast of his spear that went +through its body. And the pig cried out, and it said: "It is a bad thing +you have done to have made a cast at me when you knew me." "It seems to +me you have the talk of a man," said Brian. "I was a man indeed," said +he; "I am Cian, son of Cainte, and give me your protection now." "I +swear by the gods of the air," said Brian, "that if the life came back +seven times to you, I would take it from you every time." "If that is +so," said Cian, "give me one request: let me go into my own shape +again." "We will do that," said Brian, "for it is easier to me to kill a +man than a pig." + +So Cian took his own shape then, and he said: "Give me mercy now." "We +will not give it," said Brian. "Well, I have got the better of you for +all that," said Cian; "for if it was in the shape of a pig you had killed +me there would only be the blood money for a pig on me; but as it is in +my own shape you will kill me, there never was and never will be any +person killed for whose sake a heavier fine will be paid than for +myself. And the arms I am killed with," he said, "it is they will tell +the deed to my son." + +"It is not with weapons you will be killed, but with the stones lying on +the ground," said Brian. And with that they pelted him with stones, +fiercely and roughly, till all that was left of him was a poor, +miserable, broken heap; and they buried him the depth of a man's body in +the earth, and the earth would not receive that murder from them, but +cast it up again. Brian said it should go into the earth again, and they +put it in the second time, and the second time the earth would not take +it. And six times the sons of Tuireann buried the body, and six times it +was cast up again; but the seventh time it was put underground the earth +kept it. And then they went on to join Lugh of the Long Hand for the +battle. + +Now as to Lugh; upon parting with his father he went forward from +Teamhair westward, to the hills that were called afterwards Gairech and +Ilgairech, and to the ford of the Shannon that is now called Athluain, +and to Bearna nah-Eadargana, the Gap of Separation, and over Magh Luirg, +the Plain of Following, and to Corr Slieve na Seaghsa, the Round +Mountain of the Poet's Spring, and to the head of Sean-Slieve, and +through the place of the bright-faced Corann, and from that to Magh Mor +an Aonaigh, the Great Plain of the Fair, where the Fomor were, and the +spoils of Connacht with them. + +It is then Bres, son of Elathan, rose up and said: "It is a wonder to me +the sun to be rising in the west to-day, and it rising in the east every +other day." "It would be better for us it to be the sun," said the +Druids. "What else is it?" said he. "It is the shining of the face of +Lugh, son of Ethlinn," said they. + +Lugh came up to them then and saluted them. "Why do you come like a +friend to us?" said they. "There is good cause for that," he said, "for +there is but one half of me of the Tuatha de Danaan, and the other half +of yourselves. And give me back now the milch cows of the men of +Ireland," he said. "May early good luck not come to you till you get +either a dry or a milch cow here," said a man of them, and anger on him. + +But Lugh stopped near them for three days and three nights, and at the +end of that time the Riders of the Sidhe came to him. And Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, came with twenty-nine hundred men, and he said: + +"What is the cause of your delay in giving battle?" + +"Waiting for you I was," said Lugh. + +Then the kings and chief men of the men of Ireland took their armour on +them, and they raised the points of their spears over their heads, and +they made close fences of their shields. And they attacked their enemies +on Magh Mor an Aonaigh, and their enemies answered them, and they threw +their whining spears at one another, and when their spears were broken +they drew their swords from their blue-bordered sheaths and began to +strike at one another, and thickets of brown flames rose above them from +the bitterness of their many-edged weapons. + +And Lugh saw the battle pen where Bres, son of Elathan, was, and he made +a fierce attack on him and on the men that were guarding him, till he +had made an end of two hundred of them. + +When Bres saw that, he gave himself up to Lugh's protection. "Give me my +life this time," he said, "and I will bring the whole race of the Fomor +to fight it out with you in a great battle; and I bind myself to that, +by the sun and the moon, the sea and the land," he said. + +On that Lugh gave him his life, and then the Druids that were with him +asked his protection for themselves. "By my word," said Lugh, "if the +whole race of the Fomor went under my protection they would not be +destroyed by me." So then Bres and the Druids set out for their own +country. + +Now as to Lugh and the sons of Tuireann. After the battle of Magh Mor an +Aonaigh, he met two of his kinsmen and asked them did they see his +father in the fight. "We did not," said they. "I am sure he is not +living," said Lugh; "and I give my word," he said, "there will no food +or drink go into my mouth till I get knowledge by what death my father +died." + +Then he set out, and the Riders of the Sidhe after him, till they came +to the place where he and his father parted from one another, and from +that to the place where his father went into the shape of a pig when he +saw the sons of Tuireann. + +And when Lugh came to that place the earth spoke to him, and it said: +"It is in great danger your father was here, Lugh, when he saw the sons +of Tuireann before him, and it is into the shape of a pig he had to go, +but it is in his own shape they killed him." + +Then Lugh told that to his people, and he found the spot where his +father was buried, and he bade them dig there, the way he would know by +what death the sons of Tuireann had made an end of him. + +Then they raised the body out of the grave and looked at it, and it was +all one bed of wounds. And Lugh said: "It was the death of an enemy the +sons of Tuireann gave my dear father." And he gave him three kisses, and +it is what he said: "It is bad the way I am myself after this death, for +I can hear nothing with my ears, and I can see nothing with my eyes, and +there is not a living pulse in my heart, with grief after my father. And +you gods I worship," he said, "it is a pity I not to have come here the +time this thing was done. And it is a great thing that has been done +here," he said, "the people of the gods of Dana to have done treachery +on one another, and it is long they will be under loss by it and be +weakened by it. And Ireland will never be free from trouble from this +out, east and west," he said. + +Then they put Cian under the earth again, and after that there was +keening made over his grave, and a stone was raised on it, and his name +was written in Ogham, And Lugh said: "This hill will take its name from +Cian, although he himself is stripped and broken. And it was the sons of +Tuireann did this thing," he said, "and there will grief and anguish +fall on them from it, and on their children after them. And it is no +lying story I am telling you," he said; "and it is a pity the way I am, +and my heart is broken in my breast since Cian, the brave man, is not +living." + +Then he bade his people to go before him to Teamhair, "But do not tell +the story till I tell it myself," he said. + +And when Lugh came to Teamhair he sat in the high seat of the king, and +he looked about him and he saw the three sons of Tuireann. And those +were the three that were beyond all others at Teamhair at that time for +quickness and skill, for a good hand in battle, for beauty and an +honourable name. + +Then Lugh bade his people to shake the chain of silence, and they did +so, and they all listened. And Lugh said: "What are your minds fixed on +at this time, Men of Dea?" "On yourself indeed," said they. "I have a +question to ask of you," he said. "What is the vengeance each one of you +would take on the man that would kill your father?" + +There was great wonder on them when they heard that, and one of the +chief men among them said: "Tell us was it your own father that was +killed?" "It was indeed," said Lugh; "and I see now in this house," he +said, "the men that killed him, and they know themselves what way they +killed him better than I know it." Then the king said: "It is not a +death of one day only I would give the man that had killed my father, if +he was in my power, but to cut off one of his limbs from day to day till +I would make an end of him." All the chief men said the same, and the +sons of Tuireann like the rest. + +"There are making that answer," said Lugh, "the three men that killed my +father; and let them pay the fine for him now, since you are all +together in the one place. And if they will not," he said, "I will not +break the protection of the king's house, but they must make no attempt +to quit this house till they have settled with me." + +"If it was I myself had killed your father," said the king, "I would be +well content you to take a fine from me for him." + +"It is at us Lugh is saying all this," said the sons of Tuireann among +themselves. "Let us acknowledge the killing of his father to him," said +Iuchar and Iucharba. "I am in dread," said Brian, "that it is wanting an +acknowledgment from us he is, in the presence of all the rest, and that +he will not let us off with a fine afterwards." "It is best to +acknowledge it," said the others; "and let you speak it out since you +are the eldest." + +Then Brian, son of Tuireann, said: "It is at us you are speaking, Lugh, +for you are thinking we went against the sons of Cainte before now; and +we did not kill your father," he said, "but we will pay the fine for him +the same as if we did kill him." "I will take a fine from you that you +do not think of," said Lugh, "and I will say here what it is, and if it +is too much for you, I will let you off a share of it." "Let us hear it +from you," said they. "Here it is," said Lugh; "three apples, and the +skin of a pig, and a spear, and two horses, and a chariot, and seven +pigs, and a dog's whelp, and a cooking-spit, and three shouts on a hill. +That is the fine I am asking," he said; "and if it is too much for you, +a part of it will be taken off you presently, and if you do not think it +too much, then pay it" + +"It is not too much," said Brian, "or a hundred times of it would not be +too much. And we think it likely," he said, "because of its smallness +that you have some treachery towards us behind it." "I do not think it +too little of a fine," said Lugh; "and I give you the guarantee of the +Tuatha de Danaan I will ask no other thing, and I will be faithful to +you, and let you give the same pledge to me." "It is a pity you to ask +that," said Brian, "for our own pledge is as good as any pledge in the +world." "Your own pledge is not enough," said Lugh, "for it is often the +like of you promised to pay a fine in this way, and would try to back +out of it after." + +So then the sons of Tuireann bound themselves by the King of Ireland, +and by Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and by the chief men of the Tuatha +de Danaan, that they would pay that fine to Lugh. + +"It would be well for me now," said Lugh, "to give you better knowledge +of the fine." "It would be well indeed," said they. + +"This is the way of it then," said Lugh. "The three apples I asked of +you are the three apples from the Garden in the East of the World, and +no other apples will do but these, for they are the most beautiful and +have most virtue in them of the apples of the whole world. And it is +what they are like, they are of the colour of burned gold, and they are +the size of the head of a child a month old, and there is the taste of +honey on them, and they do not leave the pain of wounds or the vexation +of sickness on any one that eats them, and they do not lessen by being +eaten for ever. And the skin I asked of you," he said, "is the pig skin +of Tuis, King of Greece, and it heals all the wounds and all the +sickness of the world, and whatever danger a man may be in, if it can +but overtake the life in him, it will cure him; and it is the way it was +with that pig, every stream of water it would go through would be turned +into wine to the end of nine days after, and every wound it touched was +healed; and it is what the Druids of Greece said, that it is not in +itself this virtue was, but in the skin, and they skinned it, and the +skin is there ever since. And I think, too, it will not be easy for you +to get it, with or without leave." + +"And do you know what is the spear I am asking of you?" he said. "We do +not," said they. "It is a very deadly spear belonging to the King of +Persia, the Luin it is called, and every choice thing is done by it, and +its head is kept steeped in a vessel of water, the way it will not burn +down the place where it is, and it will be hard to get it. And do you +know what two horses and what chariot I am asking of you? They are the +chariot and the two wonderful horses of Dobar, King of Siogair, and the +sea is the same as land to them, and there are no faster horses than +themselves, and there is no chariot equal to that one in shape and in +strength. + +"And do you know what are the seven pigs I asked of you? They are the +pigs of Easal, King of the Golden Pillars; and though they are killed +every night, they are found alive again the next day, and there will be +no disease or no sickness on any person that will eat a share of them. + +"And the whelp I asked of you is Fail-Inis, the whelp belonging to the +King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country. And all the wild beasts of the world +would fall down at the sight of her, and she is more beautiful than the +sun in his fiery wheels, and it will be hard to get her. + +"And the cooking-spit I asked of you is a spit of the spits of the women +of Inis Cenn-fhinne, the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair. And the three +shouts you are to give on a hill must be given on the Hill of Miochaoin +in the north of Lochlann. And Miochaoin and his sons are under bonds not +to allow any shouts to be given on that hill; and it was with them my +father got his learning, and if I would forgive you his death, they +would not forgive you. And if you get through all your other voyages +before you reach to them, it is my opinion they themselves will avenge +him on you. And that is the fine I have asked of you," said Lugh. + +There was silence and darkness on the sons of Tuireann when they heard +that. And they went to where their father was, and told him the fine +that had been put on them. "It is bad news that is," said Tuireann; "and +it is to your death and your destruction you will be going, looking for +those things. But for all that, if Lugh himself had a mind to help you, +you could work out the fine, and all the men of the world could not do +it but by the power of Manannan or of Lugh. Go then and ask the loan of +Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, from Lugh, and if he has any wish to get +the fine, he will give it to you; but if he does not wish it he will say +the horse is not his, and that he would not give the loan of a loan. Ask +him then for the loan of Manannan's curragh, the Scuabtuinne, the +Sweeper of the Waves. And he will give that, for he is under bonds not +to refuse a second request, and the curragh is better for you than the +horse," he said. + +So the sons of Tuireann went to where Lugh was, and they saluted him, +and they said they could not bring him the fine without his own help, +and for that reason it would be well for them to get a loan of the +Aonbharr. "I have that horse only on loan myself," said Lugh, "and I +will not give a loan of a loan." + +"If that is so, give us the loan of Manannan's curragh," said Brian. "I +will give that," said Lugh. "What place is it?" said they. "At Brugh na +Boinn," said Lugh. + +Then they went back again to where Tuireann was, and his daughter Ethne, +their sister, with him, and they told him they had got the curragh. "It +is not much the better you will be for it," said Tuireann, "although +Lugh would like well to get every part of this fine he could make use of +before the battle with the Fomor. But he would like yourselves to come +to your death looking for it." + +Then they went away, and they left Tuireann sorrowful and lamenting, and +Ethne went with them to where the curragh was. And Brian got into it, +and he said: "There is place but for one other person along with me +here." And he began to find fault with its narrowness. "You ought not to +be faulting the curragh," said Ethne; "and O my dear brother," she said, +"it was a bad thing you did, to kill the father of Lugh of the Long +Hand; and whatever harm may come to you from it, it is but just." "Do +not say that, Ethne," they said, "for we are in good heart, and we will +do brave deeds. And we would sooner be killed a hundred times over," +they said, "than to meet with the death of cowards." "My grief," said +Ethne, "there is nothing more sorrowful than this, to see you driven out +from your own country." + +Then the three pushed out their curragh from the beautiful clear-bayed +shore of Ireland. "What course shall we take first?" said they. "We will +go look for the apples," said Brian, "as they were the first thing we +were bade bring. And so we ask of you, curragh of Manannan that is under +us, to sail to the Garden in the East of the World." + +And the curragh did not neglect that order, but it sailed forward over +the green-sided waves and deep places till it came to its harbour in the +east of the world. + +And then Brian asked his brothers: "What way have you a mind to get into +the garden? for I think," he said, "the king's champions and the +fighting men of the country are always guarding it, and the king himself +is chief over them." "What should we do," said his brothers, "but to +make straight at them and attack them, and bring away the apples or fall +ourselves, since we cannot escape from these dangers that are before us +without meeting our death in some place." "It would be better," said +Brian, "the story of our bravery and our craftiness to be told and to +live after us, than folly and cowardice to be told of us. And what is +best for us to do now," he said, "is to go in the shape of swift hawks +into the garden, and the watchers have but their light spears to throw +at us, and let you take good care to keep out of their reach; and after +they have thrown them all, make a quick flight to the apples and let +each of you bring away an apple of them in your claws, and I will bring +away the third." + +They said that was a good advice, and Brian struck himself and the +others with his Druid rod, and changed them into beautiful hawks. And +they flew towards the garden, and the watchers took notice of them and +shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts, +but the hawks kept out of their reach as Brian had bade them, till all +the spears were spent, and then they swept down bravely on the apples, +and brought them away with them, without so much as a wound. + +And the news went through the city and the whole district, and the king +had three wise, crafty daughters, and they put themselves into the shape +of three ospreys, and they followed the hawks to the sea, and sent +flashes of lightning before them and after them, that scorched them +greatly. + +"It is a pity the way we are now," said the sons of Tuireann, "for we +will be burned through and through with this lightning if we do not get +some relief." "If I can give you relief I will do it," said Brian. With +that he struck himself and his brothers with the Druid rod, and they +were turned into three swans, and they went down quickly into the sea, +and the ospreys went away from them then, and the sons of Tuireann went +into their boat. + +After that they consulted together, and it is what they agreed, to go to +Greece and to bring away the skin of the pig, with or without leave. So +they went forward till they came near to the court of the King of +Greece. + +"What appearance should we put on us going in here?" said Brian. "What +appearance should we go in with but our own?" said the others. "That is +not what I think best," said Brian; "but to go in with the appearance of +poets from Ireland, the way the high people of Greece will hold us in +respect and in honour." "It would be hard for us to do that," they said, +"and we without a poem, and it is little we know how to make one." + +However, they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they knocked at the +door of the court, and the door-keeper asked who was in it. "We are +poets of Ireland," said Brian, "and we are come with a poem to the +king." + +The door-keeper went in and told the king that there were poets from +Ireland at the door. "Let them in," said the king, "for it is in search +of a good man they came so far from their own country." And the king +gave orders that everything should be well set out in the court, the way +they would say they had seen no place so grand in all their travels. + +The sons of Tuireann were let in then, having the appearance of poets, +and they fell to drinking and pleasure without delay; and they thought +they had never seen, and there was not in the world, a court so good as +that or so large a household, or a place where they had met with better +treatment. + +Then the king's poets got up to give out their poems and songs. And then +Brian, son of Tuireann, bade his brothers to say a poem for the king. +"We have no poem," said they; "and do not ask any poem of us, but the +one we know before, and that is to take what we want by the strength of +our hand if we are the strongest, or to fall by those that are against +us if they are the strongest." "That is not a good way to make a poem," +said Brian. And with that he rose up himself and asked a hearing. And +they all listened to him, and it is what he said: + +"O Tuis, we do not hide your fame; we praise you as the oak among kings; +the skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I ask for +it. + +"The war of a neighbour against an ear; the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him; he who gives us what he owns, his court will not be +the scarcer for it. + +"A raging army and a sudden sea are a danger to whoever goes against +them. The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness, this is the reward I +ask, O Tuis." + +"That is a good poem," said the king; "but I do not know a word of its +meaning." "I will tell you its meaning," said Brian. "'O Tuis, we do not +hide your fame; we praise you as the oak above the kings.' That is, as +the oak is beyond the kingly trees of the wood, so are you beyond the +kings of the world for open-handedness and for grandeur. + +"'The skin of a pig, bounty without hardness.' That is, the skin of a +pig you own is what I would wish to get from you as a reward for my +poem. + +"'The war of a neighbour against an ear, the fair ear of his neighbour +will be against him.' That is, you and I will be by the ears about the +skin, unless I get it with your consent. + +"And that is the meaning of the poem," said Brian. + +"I would praise your poem," said the king, "if there was not so much +about my pig-skin in it; and you have no good sense, man of poetry," he +said, "to be asking that thing of me, and I would not give it to all +the poets and the learned men and the great men of the world, since they +could not take it away without my consent. But I will give you three +times the full of the skin of gold as the price of your poem," he said. + +"May good be with you, king," said Brian, "and I know well it was no +easy thing I was asking, but I knew I would get a good ransom for it. +And I am that covetous," he said, "I will not be satisfied without +seeing the gold measured myself into the skin." + +The king sent his servants with them then to the treasure-house to +measure the gold. "Measure out the full of it to my brothers first," +said Brian, "and then give good measure to myself, since it was I made +the poem." + +But when the skin was brought out, Brian made a quick sudden snatch at +it with his left hand, and drew his sword and made a stroke at the man +nearest him, and made two halves of him. And then he kept a hold of the +skin and put it about himself, and the three of them rushed out of the +court, cutting down every armed man before them, so that not one escaped +death or wounding. And then Brian went to where the king himself was, +and the king made no delay in attacking him, and they made a hard fight +of it, and at the end the King of Greece fell by the hand of Brian, son +of Tuireann. + +The three brothers rested for a while after that, and then they said +they would go and look for some other part of the fine. "We will go to +Pisear, King of Persia," said Brian, "and ask him for the spear." + +So they went into their boat, and they left the blue streams of the +coast of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have the apples +and the skin." And they stopped nowhere till they came to the borders of +Persia. + +"Let us go to the court with the appearance of poets," said Brian, "the +same as we went to the King of Greece." "We are content to do that," +said the others, "as all turned out so well the last time we took to +poetry; not that it is easy for us to take to a calling that does not +belong to us." + +So they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they were as well treated +as they were at the other court; and when the time came for poems Brian +rose up, and it is what he said: + +"It is little any spear looks to Pisear; the battles of enemies are +broken, it is not too much for Pisear to wound every one of them. + +"A yew, the most beautiful of the wood, it is called a king, it is not +bulky. May the spear drive on the whole crowd to their wounds of death." + +"That is a good poem," said the king, "but I do not understand why my +own spear is brought into it, O Man of Poetry from Ireland." + +"It is because it is that spear of your own I would wish to get as the +reward of my poem," said Brian. "It is little sense you have to be +asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my court never +showed greater respect for poetry than now, when they did not put you to +death on the spot." + +When Brian heard that talk from the king, he thought of the apple that +was in his hand, and he made a straight cast and hit him in the +forehead, so that his brains were put out at the back of his head, and +he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the +other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help +bravely till they had made an end of all they met of the people of the +court. And then they found the spear, and its head in a cauldron of +water, the way it would not set fire to the place. + +And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look for the +rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one another what +way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of Siogair," +said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses and the chariot the +Ildanach asked of us." + +They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and it is proud +the three champions were after all they had done. And they went on till +they were come to the court of the King of Siogair. + +"It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with the +appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make friends with +the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the +chariot are kept." And when they had settled on that they went forward +to the lawn before the king's house. + +The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and came through +the fair that was going on there, and they saluted the king, and he +asked who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they +said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it +your wish to stop with me for a while?" said the king. "That is what we +are wanting," said they. So then they made an agreement and took service +with him. + +They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they never saw +the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is a bad way we are +in, to have no more news of the horses now than the first day we came to +the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us +do this," said Brian, "let us take our arms and gather our things +together, and go to the king and tell him we will leave the country and +this part of the world unless he will show us those horses." + +So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them what did they +mean by getting themselves ready for a journey. "You will hear that, +high king," said Brian; "it is because trained fighting men from +Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in them by the kings they +guard, and we are used to be told the secrets and the whispers of any +person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we +came to you. For you have two horses and a chariot that are the best in +the world, as we have been told, and we have not been given a sight of +them yet." "It would be a pity you to go on that account," said the +king, "when I would have showed them to you the first day, if I had +known you had a wish to see them. And if you have a mind to see them +now," he said, "you may see them; for I think there never came soldiers +from Ireland to this place that were thought more of by myself and by my +people than yourselves." + +He sent for the horses then, and they were yoked to the chariot, and +their going was as fast as the cold spring wind, and the sea was the +same as the land to them. + +And Brian was watching the horses closely, and on a sudden he took hold +of the chariot and took the chariot driver out and dashed him against +the nearest rock, and made a leap into his place himself, and made a +cast of the Persian spear at the king, that went through his heart. And +then he and his brothers scattered the people before them, and brought +away the chariot. + +"We will go now to Easal, the King of the Golden Pillars," said Brian, +"to look for the seven pigs the Ildanach bade us bring him." + +They sailed on then without delay or drawback to that high country. And +it is the way the people of that country were, watching their harbours +for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told +in all parts, how they had been sent out of Ireland by force, and how +they were bringing away with them all the gifted treasures of the whole +world. + +Easal came to the edge of the harbour to meet them, and he asked was it +true what he heard, that the king of every country they had gone to had +fallen by them. Brian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to +them for it. "What was it made you do that?" said Easal. Brian told him +then it was the oppression and the hard sentence of another had put them +to it; and he told him all that had happened, and how they had put down +all that offered to stand against them until that time. + +"What did you come to this country now for?" said the king. "For the +pigs belonging to yourself," said Brian; "for to bring them away with us +is a part of the fine." "What way do you think to get them?" said the +king. "If we get them with good-will," said Brian, "we are ready to take +them thankfully; and if we do not, we are ready to do battle with +yourself and your people on the head of them, that you may fall by us, +and we may bring away the pigs in spite of you." "If that is to be the +end of it," said the king, "it would be a pity to bring my people into a +battle." "It would be a pity indeed," said Brian. + +Then the king whispered and took advice with his people about the +matter, and it is what they agreed, to give up the pigs of their own +free will to the sons of Tuireann, since they could not see that any one +had been able to stand against them up to that time. + +Then the sons of Tuireann gave their thanks to Easal, and there was +wonder on them to have got the pigs like that, when they had to fight +for every other part of the fine. And more than that, they had left a +share of their blood in every other place till then. + +Easal brought them to his own house that night, and they were served +with food, and drink, and good beds, and all they could wish for. And +they rose up on the morrow and came into the king's presence, and the +pigs were given to them. "It is well you have done by us, giving us +these pigs," said Brian, "for we did not get any share of the fine +without fighting but these alone." And he made a poem for the king then, +praising him, and putting a great name on him for what he had done. + +"What journey are you going to make now, sons of Tuireann?" said Easal. +"We are going," they said, "to the country of Ioruaidh, on account of a +whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said Easal, "and that is to +bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh, for a daughter of mine is his +wife, and I would wish to persuade him to give you the whelp without a +battle." "That will please us well," they said. + +So the king's ship was made ready, and we have no knowledge of what +happened till they came to the delightful, wonderful coast of Ioruaidh. +The people and the armies were watching the harbours and landing-places +before them, and they knew them at once and shouted at them. + +Then Easal went on shore peaceably, and he went to where his son-in-law, +the king, was, and told him the story of the sons of Tuireann from +beginning to end. "What has brought them to this country?" said the King +of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you have," said Easal. "It was a bad +thought you had coming with them to ask it," said the king, "for the +gods have not given that much luck to any three champions in the world, +that they would get my hound by force or by good-will." "It would be +better for you to let them have the hound," said Easal, "since they have +put down so many of the kings of the world." + +But all he could say was only idleness to the king. So he went then to +where the sons of Tuireann were, and gave them the whole account. And +when they heard the king's answer, they made no delay, but put quick +hands on their arms, and offered to give battle to the army of Ioruaidh. +And when they met, there was a brave battle fought on both sides. And as +for the sons of Tuireann, they began to kill and to strike at the men of +Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar +and Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the +other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was before +Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of Ioruaidh in the +battle pen where he was. And then the two brave champions began a fierce +fight together, and they did not spare one another in it. And at the +last Brian overcame the king, and bound him, and brought him through the +middle of the army, till he came to the place where Easal was, and it is +what he said: "There is your son-in-law for you, and I swear by my hand +of valour, I would think it easier to kill him three times than to bring +him to you once like this." + +So then the whelp was given to the sons of Tuireann, and the king was +unbound, and peace was made between them. And when they had brought all +this to an end, they bade farewell to Easal and to all the rest. + +Now as to Lugh of the Long Hand, it was showed to him that the sons of +Tuireann had got all the things that were wanting to him against the +battle with the Fomor; and on that he sent a Druid spell after them to +put forgetfulness on them of the rest of the fine that they had not got. +And he put a great desire and longing on them to go back to Ireland; so +they forgot that a part of the fine was wanting to them, and they turned +back again toward home. + +And it is the place where Lugh was at the time, at a gathering of the +people for a fair on the green outside Teamhair, and the King of Ireland +along with him. And it was made known to Lugh that the sons of Tuireann +were landed at Brugh na Boinn. And he went into the city of Teamhair, +and shut the gate after him, and he put on Manannan's smooth armour, and +the cloak, of the daughters of Flidais, and he took his own arms in his +hand. + +And the sons of Tuireann came where the king was, and they were made +welcome by him and by the Tuatha de Danaan. And the king asked them did +they get the fine. "We did get it," said they; "and where is Lugh till +we give it to him?" "He was here a while ago," said the king. And the +whole fair was searched for him, but he was not found. + +"I know the place where he is," said Brian; "for it has been made known +to him that we are come to Ireland, and these deadly arms with us, and +he is gone into Teamhair to avoid us." + +Messengers were sent to him then, and it is the answer he gave them that +he would not come, but that the fine should be given to the king. + +So the sons of Tuireann did that, and when the king had taken the fine +they all went to the palace in Teamhair; and Lugh came out on the lawn +and the fine was given to him, and it is what he said: "There is a good +payment here for any one that ever was killed or that ever will be +killed. But there is something wanting to it yet that it is not lawful +to leave out. And where is the cooking-spit?" he said; "and where are +the three shouts on the hill that you did not give yet?" + +And when the sons of Tuireann heard that there came clouds of weakness +on them. And they left the place and went to their father's house that +night, and they told him all they had done, and the way Lugh had treated +them. + +There was grief and darkness on Tuireann then, and they spent the night +together. And on the morrow they went to their ship, and Ethne, their +sister, with them, and she was crying and lamenting, and it is what she +said: + +"It is a pity, Brian of my life, it is not to Teamhair your going is, +after all the troubles you have had before this, even if I could not +follow you. + +"O Salmon of the dumb Boinn, O Salmon of the Life River, since I cannot +keep you here I am loath to part from you. + +"O Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh, the man that stands best in the fight, +if you come back again, I think it will not be pleasing to your enemy. + +"Is there pity with you for the sons of Tuireann leaning now on their +green shields? Their going is a cause for pity, my mind is filled up +with it. + +"You to be to-night at Beinn Edair till the heavy coming of the morning, +you who have taken forfeits from brave men, it is you have increased our +grief. + +"It is a pity your journey is from Teamhair, and from the pleasant +plains, and from great Uisnech of Midhe; there is nothing so pitiful as +this." + +After that complaint they went out on the rough waves of the green sea; +and they were a quarter of a year on the sea without getting any news of +the island. + +Then Brian put on his water dress and he made a leap, and he was a long +time walking in the sea looking for the Island of the Fair-Haired Women, +and he found it in the end. And he went looking for the court, and when +he came to it, all he found was a troop of women doing needlework and +embroidering borders. And among all the other things they had with them, +there was the cooking-spit. + +And when Brian saw it, he took it up in his hand and he was going to +bring it with him to the door. And all the women began laughing when +they saw him doing that, and it is what they said: "It is a brave deed +you put your hand to; for even if your brothers were along with you, the +least of the three times fifty women of us would not let the spit go +with you or with them. But for all that," they said, "take a spit of the +spits with you, since you had the daring to try and take it in spite of +us." + +Brian bade them farewell then, and went to look for the boat. And his +brothers thought it was too long he was away from them, and just as they +were going to leave the place they were, they saw him coming towards +them, and that raised their courage greatly. + +And he went into the boat, and they went on to look for the Hill of +Miochaoin. And when they came there, Miochaoin, that was the guardian of +the hill, came towards them; and when Brian saw him he attacked him, and +the fight of those two champions was like the fight of two lions, till +Miochaoin fell at the last. + +And after Miochaoin had fallen, his three sons came out to fight with +the three sons of Tuireann. And if any one ever came from the east of +the world to look at any fight, it is to see the fight of these +champions he had a right to come, for the greatness of their blows and +the courage of their minds. The names of the sons of Miochaoin were Core +and Conn and Aedh, and they drove their three spears through the bodies +of the sons of Tuireann, and that did not discourage them at all and +they put their own three spears through the bodies of the sons of +Miochaoin, so that they fell into the clouds and the faintness of death. + +And then Brian said: "What way are you now, my dear brothers?" "We are +near our death," said they. "Let us rise up," he said, "and give three +shouts upon the hill, for I see the signs of death coming on us." "We +are not able to do that," said they. Then Brian rose up and raised each +of them with one hand, and he shedding blood heavily all the time, +until they gave the three shouts. + +After that Brian brought them with him to the boat, and they were +travelling the sea for a long time, but at last Brian said: "I see Beinn +Edair and our father's dun, and Teamhair of the Kings." "We would have +our fill of health if we could see that," said the others; "and for the +love of your good name, brother," they said, "raise up our heads on your +breast till we see Ireland again, and life or death will be the same to +us after that. And O Brian," they said, "Flame of Valour without +treachery, we would sooner death to bring ourselves away, than to see +you with wounds upon your body, and with no physician to heal you." + +Then they came to Beinn Edair, and from that they went on to their +father's house, and Brian said to Tuireann: "Go, dear father, to +Teamhair, and give this spit to Lugh, and bring the skin that has +healing in it for our relief. Ask it from him for the sake of +friendship," he said, "for we are of the one blood, and let him not give +hardness for hardness. And O dear father," he said, "do not be long on +your journey, or you will not find us alive before you." + +Then Tuireann went to Teamhair, and he found Lugh of the Long Hand +before him, and he gave him the spit, and he asked the skin of him to +heal his children, and Lugh said he would not give it And Tuireann came +back to them and told them he had not got the skin. And Brian said: +"Bring me with you to Lugh, to see would I get it from him." + +So they went to Lugh, and Brian asked the skin of him. And Lugh said he +would not give it, and that if they would give him the breadth of the +earth in gold for it, he would not take it from them, unless he was sure +their death would come on them in satisfaction for the deed they had +done. + +When Brian heard that, he went to the place his two brothers were, and +he lay down between them, and his life went out from him, and out from +the other two at the same time. + +And their father cried and lamented over his three beautiful sons, that +had the making of a king of Ireland in each of them, and his strength +left him and he died; and they were buried in the one grave. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE GREAT BATTLE OF MAGH TUIREADH + + +And it was not long after Lugh had got the fine from the sons of +Tuireann that the Fomor came and landed at Scetne. + +The whole host of the Fomor were come this time, and their king, Balor, +of the Strong Blows and of the Evil Eye, along with them; and Bres, and +Indech, son of De Domnann, a king of the Fomor, and Elathan, son of +Lobos, and Goll and Ingol, and Octriallach, son of Indech, and Elathan, +son of Delbaeth. + +Then Lugh sent the Dagda to spy out the Fomor, and to delay them till +such time as the men of Ireland would come to the battle. + +So the Dagda went to their camp, and he asked them for a delay, and they +said he might have that. And then to make sport of him, the Fomor made +broth for him, for he had a great love for broth. So they filled the +king's cauldron with four times twenty gallons of new milk, and the same +of meal and fat, and they put in goats and sheep and pigs along with +that, and boiled all together, and then they poured it all out into a +great hole in the ground. And they called him to it then, and told him +he should eat his fill, the way the Fomor would not be reproached for +want of hospitality the way Bres was. "We will make an end of you if +you leave any part of it after you," said Indech, son of De Domnann. + +So the Dagda took the ladle, and it big enough for a man and a woman to +lie in the bowl of it, and he took out bits with it, the half of a +salted pig, and a quarter of lard a bit would be. "If the broth tastes +as well as the bits taste, this is good food," he said. And he went on +putting the full of the ladle into his mouth till the hole was empty; +and when all was gone he put down his hand and scraped up all that was +left among the earth and the gravel. + +Sleep came on him then after eating the broth, and the Fomor were +laughing at him, for his belly was the size of the cauldron of a great +house. But he rose up after a while, and, heavy as he was, he made his +way home; and indeed his dress was no way sightly, a cape to the hollow +of the elbows, and a brown coat, long in the breast and short behind, +and on his feet brogues of horse hide, with the hair outside, and in his +hand a wheeled fork it would take eight men to carry, so that the track +he left after him was deep enough for the boundary ditch of a province. +And on his way he saw the Battle-Crow, the Morrigu, washing herself in +the river Unius of Connacht, and one of her two feet at Ullad Echne, to +the south of the water, and the other at Loscuinn, to the north of the +water, and her hair hanging in nine loosened locks. And she said to the +Dagda, that she would bring the heart's blood of Indech, son of De +Domnann, that had threatened him, to the men of Ireland. + +And while he was away Lugh had called together the Druids, and smiths, +and physicians, and law-makers, and chariot-drivers of Ireland, to make +plans for the battle. + +And he asked the great magician Mathgen what could he do to help them. +"It is what I can do," said Mathgen, "through my power I can throw down +all the mountains of Ireland on the Fomor, until their tops will be +rolling on the ground. And the twelve chief mountains of Ireland will +bring you their help," he said, "and will fight for you: Slieve Leag and +Denda Ulad, and Bennai Boirche and Bri Ruri, and Slieve Bladma and +Slieve Snechtae, and Slieve Mis and Blai-Slieve, and Nemthann and Slieve +Macca Belgodon, and Segois and Cruachan Aigle." + +Then he asked the cup-bearers what help they could give. "We will put a +strong thirst on the Fomor," they said, "and then we will bring the +twelve chief lochs of Ireland before them, and however great their +thirst may be, they will find no water in them: Derc-Loch, Loch +Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, +Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, Mor-Loch. And we will +go," they said, "to the twelve chief rivers of Ireland: the Buas, the +Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the +Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech, the Siuir; and they will +all be hidden away from the Fomor the way they will not find a drop in +them. But as for the men of Ireland," they said, "there will be drink +for them if they were to be in the battle to the end of seven years." + +And Figol, son of Mamos, the Druid, was asked then what he would do, and +he said: "It is what I will do, I will cause three showers of fire to +pour on the faces of the army of the Fomor, and I will take from them +two-thirds of their bravery and their strength, and I will put sickness +on their bodies, and on the bodies of their horses. But as to the men of +Ireland," he said, "every breath they breathe will be an increase of +strength and of bravery to them; and if they are seven years in the +battle they will never be any way tired." + +Then Lugh asked his two witches, Bechulle and Dianan: "What power can +you bring to the battle?" "It is easy to say that," they said. "We will +put enchantment on the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth, +till they become an armed host against the Fomor, and put terror on them +and put them to the rout." + +Then Lugh asked Carpre, the poet, son of Etain, what could he do. "It is +not hard to say that," said Carpre. "I will make a satire on them at +sunrise, and the wind from the north, and I on a hill-top and my back to +a thorn-tree, and a stone and a thorn in my hand. And with that satire," +he said, "I will put shame on them and enchantment, the way they will +not be able to stand against fighting men." + +Then he asked Goibniu the Smith what would he be able to do. "I will do +this," he said. "If the men of Ireland stop in the battle to the end of +seven years, for every sword that is broken and for every spear that is +lost from its shaft, I will put a new one in its place. And no +spear-point that will be made by my hand," he said, "will ever miss its +mark; and no man it touches will ever taste life again. And that is more +than Dolb, the smith of the Fomor, can do," he said. + +"And you, Credne," Lugh said then to his worker in brass, "what help can +you give to our men in the battle?" "It is not hard to tell that," said +Credne, "rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses +and rims for their shields, I will supply them all." + +"And you, Luchta," he said then to his carpenter, "what will you do?" "I +will give them all they want of shields and of spear shafts," said +Luchta. + +Then he asked Diancecht, the physician, what would he do, and it is what +he said: "Every man that will be wounded there, unless his head is +struck off, or his brain or his marrow cut through, I will make him +whole and sound again for the battle of the morrow." + +Then the Dagda said: "Those great things you are boasting you will do, +I will do them all with only myself." "It is you are the good god!" said +they, and they all gave a great shout of laughter. + +Then Lugh spoke to the whole army and put strength in them, so that each +one had the spirit in him of a king or a great lord. + +Then when the delay was at an end, the Fomor and the men of Ireland came +on towards one another till they came to the plain of Magh Tuireadh. +That now was not the same Magh Tuireadh where the first battle was +fought, but it was to the north, near Ess Dara. + +And then the two armies threatened one another. "The men of Ireland are +daring enough to offer battle to us," said Bres to Indech, son of De +Domnann. "I give my word," said Indech, "it is in small pieces their +bones will be, if they do not give in to us and pay their tribute." + +Now the Men of Dea had determined not to let Lugh go into the battle, +because of the loss his death would be to them; and they left nine of +their men keeping a watch on him. + +And on the first day none of the kings or princes went into the battle, +but only the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough. + +And the battle went on like that from day to day with no great advantage +to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomor on account +of one thing. Such of their own weapons as were broken or blunted in the +fight lay there as they were, and such of their own men as were killed +showed no sign of life on the morrow; but it was not so with the Tuatha +de Danaan, for if their men were killed or their weapons were broken +to-day, they were as good as before on the morrow. + +And this is the way that happened. The well of Slaine lay to the west +of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. And Diancecht and his son +Octruil and his daughter Airmed used to be singing spells over the well +and to be putting herbs in it; and the men that were wounded to death in +the battle would be brought to the well and put into it as dead men, and +they would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the +spells. And not only were they healed, but there was such fire put into +them that they would be quicker in the fight than they were before. + +And as to the arms, it is the way they were made new every day. Goibniu +the Smith used to be in the forge making swords and spears, and he would +make a spear-head by three turns, and then Luchta the Carpenter would +make the shaft by three cuts, and the third cut was a finish, and would +set it in the ring of the spear. And when the spear-heads were stuck in +the side of the forge, he would throw the shaft and the rings the way +they would go into the spear-head and want no more setting. And then +Credne the Brazier would make the rivets by three turns and would cast +the rings of the spears to them, and with that they were ready and were +set together. + +And all this went against the Fomor, and they sent one of their young +men to spy about the camp and to see could he find out how these things +were done. It was Ruadan, son of Bres and of Brigit daughter of the +Dagda they sent, for he was a son and grandson of the Tuatha de Danaan. +So he went and saw all that was done, and came back to the Fomor. + +And when they heard his story it is what they thought, that Goibniu the +Smith was the man that hindered them most. And they sent Ruadan back +again, and bade him make an end of him. + +So he went back again to the forge, and he asked Goibniu would he give +him a spear-head. And then he asked rivets of Credne, and a shaft of +the carpenter, and all was given to him as he asked. And there was a +woman there, Cron, mother to Fianlug, grinding the spears. + +And after the spear being given to Ruadan, he turned and threw it at +Goibniu, that it wounded him. But Goibniu pulled it out and made a cast +of it at Ruadan, that it went through him and he died; and Bres, his +father, and the army of the Fomor, saw him die. And then Brigit came and +keened her son with shrieking and with crying. + +And as to Goibniu, he went into the well and was healed. But after that +Octriallach, son of Indech, called to the Fomor and bade each man of +them bring a stone of the stones of Drinnes and throw them into the well +of Slane. And they did that till the well was dried up, and a cairn +raised over it, that is called Octriallach's Cairn. + +And it was while Goibniu was making spear-heads for the battle of Magh +Tuireadh, a charge was brought against his wife. And it was seen that it +was heavy news to him, and that jealousy came on him. And it is what he +did, there was a spear-shaft in his hand when he heard the story, Nes +its name was; and he sang spells over the spear-shaft, and any one that +was struck with that spear afterwards, it would burn him up like fire. + +And at last the day of the great battle came, and the Fomor came out of +their camp and stood in strong ranks. And there was not a leader or a +fighting man of them was without good armour to his skin, and a helmet +on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sword in his belt, +a strong shield on his shoulder. And to attack the army of the Fomor +that day was to strike the head against a rock, or to go up fighting +against a fire. + +And the Men of Dea rose up and left Lugh and his nine comrades keeping +him, and they went on to the battle; and Midhir was with them, and Bodb +Dearg and Diancecht. And Badb and Macha and the Morrigu called out that +they would go along with them. + +And it was a hard battle was fought, and for a while it was going +against the Tuatha de Danaan; and Nuada of the Silver Hand, their King, +and Macha, daughter of Emmass, fell by Balor, King of the Fomor. And +Cass-mail fell by Octriallach, and the Dagda got a dreadful wound from a +casting spear that was thrown by Ceithlenn, wife of Balor. + +But when the battle was going on, Lugh broke away from those that were +keeping him, and rushed out to the front of the Men of Dea. And then +there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of +Ireland to fight well, the way they would not be in bonds any longer. +For it was better for them, he said, to die protecting their own country +than to live under bonds and under tribute any longer. And he sang a +song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went +into battle, and then they met together, and each of them began to +attack the other. + +And there was great slaughter, and laying low in graves, and many comely +men fell there in the stall of death. Pride and shame were there side by +side, and hardness and red anger, and there was red blood on the white +skin of young fighting men. And the dashing of spear against shield, and +sword against sword, and the shouting of the fighters, and the whistling +of casting spears and the rattling of scabbards was like harsh thunder +through the battle. And many slipped in the blood that was under their +feet, and they fell, striking their heads one against another; and the +river carried away bodies of friends and enemies together. + +Then Lugh and Balor met in the battle, and Lugh called out reproaches to +him; and there was anger on Balor, and he said to the men that were with +him: "Lift up my eyelid till I see this chatterer that is talking to +me." Then they raised Balor's eyelid, but Lugh made a cast of his red +spear at him, that brought the eye out through the back of his head, so +that it was towards his own army it fell, and three times nine of the +Fomor died when they looked at it. And if Lugh had not put out that eye +when he did, the whole of Ireland would have been burned in one flash. +And after this, Lugh struck his head off. + +And as for Indech, son of De Domnann, he fell and was crushed in the +battle, and blood burst from his mouth, and he called out for Leat Glas, +his poet, as he lay there, but he was not able to help him. And then the +Morrigu came into the battle, and she was heartening the Tuatha de +Danaan to fight the battle well; and, as she had promised the Dagda, she +took the full of her two hands of Indech's blood, and gave it to the +armies that were waiting at the ford of Unius; and it was called the +Ford of Destruction from that day. + +And after that it was not a battle any more, but a rout, and the Fomor +were beaten back to the sea. And Lugh and his comrades were following +them, and they came up with Bres, son of Elathan, and no guard with him, +and he said: "It is better for you to spare my life than to kill me. And +if you spare me now," he said, "the cows of Ireland will never go dry." +"I will ask an advice about that from our wise men," said Lugh. So he +told Maeltine Mor-Brethach, of the Great Judgments, what Bres was after +saying. But Maeltine said: "Do not spare him for that, for he has no +power over their offspring, though he has power so long as they are +living." + +Then Bres said: "If you spare me, the men of Ireland will reap a harvest +of corn every quarter." But Maeltine said: "The spring is for ploughing +and sowing, and the beginning of summer for the strength of corn, and +the beginning of autumn for its ripeness, and the winter for using it." + +"That does not save you," said Lugh then to Bres. But then to make an +excuse for sparing him, Lugh said: "Tell us what is the best way for the +men of Ireland to plough and to sow and to reap." + +"Let their ploughing be on a Tuesday, and their casting seed into the +field on a Tuesday, and their reaping on a Tuesday," said Bres. So Lugh +said that would do, and he let him go free after that. + +It was in this battle Ogma found Orna, the sword of Tethra, a king of +the Fomor, and he took it from its sheath and cleaned it. And when the +sword was taken out of the sheath, it told all the deeds that had been +done by it, for there used to be that power in swords. + +And Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma followed after the Fomor, for they had +brought away the Dagda's harp with them, that was called Uaitne. And +they came to a feasting-house, and in it they found Bres and his father +Elathan, and there was the harp hanging on the wall. And it was in that +harp the Dagda had bound the music, so that it would not sound till he +would call to it. And sometimes it was called Dur-da-Bla, the Oak of Two +Blossoms, and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, the Four-Angled Music. + +And when he saw it hanging on the wall it is what he said: "Come summer, +come winter, from the mouth of harps and bags and pipes." Then the harp +sprang from the wall, and came to the Dagda, and it killed nine men on +its way. + +And then he played for them the three things harpers understand, the +sleepy tune, and the laughing tune, and the crying tune. And when he +played the crying tune, their tearful women cried, and then he played +the laughing tune, till their women and children laughed; and then he +played the sleepy tune, and all the hosts fell asleep. And through that +sleep the three went away through the Fomor that would have been glad to +harm them. And when all was over, the Dagda brought out the heifer he +had got as wages from Bres at the time he was making his dun. And she +called to her calf, and at the sound of her call all the cattle of +Ireland the Fomor had brought away as tribute, were back in their fields +again. + +And Ce, the Druid of Nuada of the Silver Hand, was wounded in the +battle, and he went southward till he came to Carn Corrslebe. And there +he sat down to rest, tired with his wounds and with the fear that was on +him, and the journey. And he saw a smooth plain before him, and it full +of flowers, and a great desire came on him to reach to that plain, and +he went on till he came to it, and there he died. And when his grave was +made there, a lake burst out over it and over the whole plain, and it +was given the name of Loch Ce. And there were but four men of the Fomor +left in Ireland after the battle, and they used to be going through the +country, spoiling corn and milk and fruit, and whatever came from the +sea, till they were driven out one Samhain night by the Morrigu and by +Angus Og, that the Fomor might never be over Ireland again. + +And after the battle was won, and the bodies were cleared away, the +Morrigu gave out the news of the great victory to the hosts and to the +royal heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and its invers, and it +is what she said: "Peace up to the skies, the skies down to earth, the +earth under the skies; strength to every one." + +And as to the number of men that fell in the battle, it will not be +known till we number the stars of the sky, or flakes of snow, or the dew +on the grass, or grass under the feet of cattle, or the horses of the +Son of Lir in a stormy sea. + +And Lugh was made king over the Men of Dea then, and it was at Nas he +had his court. + +And while he was king, his foster-mother Taillte, daughter of Magh Mor, +the Great Plain, died. And before her death she bade her husband Duach +the Dark, he that built the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, to clear +away the wood of Cuan, the way there could be a gathering of the people +around her grave. So he called to the men of Ireland to cut down the +wood with their wide-bladed knives and bill-hooks and hatchets, and +within a month the whole wood was cut down. + +And Lugh buried her in the plain of Midhe, and raised a mound over her, +that is to be seen to this day. And he ordered fires to be kindled, and +keening to be made, and games and sports to be held in the summer of +every year out of respect to her. And the place they were held got its +name from her, that is Taillten. + +And as to Lugh's own mother, that was tall beautiful Ethlinn, she came +to Teamhair after the battle of Magh Tuireadh, and he gave her in +marriage to Tadg, son of Nuada. And the children that were born to them +were Muirne, mother of Finn, the Head of the Fianna of Ireland, and +Tuiren, that was mother of Bran. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HIDDEN HOUSE OF LUGH + + +And after Lugh had held the kingship for a long time, the Dagda was made +king in his place. + +And Lugh went away out of Ireland, and some said he died at Uisnech, the +place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever +a fire kindled in Ireland. It was by Mide, son of Brath, it was kindled, +for the sons of Nemed, and it was burning through six years, and it was +from that fire every chief fire was kindled in Ireland. + +But Lugh was seen again in Ireland at the time Conchubar and the Men of +the Red Branch went following white birds southward to the Boinn at the +time of Cuchulain's birth. And it was he came and kept watch over +Cuchulain in his three days' sleep at the time of the War for the Bull +of Cuailgne. + +And after that again he was seen by Conn of the Hundred Battles, and +this is the way that happened. + +Conn was in Teamhair one time, and he went up in the early morning to +the Rath of the Kings at the rising of the sun, and his three Druids +with him, Maol and Bloc and Bhuice; and his three poets, Ethain and Corb +and Cesarn. And the reason he had for going up there with them every +day, was to look about on every side, the way if any men of the Sidhe +would come into Ireland they would not come unknown to him. And on this +day he chanced to stand upon a stone that was in the rath, and the stone +screamed under his feet, that it was heard all over Teamhair and as far +as Bregia. + +Then Conn asked his chief Druid how the stone came there, and what it +screamed for. And the Druid said he would not answer that till the end +of fifty-three days. And at the end of that time, Conn asked him again, +and it is what the Druid said: "The Lia Fail is the name of the stone; +it is out of Falias it was brought, and it is in Teamhair it was set up, +and in Teamhair it will stay for ever. And as long as there is a king in +Teamhair it is here will be the gathering place for games, and if there +is no king to come to the last day of the gathering, there will be +hardness in that year. And when the stone screamed under your feet," he +said, "the number of the screams it gave was a foretelling of the number +of kings of your race that would come after you. But it is not I myself +will name them for you," he said. + +And while they were in the same place, there came a great mist about +them and a darkness, so that they could not know what way they were +going, and they heard the noise of a rider coming towards them. "It +would be a great grief to us," said Conn, "to be brought away into a +strange country." Then the rider threw three spears at them, and every +one came faster than the other. "It is the wounding of a king indeed," +said the Druids, "any one to cast at Conn of Teamhair." + +The rider stopped casting his spears on that, and he came to them and +bade Conn welcome, and asked him to come to his house. They went on then +till they came to a beautiful plain, and there they saw a king's rath, +and a golden tree at its door, and inside the rath a grand house with a +roof of white bronze. So they went into the house, and the rider that +had come to meet them was there before them, in his royal seat, and +there had never been seen a man like him in Teamhair for comeliness or +for beauty, or the wonder of his face. + +And there was a young woman in the house, having a band of gold on her +head, and a silver vessel with hoops of gold beside her, and it full of +red ale, and a golden bowl on its edge, and a golden cup at its mouth. +She said then to the master of the house: "Who am I to serve drink to?" +"Serve it to Conn of the Hundred Battles," he said, "for he will gain a +hundred battles before he dies." And after that he bade her to pour out +the ale for Art of the Three Shouts, the son of Conn; and after that he +went through the names of all the kings of Ireland that would come after +Conn, and he told what would be the length of their lifetime. And the +young woman left the vessel with Conn, and the cup and the bowl, and she +gave him along with that the rib of an ox and of a hog; twenty-four feet +was the length of the ox-rib. + +And the master of the house told them the young woman was the Kingship +of Ireland for ever. "And as for myself," he said, "I am Lugh of the +Long Hand, son of Ethlinn." + + + + +BOOK THREE: THE COMING OF THE GAEL. + +CHAPTER I. THE LANDING + + +It is not known, now, for what length of time the Tuatha de Danaan had +the sway over Ireland, and it is likely it was a long time they had it, +but they were put from it at last. + +It was at Inver Slane, to the north of Leinster, the sons of Gaedhal of +the Shining Armour, the Very Gentle, that were called afterwards the +Sons of the Gael, made their first attempt to land in Ireland to avenge +Ith, one of their race that had come there one time and had met with his +death. + +It is under the leadership of the sons of Miled they were, and it was +from the south they came, and their Druids had told them there was no +country for them to settle in till they would come to that island in the +west. "And if you do not get possession of it yourselves," they said, +"your children will get possession of it." + +But when the Tuatha de Danaan saw the ships coming, they flocked to the +shore, and by their enchantments they cast such a cloud over the whole +island that the sons of Miled were confused, and all they could see was +some large thing that had the appearance of a pig. + +And when they were hindered from landing there by enchantments, they +went sailing along the coast till at last they were able to make a +landing at Inver Sceine in the west of Munster. + +From that they marched in good order as far as Slieve Mis. And there +they were met by a queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, and a train of +beautiful women attending on her, and her Druids and wise men following +her. Amergin, one of the sons of Miled, spoke to her then, and asked her +name, and she said it was Banba, wife of Mac Cuill, Son of the Hazel. + +They went on then till they came to Slieve Eibhline, and there another +queen of the Tuatha de Danaan met them, and her women and her Druids +after her, and they asked her name, and she said it was Fodhla, wife of +Mac Cecht, Son of the Plough. + +They went on then till they came to the hill of Uisnech, and there they +saw another woman coming towards them. And there was wonder on them +while they were looking at her, for in the one moment she would be a +wide-eyed most beautiful queen, and in another she would be a +sharp-beaked, grey-white crow. She came on to where Eremon, one of the +sons of Miled, was, and sat down before him, and he asked her who was +she, and she said: "I am Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun." + +And the names of those three queens were often given to Ireland in the +after time. + +The Sons of the Gael went on after that to Teamhair, where the three +sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth, son of the Dagda, that had the kingship +between them at that time held their court. And these three were +quarrelling with one another about the division of the treasures their +father had left, and the quarrel was so hot it seemed likely it would +come to a battle in the end. + +And the Sons of the Gael wondered to see them quarrelling about such +things, and they having so fruitful an island, where the air was so +wholesome, and the sun not too strong, or the cold too bitter, and where +there was such a plenty of honey and acorns, and of milk, and of fish, +and of corn, and room enough for them all. + +Great grandeur they were living in, and their Druids about them, at the +palace of Teamhair. And Amergin went to them, and it is what he said, +that they must give up the kingship there and then, or they must leave +it to the chance of a battle. And he said he asked this in revenge for +the death of Ith, of the race of the Gael, that had come to their court +before that time, and that had been killed by treachery. + +When the sons of Cermait Honey-Mouth heard Amergin saying such fierce +words, there was wonder on them, and it is what they said, that they +were not willing to fight at that time, for their army was not ready. +"But let you make an offer to us," they said, "for we see well you have +good judgment and knowledge. But if you make an offer that is not fair," +they said, "we will destroy you with our enchantments." + +At that Amergin bade the men that were with him to go back to Inver +Sceine, and to hurry again into their ships with the rest of the Sons of +the Gael, and to go out the length of nine waves from the shore. And +then he made his offer to the Tuatha de Danaan, that if they could +hinder his men from landing on their island, he and all his ships would +go back again to their own country, and would never make any attempt to +come again; but that if the Sons of the Gael could land on the coast in +spite of them, then the Tuatha de Danaan should give up the kingship and +be under their sway. + +The Tuatha de Danaan were well pleased with that offer, for they thought +that by the powers of their enchantments over the winds and the sea, and +by their arts, they would be well able to keep them from ever setting +foot in the country again. + +So the Sons of the Gael did as Amergin bade them and they went back into +their ship and drew up their anchors, and moved out to the length of +nine waves from the shore. And as soon as the Men of Dea saw they had +left the land, they took to their enchantments and spells, and they +raised a great wind that scattered the ships of the Gael, and drove them +from one another. But Amergin knew it was not a natural storm was in +it, and Arranan, son of Miled, knew that as well, and he went up in the +mast of his ship to look about him. But a great blast of wind came +against him, and he fell back into the ship and died on the moment. And +there was great confusion on the Gael, for the ships were tossed to and +fro, and had like to be lost. And the ship that Donn, son of Miled, was +in command of was parted from the others by the dint of the storm, and +was broken in pieces, and he himself and all with him were drowned, +four-and-twenty men and women in all. And Ir, son of Miled, came to his +death in the same way, and his body was cast on the shore, and it was +buried in a small island that is now called Sceilg Michill. A brave man +Ir was, leading the Sons of the Gael to the front of every battle, and +their help and their shelter in battle, and his enemies were in dread of +his name. + +And Heremon, another of the sons of Miled, with his share of the ships, +was driven to the left of the island, and it is hardly he got safe to +land. And the place where he landed was called Inver Colpa, because +Colpa of the Sword, another of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, and +he trying to get to land. Five of the sons of Miled in all were +destroyed by the storm and the winds the Men of Dea had raised by their +enchantments, and there were but three of them left, Heber, and Heremon, +and Amergin. + +And one of them, Donn, before he was swept into the sea, called out: "It +is treachery our knowledgeable men are doing on us, not to put down this +wind." "There is no treachery," said Amergin, his brother. And he rose +up then before them, and whatever enchantment he did on the winds and +the sea, he said these words along with it: + +"That they that are tossing in the great wide food-giving sea may reach +now to the land. + +"That they may find a place upon its plains, its mountains, and its +valleys; in its forests that are full of nuts and of all fruits; on its +rivers and its streams, on its lakes and its great waters. + +"That we may have our gatherings and our races in this land; that there +may be a king of our own in Teamhair; that it may be the possession of +our many kings. + +"That the sons of Miled may be seen in this land, that their ships and +their boats may find a place there. + +"This land that is now under darkness, it is for it we are asking; let +our chief men, let their learned wives, ask that we may come to the +noble woman, great Eriu." + +After he had said this, the wind went down and the sea was quiet again +on the moment. + +And those that were left of the sons of Miled and of the Sons of the +Gael landed then at Inver Sceine. + +And Amergin was the first to put his foot on land, and when he stood on +the shore of Ireland, it is what he said: + + "I am the wind on the sea; + I am the wave of the sea; + I am the bull of seven battles; + I am the eagle on the rock; + I am a flash from the sun; + I am the most beautiful of plants; + I am a strong wild boar; + I am a salmon in the water; + I am a lake in the plain; + I am the word of knowledge; + I am the head of the spear in battle; + I am the god that puts fire in the head; + Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills? + Who can tell the ages of the moon? + Who can tell the place where the sun rests?" + + + +CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF TAILLTIN + + +And three days after the landing of the Gael, they were attacked by +Eriu, wife of Mac Greine, Son of the Sun, and she having a good share of +men with her. And they fought a hard battle, and many were killed on +both sides. And this was the first battle fought between the Sons of the +Gael and the Men of Dea for the kingship of Ireland. + +It was in that battle Fais, wife of Un, was killed in a valley at the +foot of the mountain, and it was called after her, the Valley of Fais. +And Scota, wife of Miled, got her death in the battle, and she was +buried in a valley on the north side of the mountain near the sea. But +the Sons of the Gael lost no more than three hundred men, and they beat +back the Men of Dea and killed a thousand of them. And Eriu was beaten +back to Tailltin, and as many of her men as she could hold together; and +when she came there she told the people how she had been worsted in the +battle, and the best of her men had got their death. But the Gael +stopped on the battle-field, and buried their dead, and they gave a +great burial to two of their Druids, Aer and Eithis, that were killed in +the fight. + +And after they had rested for a while, they went on to Inver Colpa in +Leinster, and Heremon and his men joined them there. And then they sent +messengers to the three kings of Ireland, the three sons of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and bade them to come out and fight a battle that would +settle the ownership of the country once for all. + +So they came out, and the best of the fighters of the Tuatha de Danaan +with them, to Tailltin. And there they attacked one another, and the +Sons of the Gael remembered the death of Ith, and there was great anger +on them, and they fell on the Men of Dea to avenge him, and there was a +fierce battle fought. And for a while neither side got the better of the +other, but at the last the Gael broke through the army of the Men of Dea +and put them to the rout, with great slaughter, and drove them out of +the place. And their three kings were killed in the rout, and the three +queens of Ireland, Eriu and Fodhla and Banba. And when the Tuatha de +Danaan saw their leaders were dead they fell back in great disorder, and +the Sons of the Gael followed after them. But in following them they +lost two of their best leaders, Cuailgne, son of Breagan, at Slieve +Cuailgne, and Fuad, his brother, at Slieve Fuad. But they were no way +daunted by that, but followed the Men of Dea so hotly that they were +never able to bring their army together again, but had to own themselves +beaten, and to give up the country to the Gael. + +And the leaders, the sons of Miled, divided the provinces of Ireland +between them. Heber took the two provinces of Munster, and he gave a +share of it to Amergin; and Heremon got Leinster and Connacht for his +share, and Ulster was divided between Eimhir, son of Ir, son of Miled, +and some others of their chief men. And it was of the sons of Eimhir, +that were called the Children of Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain +Macha for nine hundred years, some of the best men of Ireland came; +Fergus, son of Rogh, was of them, and Conall Cearnach, of the Red Branch +of Ulster. + +And from the sons of Ith, the first of the Gael to get his death in +Ireland, there came in the after time Fathadh Canaan, that got the sway +over the whole world from the rising to the setting sun, and that took +hostages of the streams and the birds and the languages. + +And it is what the poets of Ireland used to be saying, that every brave +man, good at fighting, and every man that could do great deeds and not +be making much talk about them, was of the Sons of the Gael; and that +every skilled man that had music and that did enchantments secretly, +was of the Tuatha de Danaan. But they put a bad name on the Firbolgs and +the men of Domnand and the Gaileoin, for lies and for big talk and +injustice. But for all that there were good fighters among them, and +Ferdiad, that made so good a stand against Cuchulain, in the war for the +Bull of Cuailgne was one of them. And the Gaileoin fought well in the +same war; but the men of Ireland had no great liking for them, and their +Druids drove them out of the country afterwards. + + + + +BOOK FOUR: THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES. + +CHAPTER I. BODB DEARG + + +But as to the Tuatha de Danaan after they were beaten, they would not go +under the sway of the sons of Miled, but they went away by themselves. +And because Manannan, son of Lir, understood all enchantments, they left +it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their +enemies. So he chose out the most beautiful of the hills and valleys of +Ireland for them to settle in; and he put hidden walls about them, that +no man could see through, but they themselves could see through them and +pass through them. + +And he made the Feast of Age for them, and what they drank at it was the +ale of Goibniu the Smith, that kept whoever tasted it from age and from +sickness and from death. And for food at the feast he gave them his own +swine, that though they were killed and eaten one day, would be alive +and fit for eating again the next day, and that would go on in that way +for ever. + +And after a while they said: "It would be better for us one king to be +over us, than to be scattered the way we are through the whole of +Ireland." + +Now the men among them that had the best chance of getting the kingship +at that time were Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda; and Ilbrech of Ess +Ruadh; and Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, the Hill of the White Field, on +Slieve Fuad; and Midhir the Proud of Bri Leith, and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda; but he did not covet the kingship at all, but would sooner be +left as he was. Then all the chief men but those five went into council +together, and it is what they agreed, to give the kingship to Bodb +Dearg, for the sake of his father, for his own sake, and because he was +the eldest among the children of the Dagda. + +It was in Sidhe Femen Bodb Dearg had his house, and he put great +enchantments about it. Cliach, the Harper of the King of the Three +Rosses in Connacht, went one time to ask one of his daughters in +marriage, and he stayed outside the place through the whole length of a +year, playing his harp, and able to get no nearer to Bodb or to his +daughter. And he went on playing till a lake burst up under his feet, +the lake that is on the top of a mountain, Loch Bel Sead. + +It was Bodb's swineherd went to Da Derga's Inn, and his squealing pig +along with him, the night Conaire, the High King of Ireland, met with +his death; and it was said that whatever feast that swineherd would go +to, there would blood be shed before it was over. + +And Bodb had three sons, Angus, and Artrach, and Aedh. And they used +often to be living among men in the time of the Fianna afterwards. +Artrach had a house with seven doors, and a free welcome for all that +came, and the king's son of Ireland, and of Alban, used to be coming to +Angus to learn the throwing of spears and darts; and troops of poets +from Alban and from Ireland used to be with Aedh, that was the comeliest +of Bodb's sons, so that his place used to be called "The Rath of Aedh of +the Poets." And indeed it was a beautiful rath at that time, with +golden-yellow apples in it and crimson-pointed nuts of the wood. But +after the passing away of the Fianna, the three brothers went back to +the Tuatha de Danaan. + +And Bodb Dearg was not always in his own place, but sometimes he was +with Angus at Brugh na Boinn. + +Three sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland, Eochaid, and Fiacha, and +Ruide, went there one time, for their father refused them any land till +they would win it for themselves. And when he said that, they rose with +the ready rising of one man, and went and sat down on the green of Brugh +na Boinn, and fasted there on the Tuatha de Danaan, to see if they +could win some good thing from them. + +And they were not long there till they saw a young man, quiet and with +pleasant looks, coming towards them, and he wished them good health, and +they answered him the same way. "Where are you come from?" they asked +him then. "From the rath beyond, with the many lights," he said. "And I +am Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," he said, "and come in with me now to +the rath." + +So they went in, and supper was made ready for them, but they did not +use it. Bodb Dearg asked them then why was it they were using nothing. +"It is because our father has refused land to us," said they; "and there +are in Ireland but the two races, the Sons of the Gael and the Men of +Dea, and when the one failed us we are come to the other." + +Then the Men of Dea consulted together. And the chief among them was +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and it is what he said: "Let us give a wife +to every one of these three men, for it is from a wife that good or bad +fortune comes." + +So they agreed to that, and Midhir's three daughters, Doirenn, and Aife, +and Aillbhe, were given to them. Then Midhir asked Bodb to say what +marriage portion should be given to them. "I will tell you that," said +Bodb. "We are three times fifty sons of kings in this hill; let every +king's son give three times fifty ounces of red gold. And I myself," he +said, "will give them along with that, three times fifty suits of +clothing of all colours." "I will give them a gift," said a young man of +the Tuatha de Danaan, from Rachlainn in the sea. "A horn I will give +them, and a vat. And there is nothing wanting but to fill the vat with +pure water, and it will turn into mead, fit to drink, and strong enough +to make drunken. And into the horn," he said, "you have but to put salt +water from the sea, and it will turn into wine on the moment." "A gift +to them from me," said Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, "three times fifty +swords, and three times fifty well-riveted long spears." "A gift from +me," said Angus Og, son of the Dagda, "a rath and a good town with high +walls, and with bright sunny houses, and with wide houses, in whatever +place it will please them between Rath Chobtaige and Teamhair." "A gift +to them from me," said Aine, daughter of Modharn, "a woman-cook that I +have, and there is _geasa_ on her not to refuse food to any; and +according as she serves it out, her store fills up of itself again." +"Another gift to them from me," said Bodb Dearg, "a good musician that I +have, Fertuinne, son of Trogain; and although there were women in the +sharpest pains of childbirth, and brave men wounded early in the day, in +a place where there were saws going through wood, they would sleep at +the sweetness of the music he makes. And whatever house he may be in, +the people of the whole country round will hear him." + +So they stopped in Brugh na Boinne three days and three nights, and when +they left it, Angus bade them bring away from the oak-wood three +apple-trees, one in full bloom, and one shedding its blossom, and the +third covered with ripe fruit. + +They went then to their own dun that was given them, and it is a good +place they had there, and a troop of young men, and great troops of +horses and of greyhounds; and they had three sorts of music that comely +kings liked to be listening to, the music of harps and of lutes, and the +chanting of Trogain's son; and there were three great sounds, the +tramping on the green, and the uproar of racing, and the lowing of +cattle; and three other sounds, the grunting of good pigs with the fat +thick on them, and the voices of the crowd on the green lawn, and the +noise of men drinking inside the house. And as to Eochaid, it was said +of him that he never took a step backwards in flight, and his house was +never without music or drinking of ale. And it was said of Fiacha that +there was no man of his time braver than himself, and that he never said +a word too much. And as to Ruide, he never refused any one, and never +asked anything at all of any man. + +And when their lifetime was over, they went back to the Tuatha de +Danaan, for they belonged to them through their wives, and there they +have stopped ever since. + +And Bodb Dearg had a daughter, Scathniamh, the Flower of Brightness, +that gave her love to Caoilte in the time of the Fianna; and they were +forced to part from one another, and they never met again till the time +Caoilte was, old and withered, and one of the last that was left of the +Fianna. And she came to him out of the cave of Cruachan, and asked him +for the bride-price he had promised her, and that she was never able to +come and ask for till then. And Caoilte went to a cairn that was near +and that was full up of gold, that was wages earned by Conan Maol and +hidden there, and he gave the gold to Bodb Dearg's daughter. And the +people that were there wondered to see the girl so young and comely, and +Caoilte so grey and bent and withered. "There is no wonder in that," +said Caoilte, "for I am of the sons of Miled that wither and fade away, +but she is of the Tuatha de Danaan that never change and that never +die." + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE DAGDA + + +And it was at Brugh na Boinne the Dagda, the Red Man of all Knowledge, +had his house. And the most noticeable things in it were the Hall of the +Morrigu, and the Bed of the Dagda, and the Birthplace of Cermait +Honey-Mouth, and the Prison of the Grey of Macha that was Cuchulain's +horse afterwards. And there was a little hill by the house that was +called the Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife; and another that was +called the Hill of Dabilla, that was the little hound belonging to +Boann. And the Valley of the Mata was there, the Sea-Turtle that could +suck down a man in armour. + +And it is likely the Dagda put up his cooking oven there, that Druimne, +son of Luchair, made for him at Teamhair. And it is the way it was, the +axle and the wheel were of wood, and the body was iron, and there were +twice nine wheels in its axle, that it might turn the faster; and it was +as quick as the quickness of a stream in turning, and there were three +times nine spits from it, and three times nine pots. And it used to lie +down with the cinders and to rise to the height of the roof with the +flame. + +The Dagda himself made a great vat one time for Ainge, his daughter, but +she was not well satisfied with it, for it would not stop from dripping +while the sea was in flood, though it would not lose a drop during the +ebb-tide. And she gathered a bundle of twigs to make a new vat for +herself, but Gaible, son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, stole it from her +and hurled it away. And in the place where it fell a beautiful wood grew +up, that was called Gaible's Wood. + +And the Dagda had his household at Brugh na Boinne, and his steward was +Dichu, and Len Linfiaclach was the smith of the Brugh. It was he lived +in the lake, making the bright vessels of Fand, daughter of Flidhais; +and every evening when he left off work he would make a cast of the +anvil eastward to Indeoin na Dese, the Anvil of the Dese, as far as the +Grave End. Three showers it used to cast, a shower of fire, and a shower +of water, and a shower of precious stones of pure purple. + +But Tuirbe, father of Goibniu the Smith, used to throw better again, for +he would make a cast of his axe from Tulach na Bela, the Hill of the +Axe, in the face of the flood tide, and he would put his order on the +sea, and it would not come over the axe. + +And Corann was the best of the harpers of the household; he was harper +to the Dagda's son, Diancecht. And one time he called with his harp to +Cailcheir, one of the swine of Debrann. And it ran northward with all +the strength of its legs, and the champions of Connacht were following +after it with all their strength of running, and their hounds with them, +till they got as far as Ceis Corain, and they gave it up there, all +except Niall that went on the track of the swine till he found it in the +oak-wood of Tarba, and then it made away over the plain of Ai, and +through a lake. And Niall and his hound were drowned in following it +through the lake. And the Dagda gave Corann a great tract of land for +doing his harping so well. + +But however great a house the Dagda had, Angus got it away from him in +the end, through the help of Manannan, son of Lir. For Manannan bade him +to ask his father for it for the length of a day and a night, and that +he by his art would take away his power of refusing. So Angus asked for +the Brugh, and his father gave it to him for a day and a night. But when +he asked it back again, it is what Angus said, that it had been given to +him for ever, for the whole of life and time is made up of a day and a +night, one following after the other. + +So when the Dagda heard that he went away and his people and his +household with him, for Manannan had put an enchantment on them all. + +But Dichu the Steward was away at the time, and his wife and his son, +for they were gone out to get provisions for a feast for Manannan and +his friends. And when he came back and knew his master was gone, he took +service with Angus. + +And Angus stopped in Brugh na Boinne, and some say he is there to this +day, with the hidden walls about him, drinking Goibniu's ale and eating +the pigs that never fail. + +As to the Dagda, he took no revenge, though he had the name of being +revengeful and quick in his temper. And some say it was at Teamhair he +made his dwelling-place after that, but wherever it was, a great +misfortune came on him. + +It chanced one time Corrgenn, a great man of Connacht, came to visit +him, and his wife along with him. And while they were there, Corrgenn +got it in his mind that there was something that was not right going on +between his wife and Aedh, one of the sons of the Dagda. And great +jealousy and anger came on him, and he struck at the young man and +killed him before his father's face. + +Every one thought the Dagda would take Corrgenn's life then and there in +revenge for his son's life. But he would not do that, for he said if his +son was guilty, there was no blame to be put on Corrgenn for doing what +he did. So he spared his life for that time, but if he did, Corrgenn did +not gain much by it. For the punishment he put on him was to take the +dead body of the young man on his back, and never to lay it down till he +would find a stone that would be its very fit in length and in breadth, +and that would make a gravestone for him; and when he had found that, he +could bury him in the nearest hill. + +So Corrgenn had no choice but to go, and he set out with his load; but +he had a long way to travel before he could find a stone that would fit, +and it is where he found one at last, on the shore of Loch Feabhail. So +then he left the body up on the nearest hill, and he went down and +raised the stone and brought it up and dug a grave and buried the +Dagda's son. And it is many an Ochone! he gave when he was putting the +stone over him, and when he had that done he was spent, and he dropped +dead there and then. + +And the Dagda brought his two builders, Garbhan and Imheall, to the +place, and he bade them build a rath there round the grave. It was +Garbhan cut the stones and shaped them, and Imheall set them all round +the house till the work was finished, and then he closed the top of the +house with a slab. And the place was called the Hill of Aileac, that is, +the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone, for it was tears of blood the Dagda +shed on account of the death of his son. + + + + +CHAPTER III. ANGUS OG + + +And as to Angus Og, son of the Dagda, sometimes he would come from Brugh +na Boinn and let himself be seen upon the earth. + +It was a long time after the coming of the Gael that he was seen by +Cormac, King of Teamhair, and this is the account he gave of him. + +He was by himself one day in his Hall of Judgment, for he used to be +often reading the laws and thinking how he could best carry them out. +And on a sudden he saw a stranger, a very comely young man, at the end +of the hall; and he knew on the moment it was Angus Og, for he had often +heard his people talking of him, but he himself used to be saying he did +not believe there was any such person at all. And when his people came +back to the hall, he told them how he had seen Angus himself, and had +talked with him, and Angus had told him his name, and had foretold what +would happen him in the future. "And he was a beautiful young man," he +said, "with high looks, and his appearance was more beautiful than all +beauty, and there were ornaments of gold on his dress; in his hand he +held a silver harp with strings of red gold, and the sound of its +strings was sweeter than all music under the sky; and over the harp were +two birds that seemed to be playing on it. He sat beside me pleasantly +and played his sweet music to me, and in the end he foretold things that +put drunkenness on my wits." + +The birds, now, that used to be with Angus were four of his kisses that +turned into birds and that used to be coming about the young men of +Ireland, and crying after them. "Come, come," two of them would say, and +"I go, I go," the other two would say, and it was hard to get free of +them. But as to Angus, even when he was in his young youth, he used to +be called the Frightener, or the Disturber; for the plough teams of the +world, and every sort of cattle that is used by men, would make away in +terror before him. + +And one time he appeared in the shape of a land-holder to two men, Ribh +and Eocho, that were looking for a place to settle in. The first place +they chose was near Bregia on a plain that was belonging to Angus; and +it was then he came to them, leading his horse in his hand, and told +them they should not stop there. And they said they could not carry away +their goods without horses. Then he gave them his horse, and bade them +to put all they had a mind to on that horse and he would carry it, and +so he did. But the next place they chose was Magh Find, the Fine Plain, +that was the playing ground of Angus and of Midhir. And that time Midhir +came to them in the same way and gave them a horse to put their goods +on, and he went on with them as far as Magh Dairbthenn. + +And there were many women loved Angus, and there was one Enghi, daughter +of Elcmair, loved him though she had not seen him. And she went one time +looking for him to the gathering for games between Cletech and Sidhe in +Broga; and the bright troops of the Sidhe used to come to that gathering +every Samhain evening, bringing a moderate share of food with them, that +is, a nut. And the sons of Derc came from the north, out of Sidhe +Findabrach, and they went round about the young men and women without +their knowledge and they brought away Elcmair's daughter. There were +great lamentations made then, and the name the place got was Cnoguba, +the Nut Lamentation, from the crying there was at that gathering. + +And Derbrenn, Eochaid Fedlech's daughter, was another that was loved by +Angus, and she had six fosterlings, three boys and three girls. But the +mother of the boys, Dalb Garb, the Rough, put a spell on them she made +from a gathering of the nuts of Caill Ochuid, that turned them into +swine. + +And Angus gave them into the care of Buichet, the Hospitaller of +Leinster, and they stopped a year with him. But at the end of that time +there came a longing On Buichet's wife to eat a bit of the flesh of one +of them. So she gathered a hundred armed men and a hundred hounds to +take them. But the pigs made away, and went to Brugh na Boinn, to Angus, +and he bade them welcome, and they asked him to give them his help. But +he said he could not do that till they had shaken the Tree of Tarbga, +and eaten the salmon of Inver Umaill. + +So they went to Glascarn, and stopped a year in hiding with Derbrenn. +And then they shook the Tree of Tarbga, and they went on towards Inver +Umaill. But Maeve gathered the men of Connacht to hunt them, and they +all fell but one, and their heads were put in a mound, and it got the +name of Duma Selga, the Mound of the Hunting. + +And it was in the time of Maeve of Cruachan that Angus set his love on +Caer Ormaith, of the Province of Connacht, and brought her away to Brugh +na Boinn. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE MORRIGU + + +As to the Morrigu, the Great Queen, the Crow of Battle, where she lived +after the coming of the Gael is not known, but before that time it was +in Teamhair she lived. And she had a great cooking-spit there, that held +three sorts of food on it at the one time: a piece of raw meat, and a +piece of dressed meat, and a piece of butter. And the raw was dressed, +and the dressed was not burned, and the butter did not melt, and the +three together on the spit. + +Nine men that were outlaws went to her one time and asked for a spit to +be made for themselves. And they brought it away with them, and it had +nine ribs in it, and every one of the outlaws would carry a rib in his +hand wherever he would go, till they would all meet together at the +close of day. And if they wanted the spit to be high, it could be raised +to a man's height, and at another time it would not be more than the +height of a fist over the fire, without breaking and without lessening. + +And Mechi, the son the Morrigu had, was killed by Mac Cecht on Magh +Mechi, that till that time had been called Magh Fertaige. Three hearts +he had, and it is the way they were, they had the shapes of three +serpents through them. And if Mechi had not met with his death, those +serpents in him would have grown, and what they left alive in Ireland +would have wasted away. And Mac Cecht burned the three hearts on Magh +Luathad, the Plain of Ashes, and he threw the ashes into the stream; and +the rushing water of the stream stopped and boiled up, and every +creature in it died. + +And the Morrigu used often to be meddling in Ireland in Cuchulain's +time, stirring up wars and quarrels. It was she came and roused up +Cuchulain one time when he was but a lad, and was near giving in to some +enchantment that was used against him. "There is not the making of a +hero in you," she said to him, "and you lying there under the feet of +shadows." And with that Cuchulain rose up and struck off the head of a +shadow that was standing over him, with his hurling stick. And the time +Conchubar was sending out Finched to rouse up the men of Ulster at the +time of the war for the Bull of Cuailgne, he bade him to go to that +terrible fury, the Morrigu, to get help for Cuchulain. And she had a +dispute with Cuchulain one time he met her, and she bringing away a cow +from the Hill of Cruachan; and another time she helped Talchinem, a +Druid of the household of Conaire Mor, to bring away a bull his wife had +set her mind on. And indeed she was much given to meddling with cattle, +and one time she brought away a cow from Odras, that was of the +household of the cow-chief of Cormac Hua Cuined, and that was going +after her husband with cattle. And the Morrigu brought the cow away with +her to the Cave of Cruachan, and the Hill of the Sidhe. And Odras +followed her there till sleep fell on her in the oak-wood of Falga; and +the Morrigu awoke her and sang spells over her, and made of her a pool +of water that went to the river that flows to the west of Slieve Buane. + +And in the battle of Magh Rath, she fluttered over Congal Claen in the +shape of a bird, till he did not know friend from foe. And after that +again at the battle of Cluantarbh, she was flying over the head of +Murchadh, son of Brian; for she had many shapes, and it was in the shape +of a crow she would sometimes fight her battles. + +And if it was not the Morrigu, it was Badb that showed herself in the +battle of Dunbolg, where the men of Ireland were fighting under Aedh, +son of Niall; and Brigit was seen in the same battle on the side of the +men of Leinster. + + + + +CHAPTER V. AINE + + +And as to Aine, that some said was a daughter of Manannan, but some said +was the Morrigu herself, there was a stone belonging to her that was +called Cathair Aine. And if any one would sit on that stone he would be +in danger of losing his wits, and any one that would sit on it three +times would lose them for ever. And people whose wits were astray would +make their way to it, and mad dogs would come from all parts of the +country, and would flock around it, and then they would go into the sea +to Aine's place there. But those that did cures by herbs said she had +power over the whole body; and she used to give gifts of poetry and of +music, and she often gave her love to men, and they called her the +Leanan Sidhe, the Sweet-heart of the Sidhe. + +And it was no safe thing to offend Aine, for she was very revengeful. +Oilioll Oluim, a king of Ireland, killed her brother one time, and it is +what she did, she made a great yew-tree by enchantment beside the river +Maigh in Luimnech, and she put a little man in it, playing sweet music +on a harp. And Oilioll's son was passing the river with his +step-brother, and they saw the tree and heard the sweet music from it. +And first they quarrelled as to which of them would have the little +harper, and then they quarrelled about the tree, and they asked a +judgment from Oilioll, and he gave it for his own son. And it was the +bad feeling about that judgment that led to the battle of Magh +Mucruimhe, and Oilioll and his seven sons were killed there, and so Aine +got her revenge. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. AOIBHELL + + +And Aoibhell, another woman of the Sidhe, made her dwelling-place in +Craig Liath, and at the time of the battle of Cluantarbh she set her +love on a young man of Munster, Dubhlaing ua Artigan, that had been sent +away in disgrace by the King of Ireland. But before the battle he came +back to join with Murchadh, the king's son, and to fight for the Gael. +And Aoibhell came to stop him; and when he would not stop with her she +put a Druid covering about him, the way no one could see him. + +And he went where Murchadh was fighting, and he made a great attack on +the enemies of Ireland, and struck them down on every side. And Murchadh +looked around him, and he said; "It seems to me I hear the sound of the +blows of Dubhlaing ua Artigan, but I do not see himself." Then Dubhlaing +threw off the Druid covering that was about him, and he said: "I will +not keep this covering upon me when you cannot see me through it. And +come now across the plain to where Aoibhell is," he said, "for she can +give us news of the battle." + +So they went where she was, and she bade them both to quit the battle, +for they would lose their lives in it. But Murchadh said to her, "I will +tell you a little true story," he said; "that fear for my own body will +never make me change my face. And if we fall," he said, "the strangers +will fall with us; and it is many a man will fall by my own hand, and +the Gael will be sharing their strong places." "Stop with me, +Dubhlaing," she said then, "and you will have two hundred years of happy +life with myself." "I will not give up Murchadh," he said, "or my own +good name, for silver or gold." And there was anger on Aoibhell when he +said that, and she said: "Murchadh will fall, and you yourself will +fall, and your proud blood will be on the plain to-morrow." And they +went back into the battle, and got their death there. + +And it was Aoibhell gave a golden harp to the son of Meardha the time +he was getting his learning at the school of the Sidhe in Connacht and +that he heard his father had got his death by the King of Lochlann. And +whoever heard the playing of that harp would not live long after it. And +Meardha's son went where the three sons of the King of Lochlann were, +and played on his harp for them, and they died. + +It was that harp Cuchulain heard the time his enemies were gathering +against him at Muirthemne, and he knew by it that his life was near its +end. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. MIDHIR AND ETAIN + + +And Midhir took a hill for himself, and his wife Fuamach was with him +there, and his daughter, Bri. And Leith, son of Celtchar of Cualu, was +the most beautiful among the young men of the Sidhe of Ireland at that +time, and he loved Bri, Midhir's daughter. And Bri went out with her +young girls to meet him one time at the Grave of the Daughters beside +Teamhair. And Leith came and his young men along with him till he was on +the Hill of the After Repentance. And they could not come nearer to one +another because of the slingers on Midhir's hill that were answering one +another till their spears were as many as a swarm of bees on a day of +beauty. And Cochlan, Leith's servant, got a sharp wound from them and he +died. + +Then the girl turned back to Midhir's hill, and her heart broke in her +and she died. And Leith said: "Although I am not let come to this girl, +I will leave my name with her." And the hill was called Bri Leith from +that time. + +After a while Midhir took Etain Echraide to be his wife. And there was +great jealousy on Fuamach, the wife he had before, when she saw the +love that Midhir gave to Etain, and she called to the Druid, Bresal +Etarlaim to help her, and he put spells on Etain the way Fuamach was +able to drive her away. + +And when she was driven out of Bri Leith, Angus Og, son of the Dagda, +took her into his keeping; and when Midhir asked her back, he would not +give her up, but he brought her about with him to every place he went. +And wherever they rested, he made a sunny house for her, and put +sweet-smelling flowers in it, and he made invisible walls about it, that +no one could see through and that could not be seen. + +But when news came to Fuamach that Etain was so well cared by Angus, +anger and jealousy came on her again, and she searched her mind for a +way to destroy Etain altogether. + +And it is what she did, she persuaded Midhir and Angus to go out and +meet one another and to make peace, for there had been a quarrel between +them ever since the time Etain was sent away. And when Angus was away +from Brugh na Boinn, Fuamach went and found Etain there, in her sunny +house. And she turned her with Druid spells into a fly, and then she +sent a blast of wind into the house, that swept her away through the +window. + +But as to Midhir and Angus, they waited a while for Fuamach to come and +join them. And when she did not come they were uneasy in their minds, +and Angus hurried back to Brugh na Boinn. And when he found the sunny +house empty, he went in search of Fuamach, and it was along with +Etarlaim, the Druid, he found her, and he struck her head off there and +then. + +And for seven years Etain was blown to and fro through Ireland in great +misery. And at last she came to the house of Etar, of Inver Cechmaine, +where there was a feast going on, and she fell from a beam of the roof +into the golden cup that was beside Etar's wife. And Etar's wife drank +her down with the wine, and at the end of nine months she was born again +as Etar's daughter. + +And she had the same name as before, Etain; and she was reared as a +king's daughter, and there were fifty young girls, daughters of princes, +brought up with her to keep her company. + +And it happened one day Etain and all the rest of the young girls were +out bathing in the bay at Inver Cechmaine, and they saw from the water a +man, with very high looks, coming towards them over the plain, and he +riding a bay horse with mane and tail curled. A long green cloak he had +on him, and a shirt woven with threads of red gold, and a brooch of gold +that reached across to his shoulders on each side. And he had on his +back a shield of silver with a rim of gold and a boss of gold, and in +his hand a sharp-pointed spear covered with rings of gold from heel to +socket. Fair yellow hair he had, coming over his forehead, and it bound +with a golden band to keep it from loosening. + +And when he came near them he got down from his horse, and sat down on +the bank, and it is what he said: + +"It is here Etain is to-day, at the Mound of Fair Women. It is among +little children is her life on the strand of Inver Cechmaine. + +"It is she healed the eye of the king from the well of Loch da Lig; it +is she was swallowed in a heavy drink by the wife of Etar. + +"Many great battles will happen for your sake to Echaid of Midhe; +destruction will fall upon the Sidhe, and war on thousands of men." + +And when he had said that, he vanished, and no one knew where he went. +And they did not know the man that had come to them was Midhir of Bri +Leith. + +And when Etain was grown to be a beautiful young woman, she was seen by +Eochaid Feidlech, High King of Ireland, and this is the way that +happened. + +He was going one time over the fair green of Bri Leith, and he saw at +the side of a well a woman, with a bright comb of gold and silver, and +she washing in a silver basin having four golden birds on it, and little +bright purple stones set in the rim of the basin. A beautiful purple +cloak she had, and silver fringes to it, and a gold brooch; and she had +on her a dress of green silk with a long hood, embroidered in red gold, +and wonderful clasps of gold and silver on her breasts and on her +shoulder. The sunlight was falling on her, so that the gold and the +green silk were shining out. Two plaits of hair she had, four locks in +each plait, and a bead at the point of every lock, and the colour of her +hair was like yellow flags in summer, or like red gold after it is +rubbed. + +There she was, letting down her hair to wash it, and her arms out +through the sleeve-holes of her shift. Her soft hands were as white as +the snow of a single night, and her eyes as blue as any blue flower, and +her lips as red as the berries of the rowan-tree, and her body as white +as the foam of a wave. The bright light of the moon was in her face, the +highness of pride in her eyebrows, a dimple of delight in each of her +cheeks, the light of wooing in her eyes, and when she walked she had a +step that was steady and even like the walk of a queen. + +And Eochaid sent his people to bring her to him, and he asked her name, +and she told him her name was Etain, daughter of Etar, King of the +Riders of the Sidhe. And Eochaid gave her his love, and he paid the +bride-price, and brought her home to Teamhair as his wife, and there was +a great welcome before her there. + +And after a while there was a great feast made at Teamhair, and all the +chief men of Ireland came to it, and it lasted from the fortnight before +Samhain to the fortnight after it. And King Eochaid's brother Ailell, +that was afterwards called Ailell Anglonach, of the Only Fault, came to +the feast. And when he saw his brother's wife Etain, he fell in love +with her on the moment, and all through the length of the feast he was +not content unless he could be looking at her. And a woman, the daughter +of Luchta Lamdearg, of the Red Hand, took notice of it, and she said: +"What far thing are you looking at, Ailell? It is what I think, that to +be looking the way you are doing is a sign of love." Then Ailell checked +himself, and did not look towards Etain any more. + +But when the feast was at an end, and the gathering broken up, great +desire and envy came on Ailell, so that he fell sick, and they brought +him to a house in Teffia. And he stopped there through the length of a +year, and he was wasting away, but he told no one the cause of his +sickness. And at the end of the year, Eochaid came to visit his brother, +and he passed his hand over his breast, and Ailell let a groan. "What +way are you?" said Eochaid then. "Are you getting any easier, for you +must not let this illness come to a bad end." "By my word," said Ailell, +"it is not easier I am, but worse and worse every day and every night." +"What is it ails you?" said Eochaid. "And what is it that is coming +against you." "By my word, I cannot tell you that," said Ailell. "I will +bring one here that will know the cause of your sickness," said the +king. + +With that he sent Fachtna, his own physician, to Ailell; and when he +came he passed his hand over Ailell's heart, and at that he groaned +again. "This sickness will not be your death," said Fachtna then; "and I +know well what it comes from. It is either from the pains of jealousy, +or from love you have given, and that you have not found a way out of." +But there was shame on Ailell, and he would not confess to the physician +that what he said was right. So Fachtna went away then and left him. + +As to King Eochaid, he went away to visit all the provinces of Ireland +that were under his kingship, and he left Etain after him, and it is +what he said: "Good Etain," he said, "take tender care of Ailell so long +as he is living; and if he should die from us, make a sodded grave for +him, and raise a pillar stone over it, and write his name on it in +Ogham." And with that he went away on his journey. + +One day, now, Etain went into the house where Ailell was lying in his +sickness, and they talked together, and then she made a little song for +him, and it is what she said: + +"What is it ails you, young man, for it is a long time you are wasted +with this sickness, and it is not the hardness of the weather has +stopped your light footstep." + +And Ailell answered her in the same way, and he said: "I have good cause +for my hurt; the music of my own harp does not please me; there is no +sort of food is pleasant to me, and so I am wasted away." Then Etain +said: "Tell me what is it ails you, for I am a woman that is wise. Tell +me is there anything that would cure you, the way I may help you to it?" +And Ailell answered her: "O kind, beautiful woman, it is not good to +tell a secret to a woman, but sometimes it may be known through the +eyes." And Etain said: "Though it is bad to tell a secret, yet it ought +to be told now, or how can help be given to you?" And Ailell answered: +"My blessing on you, fair-haired Etain. It is not fit I am to be spoken +with; my wits have been no good help to me; my body is a rebel to me. +All Ireland knows, O king's wife, there is sickness in my head and in my +body." And Etain said: "If there is a woman of the fair-faced women of +Ireland tormenting you this way, she must come to you here if it +pleases you; and it is I myself will woo her for you," she said. + +Then Ailell said to her: "Woman, it would be easy for you yourself to +put my sickness from me. And my desire," he said, "is a desire that is +as long as a year; but it is love given to an echo, the spending of +grief on a wave, a lonely fight with a shadow, that is what my love and +my desire have been to me." + +And it is then Etain knew what was the sickness that was on him, and it +was a heavy trouble to her. + +But she came to him every day to tend him, and to make ready his food, +and to pour water over his hands, and all she could do she did for him, +for it was a grief to her, he to wither away and to be lost for her +sake. And at last one day she said to him: "Rise up, Ailell, son of a +king, man of high deeds, and I will do your healing." + +Then he put his arms about her, and she kissed him, and she said: "Come +at the morning of to-morrow at the break of day to the house outside the +dun, and I will give you all your desire." + +That night Ailell lay without sleep until the morning was at hand. And +at the very time he should have risen to go to her, it was at that time +his sleep settled down upon him, and he slept on till the full light of +day. + +But Etain went to the house outside the dun, and she was not long there +when she saw a man coming towards her having the appearance of Ailell, +sick and tired and worn. But when he came near and she looked closely at +him, she saw it was not Ailell that was in it. Then he went away, and +after she had waited a while, she herself went back into the dun. + +And it was then Ailell awoke, and when he knew the morning had passed +by, he would sooner have had death than life, and he fretted greatly. +And Etain came in then, and he told her what had happened him. And she +said: "Come to-morrow to the same place." + +But the same thing happened the next day. And when it happened on the +third day, and the same man came to meet Etain, she said to him: "It is +not you at all I come to meet here, and why is it that you come to meet +me? And as to him I came to meet," she said, "indeed it is not for gain +or through lightness I bade him come to me, but to heal him of the +sickness he is lying under for my sake." Then the man said: "It would be +more fitting for you to come to meet me than any other one. For in the +time long ago," he said, "I was your first husband, and your first man." +"What is it you are saying," she said, "and who are you yourself?" "It +is easy to tell that," he said; "I am Midhir of Bri Leith." "And what +parted us if I was your wife?" said Etain. "It was through Fuamach's +sharp jealousy and through the spells of Bresal Etarlaim, the Druid, we +were parted. And will you come away with me now?" he said. But Etain +said: "It is not for a man whose kindred is unknown I will give up the +High King of Ireland." And Midhir said: "Surely it was I myself put that +great desire for you on Ailell, and it was I hindered him from going to +meet you, the way you might keep your good name." + +And when she went back to Ailell's house, she found his sickness was +gone from him, and his desire. And she told him all that had happened, +and he said: "It has turned out well for us both: I am well of my +sickness and your good name is not lessened." "We give thanks to our +gods for that," said Etain, "for we are well pleased to have it so." + +And just at that time Eochaid came back from his journey, and they told +him the whole story, and he was thankful to his wife for the kindness +she had showed to Ailell. + +It was a good while after that, there was a great fair held at Teamhair, +and Etain was out on the green looking at the games and the races. And +she saw a rider coming towards her, but no one could see him but +herself; and when he came near she saw he had the same appearance as +the man that came and spoke with her and her young girls the time they +were out in the sea at Inver Cechmaine. And when he came up to her he +began to sing words to her that no one could hear but herself. And it is +what he said: + +"O beautiful woman, will you come with me to the wonderful country that +is mine? It is pleasant to be looking at the people there, beautiful +people without any blemish; their hair is of the colour of the +flag-flower, their fair body is as white as snow, the colour of the +foxglove is on every cheek. The young never grow old there; the fields +and the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's +eggs; warm, sweet streams of mead and of wine flow through that country; +there is no care and no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we +ourselves are not seen. + +"Though the plains of Ireland are beautiful, it is little you would +think of them after our great plain; though the ale of Ireland is heady, +the ale of the great country is still more heady. O beautiful woman, if +you come to my proud people it is the flesh of pigs newly killed I will +give you for food; it is ale and new milk I will give you for drink; it +is feasting you will have with me there; it is a crown of gold you will +have upon your hair, O beautiful woman! + +"And will you come there with me, Etain?" he said. But Etain said she +would not leave Eochaid the High King. "Will you come if Eochaid gives +you leave?" Midhir said then. "I will do that," said Etain. + +One day, after that time, Eochaid the High King was looking out from his +palace at Teamhair, and he saw a strange man coming across the plain. +Yellow hair he had, and eyes blue and shining like the flame of a +candle, and a purple dress on him, and in his hand a five-pronged spear +and a shield having gold knobs on it. + +He came up to the king, and the king bade him welcome. "Who are you +yourself?" he said; "and what are you come for, for you are a stranger +to me?" "If I am a stranger to you, you are no stranger to me, for I +have known you this long time," said the strange man. "What is your +name?" said the king. "It is nothing very great," said he; "I am called +Midhir of Bri Leith." "What is it brings you here?" said Eochaid. "I am +come to play a game of chess with you," said the stranger. "Are you a +good player?" said the king. "A trial will tell you that," said Midhir. +"The chessboard is in the queen's house, and she is in her sleep at this +time," said Eochaid. "That is no matter," said Midhir, "for I have with +me a chess-board as good as your own." And with that he brought out his +chessboard, and it made of silver, and precious stones shining in every +corner of it. And then he brought out the chessmen, and they made of +gold, from a bag that was of shining gold threads. + +"Let us play now," said Midhir. "I will not play without a stake," said +the king. "What stake shall We play for?" said Midhir. "We can settle +that after the game is over," said the king. + +They played together then, and Midhir was beaten, and it is what the +king asked of him, fifty brown horses to be given to him. And then they +played the second time, and Midhir was beaten again, and this time the +king gave him four hard things to do: to make a road over Moin Lamraide, +and to clear Midhe of stones, and to cover the district of Tethra with +rushes, and the district of Darbrech with trees. + +So Midhir brought his people from Bri Leith to do those things, and it +is bard work they had doing them. And Eochaid used to be out watching +them, and he took notice that when the men of the Sidhe yoked their +oxen, it was by the neck and the shoulder they used to yoke them, and +not by the forehead and the head. And it was after Eochaid taught his +people to yoke them that way, he was given the name of Eochaid Airem, +that is, of the Plough. + +And when all was done, Midhir came to Eochaid again, looking thin and +wasted enough with the dint of the hard work he had been doing, and he +asked Eochaid to play the third game with him. Eochaid agreed, and it +was settled as before, the stake to be settled by the winner. It was +Midhir won the game that time, and when the king asked him what he +wanted, "It is Etain, your wife, I want," said he. "I will not give her +to you," said the king. "All I will ask then," said Midhir, "is to put +my arms about her and to kiss her once." "You may do that," said the +king, "if you will wait to the end of a month." So Midhir agreed to +that, and went away for that time. + +At the end of the month he came back again, and stood in the great hall +at Teamhair, and no one had ever seen him look so comely as he did that +night. And Eochaid had all his best fighting men gathered in the hall, +and he shut all the doors of the palace when he saw Midhir come in, for +fear he would try to bring away Etain by force. + +"I am come to be paid what is due to me," said Midhir. "I have not been +thinking of it up to this time," said Eochaid, and there was anger on +him. "You promised me Etain, your wife," said Midhir. The redness of +shame came on Etain when she heard that, but Midhir said: "Let there be +no shame on you, Etain, for it is through the length of a year I have +been asking your love, and I have offered you every sort of treasure and +riches, and you refused to come to me till such a time as your husband +would give you leave." "It is true I said that," said Etain, "I will go +if Eochaid gives me up to you." "I will not give you up," said Eochaid; +"I will let him do no more than put his arms about you in this place, as +was promised him." "I will do that," said Midhir. + +With that he took his sword in his left hand, and he took Etain in his +right arm and kissed her. All the armed men in the house made a rush at +him then, but he rose up through the roof bringing Etain with him, and +when they rushed out of the house to follow him, all they could see was +two swans high up in the air, linked together by a chain of gold. + +There was great anger on Eochaid then, and he went and searched all +through Ireland, but there were no tidings of them to be had, for they +were in the houses of the Sidhe. + +It was to the Brugh of Angus on the Boinn they went first, and after +they had stopped there a while they went to a hill of the Sidhe in +Connacht. And there was a serving-maid with Etain at that time, Cruachan +Croderg her name was, and she said to Midhir: "Is this your own place we +are in?" "It is not," said Midhir; "my own place is nearer to the rising +of the sun." She was not well pleased to stop there when she heard that, +and Midhir said to quiet her: "It is your own name will be put on this +place from this out." And the hill was called the Hill of Cruachan from +that time. + +Then they went to Bri Leith; and Etain's daughter Esa came to them +there, and she brought a hundred of every sort of cattle with her, and +Midhir fostered her for seven years. And all through that time Eochaid +the High King was making a search for them. + +But at last Codal of the Withered Breast took four rods of yew and wrote +Oghams on them, and through them and through his enchantments he found +out that Etain was with Midhir in Bri Leith. + +So Eochaid went there, and made an attack on the place, and he was for +nine years besieging it, and Midhir was driving him away. And then his +people began digging through the hill; and when they were getting near +to where Etain was, Midhir sent three times twenty beautiful women, +having all of them the appearance of Etain, and he bade the king choose +her out from among them. And the first he chose was his own daughter +Esa. But then Etain called to him, and he knew her, and he brought her +home to Teamhair. + +And Eochaid gave his daughter Esa her choice of a place for herself. And +she chose it, and made a rath there, that got the name of Rath Esa. And +from it she could see three notable places, the Hill of the Sidhe in +Broga, and the Hill of the Hostages in Teamhair, and Dun Crimthain on +Beinn Edair. + +But there was great anger on Midhir and his people because of their hill +being attacked and dug into. And it was in revenge for that insult they +brought Conaire, High King of Ireland, that was grandson of Eochaid and +of Etain, to his death afterwards at Da Derga's Inn. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. MANANNAN + + +Now as to Manannan the Proud, son of Lir, after he had made places for +the rest of the Tuatha de Danaan to live in, he went away out of Ireland +himself. And some said he was dead, and that he got his death by Uillenn +Faebarderg, of the Red Edge, in battle. And it is what they said, that +the battle was fought at Magh Cuilenn, and that Manannan was buried +standing on his feet, and no sooner was he buried than a great lake +burst up under his feet in the place that was a red bog till that time. +And the lake got the name of Loch Orbson, from one of the names of +Manannan. And it was said that red Badb was glad and many women were +sorry at that battle. + +But he had many places of living, and he was often heard of in Ireland +after. It was he sent a messenger to Etain, mother of Conaire the High +King, the time she was hidden in the cowherd's house. And it was he +brought up Deirdre's children in Emhain of the Apple Trees, and it was +said of that place, "a house of peace is the hill of the Sidhe of +Emhain." And it was he taught Diarmuid of the Fianna the use of weapons, +and it was he taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg, and some say it +was he was Deirdre's father, and that he brought Conchubar, king of +Ulster, to the place she was hidden, and he running with the appearance +of a hare before the hounds of the men of Ulster to bring them there. + +And it is what they say, that the time Conchubar had brought the sons of +Usnach to Emain Macha, and could not come at them to kill them because +of their bravery, it was to Manannan he went for help. And Manannan said +he would give him no help, for he had told him at the time he brought +Deirdre away that she would be the cause of the breaking up of his +kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him. But Conchubar asked him +to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army +would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to +that. And when the sons of Usnach came out again against the army of +Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they +struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another's hands +they fell. But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was +Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death +by his enchantments. + +And some say Culain, the Smith, that gave his name to Cuchulain +afterwards, was Manannan himself, for he had many shapes. + +Anyway, before Culain came to Ulster, he was living in the Island of +Falga, that was one of Manannan's places. And one time before Conchubar +came into the kingdom, he went to ask advice of a Druid, and the Druid +bade him to go to the Island of Falga and to ask Culain, the smith he +would find there, to make arms for him. So Conchubar did so, and the +smith promised to make a sword and spear and shield for him. + +And while he was working at them Conchubar went out one morning early to +walk on the strand, and there he saw a sea-woman asleep on the shore. +And he put bonds on her in her sleep, the way she would not make her +escape. But when she awoke and saw what had happened, she asked him to +set her free. "And I am Tiabhal," she said, "one of the queens of the +sea. And bid Culain," she said, "that is making your shield for you, to +put my likeness on it and my name about it. And whenever you will go +into a battle with that shield the strength of your enemies will lessen, +and your own strength and the strength of your people will increase." + +So Conchubar let her go, and bade the smith do as she had told him. And +when he went back to Ireland he got the victory wherever he brought that +shield. + +And he sent for Culain then, and offered him a place on the plains of +Muirthemne. And whether he was or was not Manannan, it is likely he gave +Cuchulain good teaching the time he stopped with him there after killing +his great dog. + +Manannan had good hounds one time, but they went hunting after a pig +that was destroying the whole country, and making a desert of it. And +they followed it till they came to a lake, and there it turned on them, +and no hound of them escaped alive, but they were all drowned or maimed. +And the pig made for an island then, that got the name of Muc-inis, the +Pigs Island afterwards; and the lake got the name of Loch Conn, the +Lake of the Hounds. + +And it was through Manannan the wave of Tuaig, one of the three great +waves of Ireland, got its name, and this is the way that happened. + +There was a young girl of the name of Tuag, a fosterling of Conaire the +High King, was reared in Teamhair, and a great company of the daughters +of the kings of Ireland were put about her to protect her, the way she +would be kept for a king's asking. But Manannan sent Fer Ferdiad, of the +Tuatha de Danaan, that was a pupil of his own and a Druid, in the shape +of a woman of his own household, and he went where Tuag was, and sang a +sleep-spell over her, and brought her away to Inver Glas. And there he +laid her down while he went looking for a boat, that he might bring her +away in her sleep to the Land of the Ever-Living Women. But a wave of +the flood-tide came over the girl, and she was drowned, and Manannan +killed Fer Ferdiad in his anger. + +And one time Manannan's cows came up out of the sea at Baile Cronin, +three of them, a red, and a white, and a black, and the people that were +there saw them standing on the strand for a while, as if thinking, and +then they all walked up together, side by side, from the strand. And at +that time there were no roads in Ireland, and there was great wonder on +the people when they saw a good wide road ready before the three cows to +walk on. And when they got about a mile from the sea they parted; the +white cow went to the north-west, towards Luimnech, and the red cow went +to the south-west, and on round the coast of Ireland, and the black cow +went to the north-east, towards Lis Mor, in the district of Portlairge, +and a road opened before each of them, that is to be seen to this day. + +And some say it was Manannan went to Finn and the Fianna in the form of +the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant, and brought them away to +Land-under-Wave. Anyway, he used often to go hunting with them on Cnoc +Aine, and sometimes he came to their help. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. MANANNAN AT PLAY + + +And it was he went playing tricks through Ireland a long time after that +again, the time he got the name of O'Donnell's Kern. And it is the way +it happened, Aodh Dubh O'Donnell was holding a feast one time in +Bel-atha Senaig, and his people were boasting of the goodness of his +house and of his musicians. + +And while they were talking, they saw a clown coming towards them, old +striped clothes he had, and puddle water splashing in his shoes, and his +sword sticking out naked behind him, and his ears through the old cloak +that was over his head, and in his hand he had three spears of hollywood +scorched and blackened. + +He wished O'Donnell good health, and O'Donnell did the same to him, and +asked where did he come from. "It is where I am," he said, "I slept last +night at Dun Monaidhe, of the King of Alban; I am a day in Ile, a day in +Cionn-tire, a day in Rachlainn, a day in the Watchman's Seat in Slieve +Fuad; a pleasant, rambling, wandering man I am, and it is with yourself +I am now, O'Donnell," he said. "Let the gate-keeper be brought to me," +said O'Donnell. And when the gate-keeper came, he asked was it he let in +this man, and the gate-keeper said he did not, and that he never saw him +before. "Let him off, O'Donnell," said the stranger, "for it was as easy +for me to come in, as it will be to me to go out again." There was +wonder on them all then, any man to have come into the house without +passing the gate. + +The musicians began playing their music then, and all the best musicians +of the country were there at the time, and they played very sweet tunes +on their harps. But the strange man called out: "By my word, O'Donnell, +there was never a noise of hammers beating on iron in any bad place was +so bad to listen to as this noise your people are making." + +With that he took a harp, and he made music that would put women in +their pains and wounded men after a battle into a sweet sleep, and it is +what O'Donnell said: "Since I first heard talk of the music of the Sidhe +that is played in the hills and under the earth below us, I never heard +better music than your own. And it is a very sweet player you are," he +said. "One day I am sweet, another day I am sour," said the clown. + +Then O'Donnell bade his people to bring him up to sit near himself. "I +have no mind to do that," he said; "I would sooner be as I am, an ugly +clown, making sport for high-up people." Then O'Donnell sent him down +clothes, a hat and a striped shirt and a coat, but he would not have +them. "I have no mind," he said, "to let high-up people be making a +boast of giving them to me." + +They were afraid then he might go from them, and they put twenty armed +horsemen and twenty men on foot to hold him back from leaving the house, +and as many more outside at the gate, for they knew him not to be a man +of this world. "What are these men for?" said he. "They are to keep you +here," said O'Donnell. "By my word, it is not with you I will be eating +my supper to-morrow," he said, "but at Cnoc Aine, where Seaghan, Son of +the Earl is, in Desmumain." "If I find you giving one stir out of +yourself, between this and morning, I will knock you into a round lump +there on the ground," said O'Donnell. + +But at that the stranger took up the harp again, and he made the same +sweet music as before. And when they were all listening to him, he +called out to the men outside: "Here I am coming, and watch me well now +or you will lose me." When the men that were watching the gate heard +that, they lifted up their axes to strike at him, but in their haste it +was at one another they struck, till they were all lying stretched in +blood. Then the clown said to the gate-keeper: "Let you ask twenty cows +and a hundred of free land of O'Donnell as a fee for bringing his people +back to life. And take this herb," he said, "and rub it in the mouth of +each man of them, and he will rise up whole and well again." So the +gate-keeper did that, and he got the cows and the land from O'Donnell, +and he brought all the people to life again. + +Now at that time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, was holding a gathering on +the green in front of his dun, and he saw the same man coming towards +him, and dressed in the same way, and the water splashing in his shoes. +But when he asked who was he, he gave himself the name of a very learned +man, Duartane O'Duartane, and he said it was by Ess Ruadh he was come, +and by Ceiscorainn and from that to Corrslieve, and to Magh Lorg of the +Dagda, and into the district of Hy'Conaill Gabhra, "till I came to +yourself," he said, "by Cruachan of Magh Ai." So they brought him into +the house, and gave him wine for drinking and water for washing his +feet, and he slept till the rising of the sun on the morrow. And at that +time Seaghan, Son of the Earl, came to visit him, and he said: "It is a +long sleep you had, and there is no wonder in that, and your journey so +long yesterday. But I often heard of your learning in books and of your +skill on the harp, and I would like to hear you this morning," he said. +"I am good in those arts indeed," said the stranger. So they brought him +a book, but he could not read a word of it, and then they brought him a +harp, and he could not play any tune. "It is likely your reading and +your music are gone from you," said Seaghan; and he made a little rann +on him, saying it was a strange thing Duartane O'Duartane that had such +a great name not to be able to read a line of a book, or even to +remember one. But when the stranger heard how he was being mocked at, he +took up the book, and read from the top to the bottom of the page very +well and in a sweet-sounding voice. And after that he took the harp and +played and sang the same way he did at O'Donnell's house the day before. +"It is a very sweet man of learning you are," said Seaghan. "One day I +am sweet, another day I am sour," said the stranger. + +They walked out together then on Cnoc Aine, but while they were talking +there, the stranger was gone all of a minute, and Seaghan, Son of the +Earl, could not see where he went. + +And after that he went on, and he reached Sligach just at the time +O'Conchubar was setting out with the men of Connacht to avenge the +Connacht hag's basket on the hag of Munster. And this time he gave +himself the name of the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant. And he joined +with the men of Connacht, and they went over the Sionnan westward into +Munster, and there they hunted and drove every creature that could be +made travel, cattle and horses and flocks, into one place, till they got +the hornless bull of the Munster hag and her two speckled cows, and +O'Conchubar brought them away to give to the Connacht hag in +satisfaction for her basket. + +But the men of Munster made an attack on them as they were going back; +and the Gilla Decair asked O'Conchubar would he sooner have the cows +driven, or have the Munster men checked, and he said he would sooner +have the Munster men checked. So the Gilla Decair turned on them, and +with his bow and twenty-four arrows he kept them back till O'Conchubar +and his people were safe out of their reach in Connacht. + +But he took some offence then, on account of O'Conchubar taking the +first drink himself when they came to his house, and not giving it to +him, that had done so much, and he took his leave and went from them on +the moment. + +After that he went to where Tadg O'Cealaigh was, and having his old +striped clothes and his old shoes as before. And when they asked him +what art he had, he said: "I am good at tricks. And if you will give me +five marks I will show you a trick," he said. "I will give that," said +Tadg. + +With that the stranger put three rushes on the palm of his hand. "I will +blow away the middle rush now," he said, "and the other two will stop as +they are." So they told him to do that, and he put the tops of two of +his fingers on the two outside rushes, and blew the middle one away. +"There is a trick now for you, Tadg O'Cealaigh," he said then. "By my +word, that is not a bad trick," said O'Cealaigh. But one of his men +said: "That there may be no good luck with him that did it. And give me +the half of that money now, Tadg," he said, "and I will do the same +trick for you myself." "I will give you the half of what I got if you +will do it," said the stranger. So the other put the rushes on his hand, +but if he did, when he tried to do the trick, his two finger-tips went +through the palm of his hand. "Ob-Ob-Ob!" said the stranger, "that is +not the way I did the trick. But as you have lost the money," he said, +"I will heal you again." + +"I could do another trick for you," he said; "I could wag the ear on +one side of my head and the ear on the other side would stay still." "Do +it then," said O'Cealaigh. So the man of tricks took hold of one of his +ears and wagged it up and down. "That is a good trick indeed," said +O'Cealaigh. "I will show you another one now," he said. + +With that he took from his bag a thread of silk, and gave a cast of it +up into the air, that it was made fast to a cloud. And then he took a +hare out of the same bag, and it ran up the thread; and then took out a +little dog and laid it on after the hare, and it followed yelping on its +track; and after that again he brought out a little serving-boy and bade +him to follow dog and hare up the thread. Then out of another bag he had +with him he brought out a beautiful, well-dressed young woman, and bade +her to follow after the hound and the boy, and to take care and not let +the hare be torn by the dog. She went up then quickly after them, and it +was a delight to Tadg O'Cealaigh to be looking at them and to be +listening to the sound of the hunt going on in the air. + +All was quiet then for a long time, and then the man of tricks said: "I +am afraid there is some bad work going on up there." "What is that?" +said O'Cealaigh. "I am thinking," said he, "the hound might be eating +the hare, and the serving-boy courting the girl." "It is likely enough +they are," said O'Cealaigh. With that the stranger drew in the thread, +and it is what he found, the boy making love to the girl and the hound +chewing the bones of the hare. There was great anger on the man of +tricks when he saw that, and he took his sword and struck the head off +the boy. "I do not like a thing of that sort to be done in my presence," +said Tadg O'Cealaigh. "If it did not please you, I can set all right +again," said the stranger. And with that he took up the head and made a +cast of it at the body, and it joined to it, and the young man stood +up, but if he did his face was turned backwards. "It would be better for +him to be dead than to be living like that," said O'Cealaigh. When the +man of tricks heard that, he took hold of the boy and twisted his head +straight, and he was as well as before. + +And with that the man of tricks vanished, and no one saw where was he +gone. + +That is the way Manannan used to be going round Ireland, doing tricks +and wonders. And no one could keep him in any place, and if he was put +on a gallows itself, he would be found safe in the house after, and some +other man on the gallows in his place. But he did no harm, and those +that would be put to death by him, he would bring them to life again +with a herb out of his bag. + +And all the food he would use would be a vessel of sour milk and a few +crab-apples. And there never was any music sweeter than the music he +used to be playing. + + + + +CHAPTER X. HIS CALL TO BRAN + + +And there were some that went to Manannan's country beyond the sea, and +that gave an account of it afterwards. + +One time Bran, son of Febal, was out by himself near his dun, and he +heard music behind him. And it kept always after him, and at last he +fell asleep with the sweetness of the sound. And when he awoke from his +sleep he saw beside him a branch of silver, and it having white +blossoms, and the whiteness of the silver was the same as the whiteness +of the blossoms. + +And he brought the branch in his hand into the royal house, and when all +his people were with him they saw a woman with strange clothing standing +in the house. + +And she began to make a song for Bran, and all the people were looking +at her and listening to her, and it is what she said: + +"I bring a branch of the apple-tree from Emhain, from the far island +around which are the shining horses of the Son of Lir. A delight of the +eyes is the plain where the hosts hold their games; curragh racing +against chariot in the White Silver Plain to the south. + +"There are feet of white bronze under it, shining through life and time; +a comely level land through the length of the world's age, and many +blossoms falling on it. + +"There is an old tree there with blossoms, and birds calling from among +them; every colour is shining there, delight is common, and music, in +the Gentle-Voiced Plain, in the Silver Cloud Plain to the south. + +"Keening is not used, or treachery, in the tilled familiar land; there +is nothing hard or rough, but sweet music striking on the ear. + +"To be without grief, without sorrow, without death, without any +sickness, without weakness; that is the sign of Emhain; it is not common +wonder that is. + +"There is nothing to liken its mists to, the sea washes the wave against +the land; brightness falls from its hair. + +"There are riches, there are treasures of every colour in the Gentle +Land, the Bountiful Land. Sweet music to be listening to; the best of +wine to drink. + +"Golden chariots in the Plain of the Sea, rising up to the sun with the +tide; silver chariots and bronze chariots on the Plain of Sports. + +"Gold-yellow horses on the strand, and crimson horses, and others with +wool on their backs, blue like the colour of the sky. + +"It is a day of lasting weather, silver is dropping on the land; a pure +white cliff on the edge of the sea, getting its warmth from the sun. + +"The host race over the Plain of Sports; it is beautiful and not weak +their game is; death or the ebbing of the tide will not come to them in +the Many-Coloured Land. + +"There will come at sunrise a fair man, lighting up the level lands; he +rides upon the plain that is beaten by the waves, he stirs the sea till +it is like blood. + +"An army will come over the clear sea, rowing to the stone that is in +sight, that a hundred sounds of music come from. + +"It sings a song to the army; it is not sad through the length of time; +it increases music with hundreds singing together; they do not look for +death or the ebb-tide. + +"There are three times fifty far islands in the ocean to the west of us, +and every one of them twice or three times more than Ireland. + +"It is not to all of you I am speaking, though I have made all these +wonders known. Let Bran listen from the crowd of the world to all the +wisdom that has been told him. + +"Do not fall upon a bed of sloth; do not be overcome by drunkenness; set +out on your voyage over the clear sea, and you may chance to come to the +Land of Women." + +With that the woman went from them, and they did not know where she +went. And she brought away her branch with her, for it leaped into her +hand from Bran's hand, and he had not the strength to hold it. + +Then on the morrow Bran set out upon the sea, and three companies of +nine along with him; and one of his foster-brothers and comrades was set +over each company of nine. + +And when they had been rowing for two days and two nights, they saw a +man coming towards them in a chariot, over the sea. And the man made +himself known to them, and he said that he was Manannan, son of Lir. + +And then Manannan spoke to him in a song, and it is what he said: + +"It is what Bran thinks, he is going in his curragh over the wonderful, +beautiful clear sea; but to me, from far off in my chariot, it is a +flowery plain he is riding on. + +"What is a clear sea to the good boat Bran is in, is a happy plain with +many flowers to me in my two-wheeled chariot. + +"It is what Bran sees, many waves beating across the clear sea; it is +what I myself see, red flowers without any fault. + +"The sea-horses are bright in summer-time, as far as Bran's eyes can +reach; there is a wood of beautiful acorns under the head of your little +boat. + +"A wood with blossom and with fruit, that has the smell of wine; a wood +without fault, without withering, with leaves of the colour of gold. + +"Let Bran row on steadily, it is not far to the Land of Women; before +the setting of the sun you will reach Emhain, of many-coloured +hospitality." + +With that Bran went from him; and after a while he saw an island, and he +rowed around it, and there was a crowd on it, wondering at them, and +laughing; and they were all looking at Bran and at his people, but they +would not stop to talk with them, but went on giving out gusts of +laughter. Bran put one of his men on the island then, but he joined with +the others, and began to stare the same way as the men of the island. +And Bran went on rowing round about the island; and whenever they went +past his own man, his comrades would speak to him, but he would not +answer them, but would only stare and wonder at them. So they went away +and left him on that island that is called the Island of Joy. + +It was not long after that they reached to the Land of Women. And they +saw the chief one of the women at the landing-place, and it is what she +said: "Come hither to land, Bran, son of Febal, it is welcome your +coming is." But Bran did not dare to go on shore. Then the woman threw a +ball of thread straight to him, and he caught it in his hand, and it +held fast to his palm, and the woman kept the thread in her own hand, +and she pulled the curragh to the landing-place. + +On that they went into a grand house, where there was a bed for every +couple, three times nine beds. And the food that was put on every dish +never came to an end, and they had every sort of food and of drink they +wished for. + +And it seemed to them they were only a year there when the desire of +home took hold on one of them, Nechtan, son of Collbrain, and his +kinsmen were begging and praying Bran to go back with him to Ireland. +The woman said there would be repentance on them if they went; but in +spite of that they set out in the end. And the woman said to them not to +touch the land when they would come to Ireland, and she bade them to +visit and to bring with them the man they left in the Island of Joy. + +So they went on towards Ireland till they came to a place called Srub +Bruin. And there were people on the strand that asked them who they were +that were coming over the sea. And Bran said: "I am Bran, son of Febal." +But the people said: "We know of no such man, though the voyage of Bran +is in our very old stories." + +Then Nechtan, son of Collbrain, made a leap out of the curragh, and no +sooner did he touch the shore of Ireland than he was a heap of ashes, +the same as if he had been in the earth through hundreds of years. + +And then Bran told the whole story of his wanderings to the people, +from the beginning. And after that he bade them farewell, and his +wanderings from that time are not known. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC + + +And another that went to Manannan's country was Cormac, grandson of +Conn, King of Teamhair, and this is the way it happened. He was by +himself in Teamhair one time, and he saw an armed man coming towards +him, quiet, with high looks, and having grey hair; a shirt ribbed with +gold thread next his skin, broad shoes of white bronze between his feet +and the ground, a shining branch, having nine apples of red gold, on his +shoulder. And it is delightful the sound of that branch was, and no one +on earth would keep in mind any want, or trouble, or tiredness, when +that branch was shaken for him; and whatever trouble there might be on +him, he would forget it at the sound. + +Then Cormac and the armed man saluted one another, and Cormac asked +where did he come from. "I come," he said, "from a country where there +is nothing but truth, and where there is neither age nor withering away, +nor heaviness, nor sadness, nor jealousy nor envy, nor pride." "That is +not so with us," said Cormac, "and I would be well pleased to have your +friendship," he said. "I am well pleased to give it," said the stranger. +"Give me your branch along with it," said Cormac. "I will give it," said +the stranger, "if you will give me the three gifts I ask in return." "I +will give them to you indeed," said Cormac. + +Then the strange man left the branch and went away, and Cormac did not +know where was he gone to. + +He went back then into the royal house, and there was wonder on all the +people when they saw the branch. And he shook it at them, and it put +them all asleep from that day to the same time on the morrow. + +At the end of a year the strange man came back again, and he asked for +the first of his three requests. "You will get it," said Cormac. "I will +take your daughter, Aille, to-day," said the stranger. + +So he brought away the girl with him, and the women of Ireland gave +three loud cries after the king's daughter. But Cormac shook the branch +at them, until it put away sorrow from them, and put them all into their +sleep. + +That day month the stranger came again, and he brought Cormac's son, +Carpre Lifecar, away with him. There was crying and lamenting without +end in Teamhair after the boy, and on that night no one ate or slept, +and they were all under grief and very downhearted. But when Cormac +shook the branch their sorrow went from them. + +Then the stranger came the third time, and Cormac asked him what did he +want. "It is your wife, Ethne, I am asking this time," he said. And he +went away then, bringing Ethne, the queen, along with him. + +But Cormac would not bear that, and he went after them, and all his +people were following him. But in the middle of the Plain of the Wall, a +thick mist came on them, and when it was gone, Cormac found himself +alone on a great plain. And he saw a great dun in the middle of the +plain, with a wall of bronze around it, and in the dun a house of white +silver, and it half thatched with the white wings of birds. And there +was a great troop of the Riders of the Sidhe all about the house, and +their arms full of white birds' wings for thatching. But as soon as they +would put on the thatch, a blast of wind would come and carry it away +again. + +Then he saw a man kindling a fire, and he used to throw a thick +oak-tree upon it. And when he would come back with a second tree, the +first one would be burned out. "I will be looking at you no longer," +Cormac said then, "for there is no one here to tell me your story, and I +think I could find good sense in your meanings if I understood them," he +said. + +Then he went on to where there was another dun, very large and royal, +and another wall of bronze around it, and four houses within it. And he +went in and saw a great king's house, having beams of bronze and walls +of silver, and its thatch of the wings of white birds. And then he saw +on the green a shining well, and five streams flowing from it, and the +armies drinking water in turn, and the nine lasting purple hazels of +Buan growing over it. And they were dropping their nuts into the water, +and the five salmon would catch them and send their husks floating down +the streams. And the sound of the flowing of those streams is sweeter +than any music that men sing. + +Then he went into the palace, and he found there waiting for him a man +and a woman, very tall, and having clothes of many colours. The man was +beautiful as to shape, and his face wonderful to look at; and as to the +young woman that was with him, she was the loveliest of all the women of +the world, and she having yellow hair and a golden helmet. And there was +a bath there, and heated stones going in and out of the water of +themselves, and Cormac bathed himself in it. + +"Rise up, man of the house," the woman said after that, "for this is a +comely traveller is come to us; and if you have one kind of food or meat +better than another, let it be brought in." The man rose up then and he +said: "I have but seven pigs, but I could feed the whole world with +them, for the pig that is killed and eaten to-day, you will find it +alive again to-morrow." + +Another man came into the house then, having an axe in his right hand, +and a log in his left hand, and a pig behind him. + +"It is time to make ready," said the man of the house, "for we have a +high guest with us to-day." + +Then the man struck the pig and killed it, and he cut the logs and made +a fire and put the pig on it in a cauldron. "It is time for you to turn +it," said the master of the house after a while. "There would be no use +doing that," said the man, "for never and never will the pig be boiled +until a truth is told for every quarter of it." "Then let you tell yours +first," said the master of the house. "One day," said the man, "I found +another man's cows in my land, and I brought them with me into a cattle +pound. The owner of the cows followed me, and he said he would give me a +reward to let the cows go free. So I gave them back to him, and he gave +me an axe, and when a pig is to be killed, it is with the axe it is +killed, and the log is cut with it, and there is enough wood to boil the +pig, and enough for the palace besides. And that is not all, for the log +is found whole again in the morning. And from that time till now, that +is the way they are." + +"It is true indeed that story is," said the man of the house. + +They turned the pig in the cauldron then, and but one quarter of it was +found to be cooked. "Let us tell another true story," they said. "I will +tell one," said the master of the house. "Ploughing time had come, and +when we had a mind to plough that field outside, it is the way we found +it, ploughed, and harrowed, and sowed with wheat. When we had a mind to +reap it, the wheat was found in the haggard, all in one thatched rick. +We have been using it from that day to this, and it is no bigger and no +less." + +Then they turned the pig, and another quarter was found to be ready. "It +is my turn now," said the woman. "I have seven cows," she said, "and +seven sheep. And the milk of the seven cows would satisfy the whole of +the men of the world, if they were in the plain drinking it, and it is +enough for all the people of the Land of Promise, and it is from the +wool of the seven sheep all the clothes they wear are made." And at that +story the third quarter of the pig was boiled. + +"If these stories are true," said Cormac to the man of the house, "you +are Manannan, and this is Manannan's wife; for no one on the whole ridge +of the world owns these treasures but himself. It was to the Land of +Promise he went to look for that woman, and he got those seven cows with +her." + +They said to Cormac that it was his turn now. So Cormac told them how +his wife, and his son, and his daughter, had been brought away from him, +and how he himself had followed them till he came to that place. + +And with that the whole pig was boiled, and they cut it up, and Cormac's +share was put before him. "I never used a meal yet," said he, "having +two persons only in my company." The man of the house began singing to +him then, and put him asleep. And when he awoke, he saw fifty armed men, +and his son, and his wife, and his daughter, along with them. There was +great gladness and courage on him then, and ale and food were given out +to them all. And there was a gold cup put in the hand of the master of +the house, and Cormac was wondering at it, for the number of the shapes +on it, and for the strangeness of the work. "There is a stranger thing +yet about it," the man said; "let three lying words be spoken under it, +and it will break into three, and then let three true words be spoken +under it, and it will be as good as before." So he said three lying +words under it, and it broke in three pieces. "It is best to speak truth +now under it," he said, "and to mend it. And I give my word, Cormac," he +said, "that until to-day neither your wife or your daughter has seen the +face of a man since they were brought away from you out of Teamhair, and +that your son has never seen the face of a woman." And with that the cup +was whole again on the moment. "Bring away your wife and your children +with you now," he said, "and this cup along with them, the way you will +have it for judging between truth and untruth. And I will leave the +branch with you for music and delight, but on the day of your death they +will be taken from you again." "And I myself," he said, "am Manannan, son +of Lir, King of the Land of Promise, and I brought you here by +enchantments that you might be with me to-night in friendship. + +"And the Riders you saw thatching the house," he said, "are the men of +art and poets, and all that look for a fortune in Ireland, putting +together cattle and riches. For when they go out, all that they leave in +their houses goes to nothing, and so they go on for ever. + +"And the man you saw kindling the fire," he said, "is a young lord that +is more liberal than he can afford, and every one else is served while +he is getting the feast ready, and every one else profiting by it. + +"And the well you saw is the Well of Knowledge, and the streams are the +five streams through which all knowledge goes. And no one will have +knowledge who does not drink a draught out of the well itself or out of +the streams. And the people of many arts are those who drink from them +all." + +And on the morning of the morrow, when Cormac rose up, he found himself +on the green of Teamhair, and his wife, and his son, and his daughter, +along with him, and he having his branch and his cup. And it was given +the name of Cormac's Cup, and it used to judge between truth and +falsehood among the Gael. But it was not left in Ireland after the night +of Cormac's death, as Manannan had foretold him. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. CLIODNA'S WAVE + +And it was in the time of the Fianna of Ireland that Ciabhan of the +Curling Hair, the king of Ulster's son, went to Manannan's country. + +Ciabhan now was the most beautiful of the young men of the world at that +time, and he was as far beyond all other kings' sons as the moon is +beyond the stars. And Finn liked him well, but the rest of the Fianna +got to be tired of him because there was not a woman of their women, wed +or unwed, but gave him her love. And Finn had to send him away at the +last, for he was in dread of the men of the Fianna because of the +greatness of their jealousy. + +So Ciabhan went on till he came to the Strand of the Cairn, that is +called now the Strand of the Strong Man, between Dun Sobairce and the +sea. And there he saw a curragh, and it having a narrow stern of copper. +And Ciabhan got into the curragh, and his people said: "Is it to leave +Ireland you have a mind, Ciabhan?" "It is indeed," he said, "for in +Ireland I get neither shelter or protection." He bade farewell to his +people then, and he left them very sorrowful after him, for to part with +him was like the parting of life from the body. + +And Ciabhan went on in the curragh, and great white shouting waves rose +up about him, every one of them the size of a mountain; and the +beautiful speckled salmon that are used to stop in the sand and the +shingle rose up to the sides of the curragh, till great dread came on +Ciabhan, and he said: "By my word, if it was on land I was I could make +a better fight for myself" + +And he was in this danger till he saw a rider coming towards him on a +dark grey horse having a golden bridle, and he would be under the sea +for the length of nine waves, and he would rise with the tenth wave, and +no wet on him at all. And he said: "What reward would you give to +whoever would bring you out of this great danger?" "Is there anything in +my hand worth offering you?" said Ciabhan. "There is," said the rider, +"that you would give your service to whoever would give you his help." +Ciabhan agreed to that, and he put his hand into the rider's hand. + +With that the rider drew him on to the horse, and the curragh came on +beside them till they reached to the shore of Tir Tairngaire, the Land +of Promise. They got off the horse there, and came to Loch Luchra, the +Lake of the Dwarfs, and to Manannan's city, and a feast was after being +made ready there, and comely serving-boys were going round with smooth +horns, and playing on sweet-sounding harps till the whole house was +filled with the music. + +Then there came in clowns, long-snouted, long-heeled, lean and bald and +red, that used to be doing tricks in Manannan's house. And one of these +tricks was, a man of them to take nine straight willow rods, and to +throw them up to the rafters of the house, and to catch them again as +they came down, and he standing on one leg, and having but one hand +free. And they thought no one could do that trick but themselves, and +they were used to ask strangers to do it, the way they could see them +fail. + +So this night when one of them had done the trick, he came up to +Ciabhan, that was beyond all the Men of Dea or the Sons of the Gael that +were in the house, in shape and in walk and in name, and he put the nine +rods in his hand. And Ciabhan stood up and he did the feat before them +all, the same as if he had never learned to do any other thing. + +Now Gebann, that was a chief Druid in Manannan's country, had a +daughter, Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that had never given her love to any +man. But when she saw Ciabhan she gave him her love, and she agreed to +go away with him on the morrow. + +And they went down to the landing-place and got into a curragh, and they +went on till they came to Teite's Strand in the southern part of +Ireland. It was from Teite Brec the Freckled the strand got its name, +that went there one time for a wave game, and three times fifty young +girls with her, and they were all drowned in that place. + +And as to Ciabhan, he came on shore, and went looking for deer, as was +right, under the thick branches of the wood; and he left the young girl +in the boat on the strand. + +But the people of Manannan's house came after them, having forty ships. +And Iuchnu, that was in the curragh with Cliodna, did treachery, and he +played music to her till she lay down in the boat and fell asleep. And +then a great wave came up on the strand and swept her away. + +And the wave got its name from Cliodna of the Fair Hair, that will be +long remembered. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. HIS CALL TO CONNLA + + +And it is likely it was Manannan sent his messenger for Connla of the +Red Hair the time he went away out of Ireland, for it is to his country +Connla was brought; and this is the way he got the call. + +It chanced one day he was with his father Conn, King of Teamhair, on the +Hill of Uisnach, and he saw a woman having wonderful clothing coming +towards him. "Where is it you come from?" he asked her. "I come," she +said, "from Tir-nam-Beo, the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, where no +death comes. We use feasts that are lasting," she said, "and we do every +kind thing without quarrelling, and we are called the people of the +Sidhe." "Who are you speaking to, boy?" said Conn to him then, for no +one saw the strange woman but only Connla. "He is speaking to a high +woman that death or old age will never come to," she said. "I am asking +him to come to Magh Mell, the Pleasant Plain where the triumphant king +is living, and there he will be a king for ever without sorrow or fret. +Come with me, Connla of the Red Hair," she said, "of the fair freckled +neck and of the ruddy cheek; come with me, and your body will not wither +from its youth and its comeliness for ever." + +They could all hear the woman's words then, though they could not see +her, and it is what Conn said to Coran his Druid: "Help me, Coran, you +that sing spells of the great arts. There is an attack made on me that +is beyond my wisdom and beyond my power, I never knew so strong an +attack since the first day I was a king. There is an unseen figure +fighting with me; she is using her strength against me to bring away my +beautiful son; the call of a woman is bringing him away from the hands +of the king." + +Then Coran, the Druid, began singing spells against the woman of the +Sidhe, the way no one would hear her voice, and Connla could not see her +any more. But when she was being driven away by the spells of the Druid, +she threw an apple to Connla. + +And through the length of a month from that time, Connla used no other +food nor drink but that apple, for he thought no other food or drink +worth the using. And for all he ate of it, the apple grew no smaller, +but was whole all the while. And there was great trouble on Connla on +account of the woman he had seen. + +And at the end of a month Connla was at his father's side in Magh +Archomnim, and he saw the same woman coming towards him, and it is what +she said: "It is a high place indeed Connla has among dying people, and +death before him. But the Ever-Living Living Ones," she said, "are +asking you to take the sway over the people of Tethra, for they are +looking at you every day in the gatherings of your country among your +dear friends." + +When Conn, the king, heard her voice, he said to his people: "Call +Coran, the Druid to me, for I hear the sound of the woman's voice +again." But on that she said: "O Conn, fighter of a hundred, it is +little love and little respect the wonderful tribes of Traig Mor, the +Great Strand, have for Druids; and where its law comes, it scatters the +spells on their lips." + +Then Conn looked to his son Connla to see what he would say, and Connla +said: "My own people are dearer to me than any other thing, yet sorrow +has taken hold of me because of this woman." Then the woman spoke to him +again, and it is what she said: "Come now into my shining ship, if you +will come to the Plain of Victory. There is another country it would not +be worse for you to look for; though the bright sun is going down, we +shall reach to that country before night. That is the country that +delights the mind of every one that turns to me. There is no living race +in it but women and girls only." + +And when the woman had ended her song, Connla made a leap from his +people into the shining boat, and they saw him sailing away from them +far off and as if in a mist, as far as their eyes could see. It is away +across the sea they went, and they have never come back again, and only +the gods know where was it they went. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. TADG IN MANANNAN'S ISLANDS + + +And another that went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, but that came +back again, was Tadg, son of Cian, son of Olioll; and this is the way +that happened. + +It was one time Tadg was going his next heir's round, into the west of +Munster, and his two brothers, Airnelach and Eoghan, along with him. And +Cathmann, son of Tabarn, that was king of the beautiful country of +Fresen that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain, was searching the +sea for what he could find just at that time, and nine of his ships with +him. And they landed at Beire do Bhunadas, to the west of Munster, and +the country had no stir in it, and so they slipped ashore, and no one +took notice of them till all were surrounded, both men and cattle. And +Tadg's wife Liban, daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh of the Red Brows, and +his two brothers, and a great many of the people of Munster, were taken +by the foreigners and brought away to the coasts of Fresen. And Cathmann +took Liban to be his own wife, and he put hardship on Tadg's two +brothers: Eoghan he put to work a common ferry across a channel of the +coast, and Airnelach to cut firing and to keep up fires for all the +people; and all the food they got was barley seed and muddy water. + +And as to Tadg himself, it was only by his courage and the use of his +sword he made his escape, but there was great grief and discouragement +on him, his wife and his brothers to have been brought away. But he had +forty of his fighting men left that had each killed a man of the +foreigners, and they had brought one in alive. And this man told them +news of the country he came from. And when Tadg heard that, he made a +plan in his own head, and he gave orders for a curragh to be built that +would be fit for a long voyage. Very strong it was, and forty ox-hides +on it of hard red leather, that was after being soaked in bark. And it +was well fitted with masts, and oars, and pitch, and everything that was +wanting. And they put every sort of meat, and drink, and of clothes in +it, that would last them through the length of a year. + +When all was ready, and the curragh out in the tide, Tadg said to his +people: "Let us set out now on the high sea, looking for our own people +that are away from us this long time." + +They set out then over the stormy, heavy flood, till at last they saw no +land before them or behind them, but only the hillsides of the great +sea. And farther on again they heard the singing of a great flock of +unknown birds; and pleasant white-bellied salmon were leaping about the +curragh on every side, and seals, very big and dark, were coming after +them, breaking through the shining wash of the oars; and great whales +after them again, so that the young men liked to be looking at them, for +they were not used to see the like before. + +They went on rowing through twenty days and twenty nights, and at the +end of that time they got sight of a high land, having a smooth coast. +And when they reached it they all landed, and they pulled up the curragh +and lit their fires, and food was given out to them, and they were not +long making an end of it. They made beds for themselves then on the +beautiful green grass, and enjoyed their sleep till the rising of the +sun on the morrow. + +Tadg rose up then and put on his arms, and went out, and thirty of his +men along with him, to search the whole island. + +They went all through it, but they found no living thing on it, man or +beast, but only flocks of sheep. And the size of the sheep was past all +telling, as big as horses they were, and the whole island was filled +with their wool. And there was one great flock beyond all the others, +all of very big rams, and one of them was biggest of all, nine horns he +had, and he charged on Tadg's chief men, attacking them and butting at +them. + +There was vexation on them then, and they attacked him again, and there +was a struggle between them. And at the first the ram broke through five +of their shields. But Tadg took his spear that there was no escape from, +and made a lucky cast at the ram and killed him. And they brought the +ram to the curragh and made it ready for the young men to eat, and they +stopped three nights on the island, and every night it was a sheep they +had for their food. And they gathered a good share of the wool and put +it in the curragh because of the wonder and the beauty of it. And they +found the bones of very big men on the island, but whether they died of +sickness or were killed by the rams they did not know. + +They left that island then and went forward till they found two strange +islands where there were great flocks of wonderful birds, like +blackbirds, and some of them the size of eagles or of cranes, and they +red with green heads on them, and the eggs they had were blue and pure +crimson. And some of the men began eating the eggs, and on the moment +feathers began to grow out on them. But they went bathing after that, +and the feathers dropped off them again as quick as they came. + +It was the foreigner they had with them gave them the course up to this +time, for he had been on the same track before. But now they went on +through the length of six weeks and never saw land, and he said then, +"We are astray on the great ocean that has no boundaries." Then the wind +with its sharp voice began to rise, and there was a noise like the +tramping of feet in the sea, and it rose up into great mountains hard to +climb, and there was great fear on Tadg's people, for they had never +seen the like. But he began to stir them up and to rouse them, and he +bade them to meet the sea like men. "Do bravery," he said, "young men of +Munster, and fight for your lives against the waves that are rising up +and coming at the sides of the curragh." Tadg took one side of the +curragh then and his men took the other side, and he was able to pull it +round against the whole twenty-nine of them, and to bale it out and keep +it dry along with that. And after a while they got a fair wind and put +up their sail, the way less water came into the curragh, and then the +sea went down and lay flat and calm, and there were strange birds of +many shapes singing around them in every part. They saw land before them +then, with a good coast, and with that courage and gladness came on +them. + +And when they came nearer to the land they found a beautiful inver, a +river's mouth, with green hills about it, and the bottom of it sandy and +as bright as silver, and red-speckled salmon in it, and pleasant woods +with purple tree-tops edging the stream. "It is a beautiful country +this is," said Tadg, "and it would be happy for him that would be always +in it; and let you pull up the ship now," he said, "and dry it out." + +A score of them went forward then into the country, and a score stopped +to mind the curragh. And for all the cold and discouragement and bad +weather they had gone through, they felt no wish at all for food or for +fire, but the sweet smell of the crimson branches in the place they were +come to satisfied them. They went on through the wood, and after a while +they came to an apple garden having red apples in it, and leafy +oak-trees, and hazels yellow with nuts. "It is a wonder to me," said +Tadg, "to find summer here, and it winter time in our own country." + +It was a delightful place they were in, but they went on into another +wood, very sweet smelling, and round purple berries in it, every one of +them bigger than a man's head, and beautiful shining birds eating the +berries, strange birds they were, having white bodies and purple heads +and golden beaks. And while they were eating the berries they were +singing sweet music, that would have put sick men and wounded men into +their sleep. + +Tadg and his men went farther on again till they came to a great smooth +flowery plain with a dew of honey over it, and three steep hills on the +plain, having a very strong dun on every one of them. And when they got +to the nearest hill they found a white-bodied woman, the best of the +women of the whole world, and it is what she said: "Your coming is +welcome, Tadg, son of Cian, and there will be food and provision for you +as you want it." + +"I am glad of that welcome," said Tadg; "and tell me now, woman of sweet +words," he said, "what is that royal dun on the hill, having walls of +white marble around it?" "That is the dun of the royal line of the kings +of Ireland, from Heremon, son of Miled, to Conn of the Hundred Battles, +that was the last to go into it." "What is the name of this country?" +Tadg said then. "It is Inislocha, the Lake Island," she said, "and there +are two kings over it, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb." And then +she told Tadg the whole story of Ireland, to the time of the coming of +the Sons of the Gael. "That is well," said Tadg then, "and you have good +knowledge and learning. And tell me now," he said, "who is living in +that middle dun that has the colour of gold?" "It is not myself will +tell you that," she said, "but go on to it yourself and you will get +knowledge of it." And with that she went from them into the dun of white +marble. + +Tadg and his men went on then till they came to the middle dun, and +there they found a queen of beautiful shape, and she wearing a golden +dress. "Health to you, Tadg," she said. "I thank you for that," said +Tadg. "It is a long time your coming on this journey was foretold," she +said. "What is your name?" he asked then. "I am Cesair," she said, "the +first that ever reached Ireland. But since I and the men that were with +me came out of that dark, unquiet land, we are living for ever in this +country." + +"Tell me, woman," said Tadg, "who is it lives in that dun having a wall +of gold about it?" "It is not hard to tell that," she said, "every king, +and every chief man, and every noble person that was in a high place of +all those that had power in Ireland, it is in that dun beyond they are; +Parthalon and Nemed, Firbolgs and Tuatha de Danaan." "It is good +knowledge and learning you have," said Tadg. "Indeed I have good +knowledge of the history of the world," she said, "and this island," she +said, "is the fourth paradise of the world; and as to the others, they +are Inis Daleb to the south, and Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's +Paradise in the east of the world." "Who is there living in that dun +with the silver walls?" said Tadg then. "I will not tell you that, +although I have knowledge of it," said the woman; "but go to the +beautiful hill where it is, and you will get knowledge of it." + +They went on then to the third hill, and on the top of the hill was a +very beautiful resting-place, and two sweethearts there, a boy and a +girl, comely and gentle. Smooth hair they had, shining like gold, and +beautiful green clothes of the one sort, and any one would think them to +have had the same father and mother. Gold chains they had around their +necks, and bands of gold above those again. And Tadg spoke to them: "O +bright, comely children," he said, "it is a pleasant place you have +here." And they answered him back, and they were praising his courage +and his strength and his wisdom, and they gave him their blessing. + +And it is how the young man was, he had a sweet-smelling apple, having +the colour of gold, in his hand, and he would eat a third part of it, +and with all he would eat, it would never be less. And that was the food +that nourished the two of them, and neither age or sorrow could touch +them when once they had tasted it. + +"Who are you yourself?" Tadg asked him then. "I am son to Conn of the +Hundred Battles," he said. "Is it Connla you are?" said Tadg. "I am +indeed," said the young man, "and it is this girl of many shapes that +brought me here." And the girl said: "I have given him my love and my +affection, and it is because of that I brought him to this place, the +way we might be looking at one another for ever, and beyond that we have +never gone." + +"That is a beautiful thing and a strange thing," said Tadg, "and a thing +to wonder at. And who is there in that grand dun with the silver +walls?" he said. "There is no one at all in it," said the girl. "What is +the reason of that?" said Tadg. "It is for the kings that are to rule +Ireland yet," she said; "and there will be a place in it for yourself, +Tadg. And come now," she said, "till you see it." + +The lovers went on to the dun, and it is hardly the green grass was bent +under their white feet. And Tadg and his people went along with them. + +They came then to the great wonderful house that was ready for the +company of the kings; it is a pleasant house that was, and any one would +like to be in it. Walls of white bronze it had, set with crystal and +with carbuncles, that were shining through the night as well as through +the day. + +Tadg looked out from the house then, and he saw to one side of him a +great sheltering apple-tree, and blossoms and ripe fruit on it. "What is +that apple tree beyond?" said Tadg. "It is the fruit of that tree is +food for the host in this house," said the woman. "And it was an apple +of that apple-tree brought Connla here to me; a good tree it is, with +its white-blossomed branches, and its golden apples that would satisfy +the whole house." + +And then Connla and the young girl left them, and they saw coming +towards them a troop of beautiful women. And there was one among them +was most beautiful of all, and when she was come to them she said: "A +welcome to you, Tadg." "I thank you for that welcome," said Tadg; "and +tell me," he said, "who are you yourself?" "I am Cliodna of the Fair +Hair," she said, "daughter of Gebann, son of Treon, of the Tuatha de +Danaan, a sweetheart of Ciabhan of the Curling Hair; and it is from me +Cliodna's wave on the coast of Munster got its name; and I am a long +time now in this island, and it is the apples of that tree you saw that +we use for food." And Tadg was well pleased to be listening to her talk, +but after a while he said: "It is best for us to go on now to look for +our people." "We will be well pleased if you stop longer with us," said +the woman. + +And while she was saying those words they saw three beautiful birds +coming to them, one of them blue and his head crimson, and one was +crimson and his head green, and the third was speckled and his head the +colour of gold, and they lit on the great apple-tree, and every bird of +them ate an apple, and they sang sweet music then, that would put sick +men into their sleep. + +"Those birds will go with you," Cliodna said then; "they will give you +guidance on your way, and they will make music for you, and there will +be neither sorrow or sadness on you, by land or by sea, till you come to +Ireland. And bring away this beautiful green cup with you," she said, +"for there is power in it, and if you do but pour water into it, it will +be turned to wine on the moment. And do not let it out of your hand," +she said, "but keep it with you; for at whatever time it will escape +from you, your death will not be far away. And it is where you will meet +your death, in the green valley at the side of the Boinn; and it is a +wandering wild deer will give you a wound, and after that, it is +strangers will put an end to you. And I myself will bury your body, and +there will be a hill over it, and the name it will get is Croidhe Essu." + +They went out of the shining house then, and Cliodna of the Fair Hair +went with them to the place they had left their ship, and she bade their +comrades a kindly welcome; and she asked them how long had they been in +that country. "It seems to us," they said, "we are not in it but one day +only." "You are in it through the whole length of a year," said she, +"and through all that time you used neither food nor drink. But however +long you would stop here," she said, "cold or hunger would never come on +you." "It would be a good thing to live this way always," said Tadg's +people when they heard that. But he himself said: "It is best for us to +go on and to look for our people. And we must leave this country, +although it is displeasing to us to leave it." + +Then Cliodna and Tadg bade farewell to one another, and she gave her +blessing to him and to his people. And they set out then over the ridges +of the sea; and they were downhearted after leaving that country until +the birds began to sing for them, and then their courage rose up, and +they were glad and light-hearted. + +And when they looked back they could not see the island they had come +from, because of a Druid mist that came on it and hid it from them. + +Then by the leading of the birds they came to the country of Fresen, and +they were in a deep sleep through the whole voyage. And then they +attacked the foreigners and got the better of them, and Tadg killed +Cathmann, the king, after a hard fight; and Liban his wife made no +delay, and came to meet her husband and her sweetheart, and it is glad +she was to see him. + +And after they had rested a while they faced the sea again, and Tadg and +his wife Liban, and his two brothers, and a great many other treasures +along with them, and they came home to Ireland safely at the last. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN + + +And another that went to visit Magh Mell, the Happy Plain, was Laegaire, +son of the King of Connacht, Crimthan Cass. + +He was out one day with the king, his father, near Loch na-n Ean, the +Lake of Birds, and the men of Connacht with them, and they saw a man +coming to them through the mist. Long golden-yellow hair he had, and it +streaming after him, and at his belt a gold-hilted sword, and in his +hand two five-barbed darts, a gold-rimmed shield on his back, a +five-folded crimson cloak about his shoulders. + +"Give a welcome to the man that is coming towards you," said Laegaire, +that had the best name of all the men of Connacht, to his people. And to +the stranger he said: "A welcome to the champion we do not know." + +"I am thankful to you all," said he. + +"What is it you are come for, and where are you going?" said Laegaire +then. + +"I am come to look for the help of fighting men," said the stranger. +"And my name," he said, "is Fiachna, son of Betach, of the men of the +Sidhe; and it is what ails me, my wife was taken from my pillow and +brought away by Eochaid, son of Sal. And we fought together, and I +killed him, and now she is gone to a brother's son of his, Goll, son of +Dalbh, king of a people of Magh Mell. Seven battles I gave him, but they +all went against me; and on this very day there is another to be fought, +and I am come to ask help. And to every one that deserves it, I will +give a good reward of gold and of silver for that help." + +And it is what he said: + +"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; it is not +far from this; it is a host of the men of the Sidhe full of courage are +stirring up pools of blood upon it. + +"We have drawn red blood from the bodies of high nobles; many women are +keening them with cries and with tears. + +"The men of the host in good order go out ahead of their beautiful king; +they march among blue spears, white troops of fighters with curled hair. + +"They scatter the troops of their enemies, they destroy every country +they make an attack on; they are beautiful in battle, a host with high +looks, rushing, avenging. + +"It is no wonder they to have such strength: every one of them is the +son of a king and a queen; manes of hair they have of the colour of +gold. + +"Their bodies smooth and comely; their eyes blue and far-seeing; their +teeth bright like crystal, within their thin red lips. + +"White shields they have in their hands, with patterns on them of white +silver; blue shining swords, red horns set with gold. + +"They are good at killing men in battle; good at song-making, good at +chess-playing. + +"The most beautiful of plains is the Plain of the Two Mists; the men of +the Sidhe are stirring up pools of blood on it; it is not far from this +place." + +"It would be a shameful thing not to give our help to this man," said +Laegaire. + +Fiachna, son of Betach, went down into the lake then, for it was out of +it he had come, and Laegaire went down into it after him, and fifty +fighting men along with him. + +They saw a strong place before them then, and a company of armed men, +and Goll, son of Dalbh, at the head of them. + +"That is well," said Laegaire, "I and my fifty men will go out against +this troop." "I will answer you," said Goll, son of Dalbh. + +The two fifties attacked one another then, and Goll fell, but Laegaire +and his fifty escaped with their lives and made a great slaughter of +their enemies, that not one of them made his escape. + +"Where is the woman now?" said Laegaire. "She is within the dun of Magh +Mell, and a troop of armed men keeping guard about it," said Fiachna. +"Let you stop here, and I and my fifty will go there," said Laegaire. + +So he and his men went on to the dun, and Laegaire called out to the men +that were about it: "Your king has got his death, your chief men have +fallen, let the woman come out, and I will give you your own lives." The +men agreed to that, and they brought the woman out. And when she came +out she made this complaint: + +"It is a sorrowful day that swords are reddened for the sake of the dear +dead body of Goll, son of Dalbh. It was he that loved me, it was himself +I loved, it is little Laegaire Liban cares for that. + +"Weapons were hacked and were split by Goll; it is to Fiachna, son of +Betach, I must go; it is Goll son of Dalbh, I loved." + +And that complaint got the name of "The Lament of the Daughter of +Eochaid the Dumb." + +Laegaire went back with her then till he put her hand in Fiachna's hand. +And that night Fiachna's daughter, Deorgreine, a Tear of the Sun, was +given to Laegaire as his wife, and fifty other women were given to his +fifty fighting men, and they stopped with them there to the end of a +year. + +And at the end of that time, Laegaire said: "Let us go and ask news of +our own country." "If you have a mind to go," said Fiachna, "bring +horses with you; but whatever happens," he said, "do not get off from +them." + +So they set out then; and when they got back to Ireland, they found a +great gathering of the whole of the men of Connacht that were keening +them. + +And when the men of Connacht saw them coming they rose up to meet them, +and to bid them welcome. But Laegaire called out: "Do not come to us, +for it is to bid you farewell we are here." "Do not go from us again," +said Crimthan, his father, "and I will give you the sway over the three +Connachts, their silver and their gold, their horses and their bridles, +and their beautiful women, if you will not go from us." + +And it is what Laegaire said: "In the place we are gone to, the armies +move from kingdom to kingdom, they listen to the sweet-sounding music of +the Sidhe, they drink from shining cups, we talk with those we love, it +is beer that falls instead of rain. + +"We have brought from the dun of the Pleasant Plain thirty cauldrons, +thirty drinking horns; we have brought the complaint that was sung by +the Sea, by the daughter of Eochaid the Dumb. + +"There is a wife for every man of the fifty; my own wife to me is the +Tear of the Sun; I am made master of a blue sword; I would not give for +all your whole kingdom one night of the nights of the Sidhe." + +With that Laegaire turned from them, and went back to the kingdom. And +he was made king there along with Fiachna, son of Betach, and his +daughter, and he did not come out of it yet. + + + + +BOOK FIVE: THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR + + +Now at the time when the Tuatha de Danaan chose a king for themselves +after the battle of Tailltin, and Lir heard the kingship was given to +Bodb Dearg, it did not please him, and he left the gathering without +leave and with no word to any one; for he thought it was he himself had +a right to be made king. But if he went away himself, Bodb was given the +kingship none the less, for not one of the five begrudged it to him but +only Lir, And it is what they determined, to follow after Lir, and to +burn down his house, and to attack himself with spear and sword, on +account of his not giving obedience to the king they had chosen. "We +will not do that," said Bodb Dearg, "for that man would defend any place +he is in; and besides that," he said, "I am none the less king over the +Tuatha de Danaan, although he does not submit to me." + +All went on like that for a good while, but at last a great misfortune +came on Lir, for his wife died from him after a sickness of three +nights. And that came very hard on Lir, and there was heaviness on his +mind after her. And there was great talk of the death of that woman in +her own time. + +And the news of it was told all through Ireland, and it came to the +house of Bodb, and the best of the Men of Dea were with him at that +time. And Bodb said: "If Lir had a mind for it," he said, "my help and +my friendship would be good for him now, since his wife is not living to +him. For I have here with me the three young girls of the best shape, +and the best appearance, and the best name in all Ireland, Aobh, Aoife, +and Ailbhe, the three daughters of Oilell of Aran, my own three +nurselings." The Men of Dea said then it was a good thought he had, and +that what he said was true. + +Messages and messengers were sent then from Bodb Dearg to the place Lir +was, to say that if he had a mind to join with the Son of the Dagda and +to acknowledge his lordship, he would give him a foster-child of his +foster-children. And Lir thought well of the offer, and he set out on +the morrow with fifty chariots from Sidhe Fionnachaidh; and he went by +every short way till he came to Bodb's dwelling-place at Loch Dearg, and +there was a welcome before him there, and all the people were merry and +pleasant before him, and he and his people got good attendance that +night. + +And the three daughters of Oilell of Aran were sitting on the one seat +with Bodb Dearg's wife, the queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was +their foster-mother. And Bodb said: "You may have your choice of the +three young girls, Lir." "I cannot say," said Lir, "which one of them is +my choice, but whichever of them is the eldest, she is the noblest, and +it is best for me to take her." "If that is so," said Bodb, "it is Aobh +is the eldest, and she will be given to you, if it is your wish." "It is +my wish," he said. And he took Aobh for his wife that night, and he +stopped there for a fortnight, and then he brought her away to his own +house, till he would make a great wedding-feast. + +And in the course of time Aobh brought forth two children, a daughter +and a son, Fionnuala and Aodh their names were. And after a while she +was brought to bed again, and this time she gave birth to two sons, and +they called them Fiachra and Conn. And she herself died at their birth. +And that weighed very heavy on Lir, and only for the way his mind was +set on his four children he would have gone near to die of grief. + +The news came to Bodb Dearg's place, and all the people gave out three +loud, high cries, keening their nursling. And after they had keened her +it is what Bodb Dearg said: "It is a fret to us our daughter to have +died, for her own sake and for the sake of the good man we gave her to, +for we are thankful for his friendship and his faithfulness. However," +he said, "our friendship with one another will not be broken, for I will +give him for a wife her sister Aoife." + +When Lir heard that, he came for the girl and married her, and brought +her home to his house. And there was honour and affection with Aoife for +her sister's children; and indeed no person at all could see those four +children without giving them the heart's love. + +And Bodb Dearg used often to be going to Lir's house for the sake of +those children; and he used to bring them to his own place for a good +length of time, and then he would let them go back to their own place +again. And the Men of Dea were at that time using the Feast of Age in +every hill of the Sidhe in turn; and when they came to Lir's hill those +four children were their joy and delight, for the beauty of their +appearance; and it is where they used to sleep, in beds in sight of +their father Lir. And he used to rise up at the break of every morning, +and to lie down among his children. + +But it is what came of all this, that a fire of jealousy was kindled in +Aoife, and she got to have a dislike and a hatred of her sister's +children. + +Then she let on to have a sickness, that lasted through nearly the +length of a year. And the end of that time she did a deed of jealousy +and cruel treachery against the children of Lir. + +And one day she got her chariot yoked, and she took the four children +in it, and they went forward towards the house of Bodb Dearg; but +Fionnuala had no mind to go with her, for she knew by her she had some +plan for their death or their destruction, and she had seen in a dream +that there was treachery against them in Aoife's mind. But all the same +she was not able to escape from what was before her. + +And when they were on their way Aoife said to her people: "Let you kill +now," she said, "the four children of Lir, for whose sake their father +has given up my love, and I will give you your own choice of a reward +out of all the good things of the world." "We will not do that indeed," +said they; "and it is a bad deed you have thought of, and harm will come +to you out of it." + +And when they would not do as she bade them, she took out a sword +herself to put an end to the children with; but she being a woman and +with no good courage, and with no great strength in her mind, she was +not able to do it. + +They went on then west to Loch Dairbhreach, the Lake of the Oaks, and +the horses were stopped there. And Aoife bade the children of Lir to go +out and bathe in the lake, and they did as she bade them. And as soon as +Aoife saw them out in the lake she struck them with a Druid rod, and put +on them the shape of four swans, white and beautiful. And it is what she +said: "Out with you, children of the king, your luck is taken away from +you for ever; it is sorrowful the story will be to your friends; it is +with flocks of birds your cries will be heard for ever." + +And Fionnuala said: "Witch, we know now what your name is, you have +struck us down with no hope of relief; but although you put us from wave +to wave, there are times when we will touch the land. We shall get help +when we are seen; help, and all that is best for us; even though we +have to sleep upon the lake, it is our minds will be going abroad +early." + +And then the four children of Lir turned towards Aoife, and it is what +Fionnuala said: "It is a bad deed you have done, Aoife, and it is a bad +fulfilling of friendship, you to destroy us without cause; and vengeance +for it will come upon you, and you will fall in satisfaction for it, for +your power for our destruction is not greater than the power of our +friends to avenge it on you; and put some bounds now," she said, "to the +time this enchantment is to stop on us." "I will do that," said Aoife, +"and it is worse for you, you to have asked it of me. And the bounds I +set to your time are this, till the Woman from the South and the Man +from the North will come together. And since you ask to hear it of me," +she said, "no friends and no power that you have will be able to bring +you out of these shapes you are in through the length of your lives, +until you have been three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach, and three +hundred years on Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban, and three +hundred years at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire; and these are to be +your journeys from this out," she said. + +But then repentance came on Aoife, and she said: "Since there is no +other help for me to give you now, you may keep your own speech; and you +will be singing sweet music of the Sidhe, that would put the men of the +earth to sleep, and there will be no music in the world equal to it; and +your own sense and your own nobility will stay with you, the way it will +not weigh so heavy on you to be in the shape of birds. And go away out +of my sight now, children of Lir," she said, "with your white faces, +with your stammering Irish. It is a great curse on tender lads, they to +be driven out on the rough wind. Nine hundred years to be on the water, +it is a long time for any one to be in pain; it is I put this on you +through treachery, it is best for you to do as I tell you now. + +"Lir, that got victory with so many a good cast, his heart is a kernel +of death in him now; the groaning of the great hero is a sickness to me, +though it is I that have well earned his anger." + +And then the horses were caught for Aoife, and the chariot yoked for +her, and she went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a +welcome before her from the chief people of the place. And the son of +the Dagda asked her why she did not bring the children of Lir with her. +"I will tell you that," she said. "It is because Lir has no liking for +you, and he will not trust you with his children, for fear you might +keep them from him altogether." + +"I wonder at that," said Bodb Dearg, "for those children are dearer to +me than my own children." And he thought in his own mind it was deceit +the woman was doing on him, and it is what he did, he sent messengers to +the north to Sidhe Fionnachaidh. And Lir asked them what did they come +for. "On the head of your children," said they. "Are they not gone to +you along with Aoife?" he said. "They are not," said they; "and Aoife +said it was yourself would not let them come." + +It is downhearted and sorrowful Lir was at that news, for he understood +well it was Aoife had destroyed or made an end of his children. And +early in the morning of the morrow his horses were caught, and he set +out on the road to the south-west. And when he was as far as the shore +of Loch Dairbhreach, the four children saw the horses coming towards +them, and it is what Fionnuala said: "A welcome to the troop of horses I +see coming near to the lake; the people they are bringing are strong, +there is sadness on them; it is us they are following, it is for us they +are looking; let us move over to the shore, Aodh, Fiachra, and comely +Conn. Those that are coming can be no others in the world but only Lir +and his household." + +Then Lir came to the edge of the lake, and he took notice of the swans +having the voice of living people, and he asked them why was it they had +that voice. + +"I will tell you that, Lir," said Fionnuala. "We are your own four +children, that are after being destroyed by your wife, and by the sister +of our own mother, through the dint of her jealousy." "Is there any way +to put you into your own shapes again?" said Lir. "There is no way," +said Fionnuala, "for all the men of the world could not help us till we +have gone through our time, and that will not be," she said, "till the +end of nine hundred years." + +When Lir and his people heard that, they gave out three great heavy +shouts of grief and sorrow and crying. + +"Is there a mind with you," said Lir, "to come to us on the land, since +you have your own sense and your memory yet?" "We have not the power," +said Fionnuala, "to live with any person at all from this time; but we +have our own language, the Irish, and we have the power to sing sweet +music, and it is enough to satisfy the whole race of men to be listening +to that music. And let you stop here to-night," she said, "and we will +be making music for you." + +So Lir and his people stopped there listening to the music of the swans, +and they slept there quietly that night. And Lir rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and he made this complaint:-- + +"It is time to go out from this place. I do not sleep though I am in my +lying down. To be parted from my dear children, it is that is tormenting +my heart. + +"It is a bad net I put over you, bringing Aoife, daughter of Oilell of +Aran, to the house. I would never have followed that advice if I had +known what it would bring upon me. + +"O Fionnuala, and comely Conn, O Aodh, O Fiachra of the beautiful arms; +it is not ready I am to go away from you, from the border of the harbour +where you are." + +Then Lir went on to the palace of Bodb Dearg, and there was a welcome +before him there; and he got a reproach from Bodb Dearg for not bringing +his children along with him. "My grief!" said Lir. "It is not I that +would not bring my children along with me; it was Aoife there beyond, +your own foster-child and the sister of their mother, that put them in +the shape of four white swans on Loch Dairbhreach, in the sight of the +whole of the men of Ireland; but they have their sense with them yet, +and their reason, and their voice, and their Irish." + +Bodb Dearg gave a great start when he heard that, and he knew what Lir +said was true, and he gave a very sharp reproach to Aoife, and he said: +"This treachery will be worse for yourself in the end, Aoife, than to +the children of Lir. And what shape would you yourself think worst of +being in?" he said. + +"I would think worst of being a witch of the air," she said. "It is into +that shape I will put you now," said Bodb. And with that he struck her +with a Druid wand, and she was turned into a witch of the air there and +then, and she went away on the wind in that shape, and she is in it yet, +and will be in it to the end of life and time. + +As to Bodb Dearg and the Tuatha de Danaan they came to the shore of Loch +Dairbhreach, and they made their camp there to be listening to the music +of the swans. + +And the Sons of the Gael used to be coming no less than the Men of Dea +to hear them from every part of Ireland, for there never was any music +or any delight heard in Ireland to compare with that music of the swans. +And they used to be telling stories, and to be talking with the men of +Ireland every day, and with their teachers and their fellow-pupils and +their friends. And every night they used to sing very sweet music of the +Sidhe; and every one that heard that music would sleep sound and quiet +whatever trouble or long sickness might be on him; for every one that +heard the music of the birds, it is happy and contented he would be +after it. + +These two gatherings now of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Sons of the +Gael stopped there around Loch Dairbhreach through the length of three +hundred years. And it is then Fionnuala said to her brothers: "Do you +know," she said, "we have spent all we have to spend of our time here, +but this one night only." + +And there was great sorrow on the sons of Lir when they heard that, for +they thought it the same as to be living people again, to be talking +with their friends and their companions on Loch Dairbhreach, in +comparison with going on the cold, fretful sea of the Maoil in the +north. + +And they came early on the morrow to speak with their father and with +their foster-father, and they bade them farewell, and Fionnuala made +this complaint:-- + +"Farewell to you, Bodb Dearg, the man with whom all knowledge is in +pledge. And farewell to our father along with you, Lir of the Hill of +the White Field. + +"The time is come, as I think, for us to part from you, O pleasant +company; my grief it is not on a visit we are going to you. + +"From this day out, O friends of our heart, our comrades, it is on the +tormented course of the Maoil we will be, without the voice of any +person near us. + +"Three hundred years there, and three hundred years in the bay of the +men of Domnann, it is a pity for the four comely children of Lir, the +salt waves of the sea to be their covering by night. + +"O three brothers, with the ruddy faces gone from you, let them all +leave the lake now, the great troop that loved us, it is sorrowful our +parting is." + +After that complaint they took to flight, lightly, airily, till they +came to Sruth na Maoile between Ireland and Alban. And that was a grief +to the men of Ireland, and they gave out an order no swan was to be +killed from that out, whatever chance there might be of killing one, all +through Ireland. + +It was a bad dwelling-place for the children of Lir they to be on Sruth +na Maoile. When they saw the wide coast about them, they were filled +with cold and with sorrow, and they thought nothing of all they had gone +through before, in comparison to what they were going through on that +sea. + +Now one night while they were there a great storm came on them, and it +is what Fionnuala said: "My dear brothers," she said, "it is a pity for +us not to be making ready for this night, for it is certain the storm +will separate us from one another. And let us," she said, "settle on +some place where we can meet afterwards, if we are driven from one +another in the night." + +"Let us settle," said the others, "to meet one another at Carraig na +Ron, the Rock of the Seals, for we all have knowledge of it." + +And when midnight came, the wind came on them with it, and the noise of +the waves increased, and the lightning was flashing, and a rough storm +came sweeping down, the way the children of Lir were scattered over the +great sea, and the wideness of it set them astray, so that no one of +them could know what way the others went. But after that storm a great +quiet came on the sea, and Fionnuala was alone on Sruth na Maoile; and +when she took notice that her brothers were wanting she was lamenting +after them greatly, and she made this complaint:-- + +"It is a pity for me to be alive in the state I am; it is frozen to my +sides my wings are; it is little that the wind has not broken my heart +in my body, with the loss of Aodh. + +"To be three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach without going into my own +shape, it is worse to me the time I am on Sruth na Maoile. + +"The three I loved, Och! the three I loved, that slept under the shelter +of my feathers; till the dead come back to the living I will see them no +more for ever. + +"It is a pity I to stay after Fiachra, and after Aodh, and after comely +Conn, and with no account of them; my grief I to be here to face every +hardship this night." + +She stopped all night there upon the Rock of the Seals until the rising +of the sun, looking out over the sea on every side till at last she saw +Conn coming to her, his feathers wet through and his head hanging, and +her heart gave him a great welcome; and then Fiachra came wet and +perished and worn out, and he could not say a word they could understand +with the dint of the cold and the hardship he had gone through. And +Fionnuala put him under her wings, and she said: "We would be well off +now if Aodh would but come to us." + +It was not long after that, they saw Aodh coming, his head dry and his +feathers beautiful, and Fionnuala gave him a great welcome, and she put +him in under the feathers of her breast, and Fiachra under her right +wing and Conn under her left wing, the way she could put her feathers +over them all. "And Och! my brothers," she said, "this was a bad night +to us, and it is many of its like are before us from this out." + +They stayed there a long time after that, suffering cold and misery on +the Maoil, till at last a night came on them they had never known the +like of before, for frost and snow and wind and cold. And they were +crying and lamenting the hardship of their life, and the cold of the +night and the greatness of the snow and the hardness of the wind. And +after they had suffered cold to the end of a year, a worse night again +came on them, in the middle of winter. And they were on Carraig na Ron, +and the water froze about them, and as they rested on the rock, their +feet and their wings and their feathers froze to the rock, the way they +were not able to move from it. And they made such a hard struggle to get +away, that they left the skin of their feet and their feathers and the +tops of their wings on the rock after them. + +"My grief, children of Lir," said Fionnuala, "it is bad our state is +now, for we cannot bear the salt water to touch us, and there are bonds +on us not to leave it; and if the salt water goes into our sores," she +said, "we will get our death." And she made this complaint:-- + +"It is keening we are to-night; without feathers to cover our bodies; it +is cold the rough, uneven rocks are under our bare feet. + +"It is bad our stepmother was to us the time she played enchantments on +us, sending us out like swans upon the sea. + +"Our washing place is on the ridge of the bay, in the foam of flying +manes of the sea; our share of the ale feast is the salt water of the +blue tide. + +"One daughter and three sons; it is in the clefts of the rocks we are; +it is on the hard rocks we are, it is a pity the way we are." + +However, they came on to the course of the Maoil again, and the salt +water was sharp and rough and bitter to them, but if it was itself, they +were not able to avoid it or to get shelter from it. And they were there +by the shore under that hardship till such time as their feathers grew +again, and their wings, and till their sores were entirely healed. And +then they used to go every day to the shore of Ireland or of Alban, but +they had to come back to Sruth na Maoile every night. + +Now they came one day to the mouth of the Banna, to the north of +Ireland, and they saw a troop of riders, beautiful, of the one colour, +with well-trained pure white horses under them, and they travelling the +road straight from the south-west. + +"Do you know who those riders are, sons of Lir?" said Fionnuala. + +"We do not," they said; "but it is likely they might be some troop of +the Sons of the Gael, or of the Tuatha de Danaan." + +They moved over closer to the shore then, that they might know who they +were, and when the riders saw them they came to meet them until they +were able to hold talk together. + +And the chief men among them were two sons of Bodb Dearg, Aodh +Aithfhiosach, of the quick wits, and Fergus Fithchiollach, of the chess, +and a third part of the Riders of the Sidhe along with them, and it was +for the swans they had been looking for a long while before that, and +when they came together they wished one another a kind and loving +welcome. + +And the children of Lir asked for news of all the Men of Dea, and above +all of Lir, and Bodb Dearg and their people. + +"They are well, and they are in the one place together," said they, "in +your father's house at Sidhe Fionnachaidh, using the Feast of Age +pleasantly and happily, and with no uneasiness on them, only for being +without yourselves, and without knowledge of what happened you from the +day you left Loch Dairbhreach." + +"That has not been the way with us," said Fionnuala, "for we have gone +through great hardship and uneasiness and misery on the tides of the sea +until this day." + +And she made this complaint:-- + +"There is delight to-night with the household of Lir! Plenty of ale with +them and of wine, although it is in a cold dwelling-place this night are +the four children of the king. + +"It is without a spot our bedclothes are, our bodies covered over with +curved feathers; but it is often we were dressed in purple, and we +drinking pleasant mead. + +"It is what our food is and our drink, the white sand and the bitter +water of the sea; it is often we drank mead of hazel-nuts from round +four-lipped drinking cups. + +"It is what our beds are, bare rocks out of the power of the waves; it +is often there used to be spread out for us beds of the breast-feathers +of birds. + +"Though it is our work now to be swimming through the frost and through +the noise of the waves, it is often a company of the sons of kings were +riding after us to the Hill of Bodb. + +"It is what wasted my strength, to be going and coming over the current +of the Maoil the way I never was used to, and never to be in the +sunshine on the soft grass. + +"Fiachra's bed and Conn's bed is to come under the cover of my wings on +the sea. Aodh has his place under the feathers of my breast, the four of +us side by side. + +"The teaching of Manannan without deceit, the talk of Bodb Dearg on the +pleasant ridge; the voice of Angus, his sweet kisses; it is by their +side I used to be without grief." + +After that the riders went on to Lir's house, and they told the chief +men of the Tuatha de Danaan all the birds had gone through, and the +state they were in. "We have no power over them," the chief men said, +"but we are glad they are living yet, for they will get help in the end +of time." + +As to the children of Lir, they went back towards their old place in the +Maoil, and they stopped there till the time they had to spend in it was +spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to leave this +place. And it is to Irrus Domnann we must go now," she said, "after our +three hundred years here. And indeed there will be no rest for us there, +or any standing ground, or any shelter from the storms. But since it is +time for us to go, let us set out on the cold wind, the way we will not +go astray." + +So they set out in that way, and left Sruth na Maoile behind them, and +went to the point of Irrus Domnann, and there they stopped, and it is a +life of misery and a cold life they led there. And one time the sea +froze about them that they could not move at all, and the brothers were +lamenting, and Fionnuala was comforting them, for she knew there would +help come to them in the end. + +And they stayed at Irrus Domnann till the time they had to spend there +was spent. And then Fionnuala said: "The time is come for us to go back +to Sidhe Fionnachaidh, where our father is with his household and with +all our own people." + +"It pleases us well to hear that," they said. + +So they set out flying through the air lightly till they came to Sidhe +Fionnachaidh; and it is how they found the place, empty before them, and +nothing in it but green hillocks and thickets of nettles, without a +house, without a fire, without a hearthstone. And the four pressed close +to one another then, and they gave out three sorrowful cries, and +Fionnuala made this complaint:-- + +"It is a wonder to me this place is, and it without a house, without a +dwelling-place. To see it the way it is now, Ochone! it is bitterness to +my heart. + +"Without dogs, without hounds for hunting, without women, without great +kings; we never knew it to be like this when our father was in it. + +"Without horns, without cups, without drinking in the lighted house; +without young men, without riders; the way it is to-night is a +foretelling of sorrow. + +"The people of the place to be as they are now, Ochone! it is grief to +my heart! It is plain to my mind to-night the lord of the house is not +living. + +"Och, house where we used to see music and playing and the gathering of +people! I think it a great change to see it lonely the way it is +to-night. + +"The greatness of the hardships we have gone through going from one wave +to another of the sea, we never heard of the like of them coming on any +other person. + +"It is seldom this place had its part with grass and bushes; the man is +not living that would know us, it would be a wonder to him to see us +here." + +However, the children of Lir stopped that night in their father's place +and their grandfather's, where they had been reared, and they were +singing very sweet music of the Sidhe. And they rose up early on the +morning of the morrow and went to Inis Gluaire, and all the birds of the +country gathered near them on Loch na-n Ean, the Lake of the Birds. And +they used to go out to feed every day to the far parts of the country, +to Inis Geadh and to Accuill, the place Donn, son of Miled, and his +people that were drowned were buried, and to all the western islands of +Connacht, and they used to go back to Inis Gluaire every night. + +It was about that time it happened them to meet with a young man of good +race, and his name was Aibric; and he often took notice of the birds, +and their singing was sweet to him and he loved them greatly, and they +loved him. And it is this young man that told the whole story of all +that had happened them, and put it in order. + +And the story he told of what happened them in the end is this. + +It was after the faith of Christ and blessed Patrick came into Ireland, +that Saint Mochaomhog came to Inis Gluaire. And the first night he came +to the island, the children of Lir heard the voice of his bell, ringing +near them. And the brothers started up with fright when they heard it +"We do not know," they said, "what is that weak, unpleasing voice we +hear." + +"That is the voice of the bell of Mochaomhog," said Fionnuala; "and it +is through that bell," she said, "you will be set free from pain and +from misery." + +They listened to that music of the bell till the matins were done, and +then they began to sing the low, sweet music of the Sidhe. + +And Mochaomhog was listening to them, and he prayed to God to show him +who was singing that music, and it was showed to him that the children +of Lir were singing it. And on the morning of the morrow he went forward +to the Lake of the Birds, and he saw the swans before him on the lake, +and he went down to them at the brink of the shore. "Are you the +children of Lir?" he said. + +"We are indeed," said they. + +"I give thanks to God for that," said he, "for it is for your sakes I am +come to this island beyond any other island, and let you come to land +now," he said, "and give your trust to me, that you may do good deeds +and part from your sins." + +They came to the land after that, and they put trust in Mochaomhog, and +he brought them to his own dwelling-place, and they used to be hearing +Mass with him. And he got a good smith and bade him make chains of +bright silver for them, and he put a chain between Aodh and Fionnuala, +and a chain between Conn and Fiachra. And the four of them were raising +his heart and gladdening his mind, and no danger and no distress that +was on the swans before put any trouble on them now. + +Now the king of Connacht at that time was Lairgnen, son of Colman, son +of Cobthach, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin, was his wife. And that was +the coming together of the Man from the North and the Woman from the +South, that Aoife had spoken of. + +And the woman heard talk of the birds, and a great desire came on her to +get them, and she bade Lairgnen to bring them to her, and he said he +would ask them of Mochaomhog. + +And she gave her word she would not stop another night with him unless +he would bring them to her. And she set out from the house there and +then. And Lairgnen sent messengers after her to bring her back, and they +did not overtake her till she was at Cill Dun. She went back home with +them then, and Lairgnen sent messengers to ask the birds of Mochaomhog, +and he did not get them. + +There was great anger on Lairgnen then, and he went himself to the place +Mochaomhog was, and he asked was it true he had refused him the birds. +"It is true indeed," said he. At that Lairgnen rose up, and he took hold +of the swans, and pulled them off the altar, two birds in each hand, to +bring them away to Deoch. But no sooner had he laid his hand on them +than their bird skins fell off, and what was in their place was three +lean, withered old men and a thin withered old woman, without blood or +flesh. + +And Lairgnen gave a great start at that, and he went out from the +place. It is then Fionnuala said to Mochaomhog: "Come and baptize us +now, for it is short till our death comes; and it is certain you do not +think worse of parting with us than we do of parting with you. And make +our grave afterwards," she said, "and lay Conn at my right side and +Fiachra on my left side, and Aodh before my face, between my two arms. +And pray to the God of Heaven," she said, "that you may be able to +baptize us." + +The children of Lir were baptized then, and they died and were buried as +Fionnuala had desired; Fiachra and Conn one at each side of her, and +Aodh before her face. And a stone was put over them, and their names +were written in Ogham, and they were keened there, and heaven was gained +for their souls. + +And that is the fate of the children of Lir so far. + + + + +PART TWO: THE FIANNA. + +BOOK ONE: FINN, SON OF CUMHAL. + +CHAPTER I. THE COMING OF FINN + + +At the time Finn was born his father Cumhal, of the sons of Baiscne, +Head of the Fianna of Ireland, had been killed in battle by the sons of +Morna that were fighting with him for the leadership. And his mother, +that was beautiful long-haired Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of +the Tuatha de Danaan and of Ethlinn, mother of Lugh of the Long Hand, +did not dare to keep him with her; and two women, Bodhmall, the woman +Druid, and Liath Luachra, came and brought him away to care him. + +It was to the woods of Slieve Bladhma they brought him, and they nursed +him secretly, because of his father's enemies, the sons of Morna, and +they kept him there a long time. + +And Muirne, his mother, took another husband that was king of Carraighe; +but at the end of six years she came to see Finn, going through every +lonely place till she came to the wood, and there she found the little +hunting cabin, and the boy asleep in it, and she lifted him up in her +arms and kissed him, and she sang a little sleepy song to him; and then +she said farewell to the women, and she went away again. + +And the two women went on caring him till he came to sensible years; and +one day when he went out he saw a wild duck on the lake with her clutch, +and he made a cast at her that cut the wings off her that she could not +fly, and he brought her back to the cabin, and that was his first hunt. + +And they gave him good training in running and leaping and swimming. One +of them would run round a tree, and she having a thorn switch, and Finn +after her with another switch, and each one trying to hit at the other; +and they would leave him in a field, and hares along with him, and would +bid him not to let the hares quit the field, but to keep before them +whichever way they would go; and to teach him swimming they would throw +him into the water and let him make his way out. + +But after a while he went away with a troop of poets, to hide from the +sons of Morna, and they hid him in the mountain of Crotta Cliach; but +there was a robber in Leinster at that time, Fiacuil, son of Codhna, and +he came where the poets were in Fidh Gaible and killed them all. But he +spared the child and brought him to his own house, that was in a cold +marsh. But the two women, Bodhmall and Liath, came looking for him after +a while, and Fiacuil gave him up to them, and they brought him back to +the same place he was before. + +He grew up there, straight and strong and fair-haired and beautiful. And +one day he was out in Slieve Bladhma, and the two women along with him, +and they saw before them a herd of the wild deer of the mountain. "It is +a pity," said the old women, "we not to be able to get a deer of those +deer." "I will get one for you," said Finn; and with that he followed +after them, and caught two stags of them and brought them home to the +hunting cabin. And after that he used to be hunting for them every day. +But at last they said to him: "It is best for you to leave us now, for +the sons of Morna are watching again to kill you." + +So he went away then by himself, and never stopped till he came to Magh +Life, and there he saw young lads swimming in a lake, and they called to +him to swim against them. So he went into the lake, and he beat them at +swimming. "Fair he is and well shaped," they said when they saw him +swimming, and it was from that time he got the name of Finn, that is, +Fair. But they got to be jealous of his strength, and he went away and +left them. + +He went on then till he came to Loch Lein, and he took service there +with the King of Finntraigh; and there was no hunter like him, and the +king said: "If Cumhal had left a son, you would be that son." + +He went from that king after, and he went into Carraighe, and there he +took service with the king, that had taken his mother Muirne for his +wife. And one day they were playing chess together, and he won seven +games one after another. "Who are you at all?" said the king then. "I am +a son of a countryman of the Luigne of Teamhair," said Finn. "That is +not so," said the king, "but you are the son that Muirne my wife bore to +Cumhal. And do not stop here any longer," he said, "that you may not be +killed under my protection." + +From that he went into Connacht looking for his father's brother, +Crimall, son of Trenmor; and as he was going on his way he heard the +crying of a lone woman. He went to her, and looked at her, and tears of +blood were on her face. "Your face is red with blood, woman," he said. +"I have reason for it," said she, "for my only son is after being killed +by a great fighting man that came on us." And Finn followed after the +big champion and fought with him and killed him. And the man he killed +was the same man that had given Cumhal his first wound in the battle +where he got his death, and had brought away his treasure-bag with him. + +Now as to that treasure-bag, it is of a crane skin it was made, that was +one time the skin of Aoife, the beautiful sweetheart of Ilbrec, son of +Manannan, that was put into the shape of a crane through jealousy. And +it was in Manannan's house it used to be, and there were treasures kept +in it, Manannan's shirt and his knife, and the belt and the smith's hook +of Goibniu, and the shears of the King of Alban, and the helmet of the +King of Lochlann, and a belt of the skin of a great fish, and the bones +of Asal's pig that had been brought to Ireland by the sons of Tuireann. +All those treasures would be in the bag at full tide, but at the ebbing +of the tide it would be empty. And it went from Manannan to Lugh, son of +Ethlinn, and after that to Cumhal, that was husband to Muirne, Ethlinn's +daughter. + +And Finn took the bag and brought it with him till he found Crimall, +that was now an old man, living in a lonely place, and some of the old +men of the Fianna were with him, and used to go hunting for him. And +Finn gave him the bag, and told him his whole story. + +And then he said farewell to Crimall, and went on to learn poetry from +Finegas, a poet that was living at the Boinn, for the poets thought it +was always on the brink of water poetry was revealed to them. And he did +not give him his own name, but he took the name of Deimne. Seven years, +now, Finegas had stopped at the Boinn, watching the salmon, for it was +in the prophecy that he would eat the salmon of knowledge that would +come there, and that he would have all knowledge after. And when at the +last the salmon of knowledge came, he brought it to where Finn was, and +bade him to roast it, but he bade him not to eat any of it. And when +Finn brought him the salmon after a while he said: "Did you eat any of +it at all, boy?" "I did not," said Finn; "but I burned my thumb putting +down a blister that rose on the skin, and after doing that, I put my +thumb in my mouth." "What is your name, boy?" said Finegas. "Deimne," +said he. "It is not, but it is Finn your name is, and it is to you and +not to myself the salmon was given in the prophecy." With that he gave +Finn the whole of the salmon, and from that time Finn had the knowledge +that came from the nuts of the nine hazels of wisdom that grow beside +the well that is below the sea. + +And besides the wisdom he got then, there was a second wisdom came to +him another time, and this is the way it happened. There was a well of +the moon belonging to Beag, son of Buan, of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +whoever would drink out of it would get wisdom, and after a second drink +he would get the gift of foretelling. And the three daughters of Beag, +son of Buan, had charge of the well, and they would not part with a +vessel of it for anything less than red gold. And one day Finn chanced +to be hunting in the rushes near the well, and the three women ran out +to hinder him from coming to it, and one of them that had a vessel of +the water in her hand, threw it at him to stop him, and a share of the +water went into his mouth. And from that out he had all the knowledge +that the water of that well could give. + +And he learned the three ways of poetry; and this is the poem he made to +show he had got his learning well:-- + +"It is the month of May is the pleasant time; its face is beautiful; the +blackbird sings his full song, the living wood is his holding, the +cuckoos are singing and ever singing; there is a welcome before the +brightness of the summer. + +"Summer is lessening the rivers, the swift horses are looking for the +pool; the heath spreads out its long hair, the weak white bog-down +grows. A wildness comes on the heart of the deer; the sad restless sea +is asleep. + +"Bees with their little strength carry a load reaped from the flowers; +the cattle go up muddy to the mountains; the ant has a good full feast. + +"The harp of the woods is playing music; there is colour on the hills, +and a haze on the full lakes, and entire peace upon every sail. + +"The corncrake is speaking, a loud-voiced poet; the high lonely +waterfall is singing a welcome to the warm pool, the talking of the +rushes has begun. + +"The light swallows are darting; the loudness of music is around the +hill; the fat soft mast is budding; there is grass on the trembling +bogs. + +"The bog is as dark as the feathers of the raven; the cuckoo makes a +loud welcome; the speckled salmon is leaping; as strong is the leaping +of the swift fighting man. + +"The man is gaining; the girl is in her comely growing power; every wood +is without fault from the top to the ground, and every wide good plain. + +"It is pleasant is the colour of the time; rough winter is gone; every +plentiful wood is white; summer is a joyful peace. + +"A flock of birds pitches in the meadow; there are sounds in the green +fields, there is in them a clear rushing stream. + +"There is a hot desire on you for the racing of horses; twisted holly +makes a leash for the hound; a bright spear has been shot into the +earth, and the flag-flower is golden under it. + +"A weak lasting little bird is singing at the top of his voice; the lark +is singing clear tidings; May without fault, of beautiful colours. + +"I have another story for you; the ox is lowing, the winter is creeping +in, the summer is gone. High and cold the wind, low the sun, cries are +about us; the sea is quarrelling. + +"The ferns are reddened and their shape is hidden; the cry of the wild +goose is heard; the cold has caught the wings of the birds; it is the +time of ice-frost, hard, unhappy." + +And after that, Finn being but a young lad yet, made himself ready and +went up at Samhain time to the gathering of the High King at Teamhair. +And it was the law at that gathering, no one to raise a quarrel or +bring out any grudge against another through the whole of the time it +lasted. And the king and his chief men, and Goll, son of Morna, that was +now Head of the Fianna, and Caoilte, son of Ronan, and Conan, son of +Morna, of the sharp words, were sitting at a feast in the great house of +the Middle Court; and the young lad came in and took his place among +them, and none of them knew who he was. + +The High King looked at him then, and the horn of meetings was brought +to him, and he put it into the boy's hand, and asked him who was he. + +"I am Finn, son of Cumhal," he said, "son of the man that used to be +head over the Fianna, and king of Ireland; and I am come now to get your +friendship, and to give you my service." + +"You are son of a friend, boy," said the king, "and son of a man I +trusted." + +Then Finn rose up and made his agreement of service and of faithfulness +to the king; and the king took him by the hand and put him sitting +beside his own son, and they gave themselves to drinking and to pleasure +for a while. + +Every year, now, at Samhain time, for nine years, there had come a man +of the Tuatha de Danaan out of Sidhe Finnachaidh in the north, and had +burned up Teamhair. Aillen, son of Midhna, his name was, and it is the +way he used to come, playing music of the Sidhe, and all the people that +heard it would fall asleep. And when they were all in their sleep, he +would let a flame of fire out of his mouth, and would blow the flame +till all Teamhair was burned. + +The king rose up at the feast after a while, and his smooth horn in his +hand, and it is what he said: "If I could find among you, men of +Ireland, any man that would keep Teamhair till the break of day +to-morrow without being burned by Aillen, son of Midhna, I would give +him whatever inheritance is right for him to have, whether it be much or +little." + +But the men of Ireland made no answer, for they knew well that at the +sound of the sweet pitiful music made by that comely man of the Sidhe, +even women in their pains and men that were wounded would fall asleep. + +It is then Finn rose up and spoke to the King of Ireland. "Who will be +your sureties that you will fulfil this?" he said. "The kings of the +provinces of Ireland," said the king, "and Cithruadh with his Druids." +So they gave their pledges, and Finn took in hand to keep Teamhair safe +till the breaking of day on the morrow. + +Now there was a fighting man among the followers of the King of Ireland, +Fiacha, son of Conga, that Cumhal, Finn's father, used to have a great +liking for, and he said to Finn: "Well, boy," he said, "what reward +would you give me if I would bring you a deadly spear, that no false +cast was ever made with?" "What reward are you asking of me?" said Finn. +"Whatever your right hand wins at any time, the third of it to be mine," +said Fiacha, "and a third of your trust and your friendship to be mine." +"I will give you that," said Finn. Then Fiacha brought him +the spear, unknown to the sons of Morna or to any other person, and he +said: "When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the +covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the +power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you." + +Then Finn rose up before all the men of Ireland, and he made a round of +the whole of Teamhair. And it was not long till he heard the sorrowful +music, and he stripped the covering from the head of the spear, and he +held the power of it to his forehead. And Aillen went on playing his +little harp, till he had put every one in their sleep as he was used; +and then he let a flame of fire out from his mouth to burn Teamhair. +And Finn held up his fringed crimson cloak against the flame, and it +fell down through the air and went into the ground, bringing the +four-folded cloak with it deep into the earth. + +And when Aillen saw his spells were destroyed, he went back to Sidhe +Finnachaidh on the top of Slieve Fuad; but Finn followed after him +there, and as Aillen was going in at the door he made a cast of the +spear that went through his heart. And he struck his head off then, and +brought it back to Teamhair, and fixed it on a crooked pole and left it +there till the rising of the sun over the heights and invers of the +country. + +And Aillen's mother came to where his body was lying, and there was +great grief on her, and she made this complaint:-- + +"Ochone! Aillen is fallen, chief of the Sidhe of Beinn Boirche; the slow +clouds of death are come on him. Och! he was pleasant, Och! he was kind. +Aillen, son of Midhna of Slieve Fuad. + +"Nine times he burned Teamhair. It is a great name he was always looking +for, Ochone, Ochone, Aillen!" + +And at the breaking of day, the king and all the men of Ireland came out +upon the lawn at Teamhair where Finn was. "King," said Finn, "there is +the head of the man that burned Teamhair, and the pipe and the harp that +made his music. And it is what I think," he said, "that Teamhair and all +that is in it is saved." + +Then they all came together into the place of counsel, and it is what +they agreed, the headship of the Fianna of Ireland to be given to Finn. +And the king said to Goll, son of Morna: "Well, Goll," he said, "is it +your choice to quit Ireland or to put your hand in Finn's hand?" "By my +word, I will give Finn my hand," said Goll. + +And when the charms that used to bring good luck had done their work, +the chief men of the Fianna rose up and struck their hands in Finn's +hand, and Goll, son of Morna, was the first to give him his hand the way +there would be less shame on the rest for doing it. + +And Finn kept the headship of the Fianna until the end; and the place he +lived in was Almhuin of Leinster, where the white dun was made by Nuada +of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was as white as if all the lime in Ireland +was put on it, and that got its name from the great herd of cattle that +died fighting one time around the well, and that left their horns there, +speckled horns and white. + +And as to Finn himself, he was a king and a seer and a poet; a Druid and +a knowledgeable man; and everything he said was sweet-sounding to his +people. And a better fighting man than Finn never struck his hand into a +king's hand, and whatever any one ever said of him, he was three times +better. And of his justice it used to be said, that if his enemy and his +own son had come before him to be judged, it is a fair judgment he would +have given between them. And as to his generosity it used to be said, he +never denied any man as long as he had a mouth to eat with, and legs to +bring away what he gave him; and he left no woman without her +bride-price, and no man without his pay; and he never promised at night +what he would not fulfil on the morrow, and he never promised in the day +what he would not fulfil at night, and he never forsook his right-hand +friend. And if he was quiet in peace he was angry in battle, and Oisin +his son and Osgar his son's son followed him in that. There was a young +man of Ulster came and claimed kinship with them one time, saying they +were of the one blood. "If that is so," said Oisin, "it is from the men +of Ulster we took the madness and the angry heart we have in battle." +"That is so indeed," said Finn. + + + + +CHAPTER II. FINN'S HOUSEHOLD + + +And the number of the Fianna of Ireland at that time was seven score and +ten chief men, every one of them having three times nine righting men +under him. And every man of them was bound to three things, to take no +cattle by oppression, not to refuse any man, as to cattle or riches; no +one of them to fall back before nine fighting men. And there was no man +taken into the Fianna until his tribe and his kindred would give +securities for him, that even if they themselves were all killed he +would not look for satisfaction for their death. But if he himself would +harm others, that harm was not to be avenged on his people. And there +was no man taken into the Fianna till he knew the twelve books of +poetry. And before any man was taken, he would be put into a deep hole +in the ground up to his middle, and he having his shield and a hazel rod +in his hand. And nine men would go the length of ten furrows from him +and would cast their spears at him at the one time. And if he got a +wound from one of them, he was not thought fit to join with the Fianna. +And after that again, his hair would be fastened up, and he put to run +through the woods of Ireland, and the Fianna following after him to try +could they wound him, and only the length of a branch between themselves +and himself when they started. And if they came up with him and wounded +him, he was not let join them; or if his spears had trembled in his +hand, or if a branch of a tree had undone the plaiting of his hair, or +if he had cracked a dry stick under his foot, and he running. And they +would not take him among them till he had made a leap over a stick the +height of himself, and till he had stooped under one the height of his +knee, and till he had taken a thorn out from his foot with his nail, +and he running his fastest. But if he had done all these things, he was +of Finn's people. + +It was good wages Finn and the Fianna got at that time; in every +district a townland, in every house the fostering of a pup or a whelp +from Samhain to Beltaine, and a great many things along with that. But +good as the pay was, the hardships and the dangers they went through for +it were greater. For they had to hinder the strangers and robbers from +beyond the seas, and every bad thing, from coming into Ireland. And they +had hard work enough in doing that. + +And besides the fighting men, Finn had with him his five Druids, the +best that ever came into the west, Cainnelsciath, of the Shining Shield, +one of them was, that used to bring down knowledge from the clouds in +the sky before Finn, and that could foretell battles. And he had his +five wonderful physicians, four of them belonging to Ireland, and one +that came over the sea from the east. And he had his five high poets and +his twelve musicians, that had among them Daighre, son of Morna, and +Suanach, son of Senshenn, that was Finn's teller of old stories, the +sweetest that ever took a harp in his hand in Ireland or in Alban. And +he had his three cup-bearers and his six door-keepers and his +horn-players and the stewards of his house and his huntsman, Comhrag of +the five hundred hounds, and his serving-men that were under +Garbhcronan, of the Rough Buzzing; and a great troop of others along +with them. + +And there were fifty of the best sewing-women in Ireland brought +together in a rath on Magh Feman, under the charge of a daughter of the +King of Britain, and they used to be making clothing for the Fianna +through the whole of the year. And three of them, that were a king's +daughters, used to be making music for the rest on a little silver +harp; and there was a very great candlestick of stone in the middle of +the rath, for they were not willing to kindle a fire more than three +times in the year for fear the smoke and the ashes might harm the +needlework. + +And of all his musicians the one Finn thought most of was Cnu Deireoil, +the Little Nut, that came to him from the Sidhe. + +It was at Slieve-nam-ban, for hunting, Finn was the time he came to him. +Sitting down he was on the turf-built grave that is there; and when he +looked around him he saw a small little man about four feet in height +standing on the grass. Light yellow hair he had, hanging down to his +waist, and he playing music on his harp. And the music he was making had +no fault in it at all, and it is much that the whole of the Fianna did +not fall asleep with the sweetness of its sound. He came up then, and +put his hand in Finn's hand. "Where do you come from, little one, +yourself and your sweet music?" said Finn. "I am come," he said, "out of +the place of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban, where ale is drunk and made; +and it is to be in your company for a while I am come here." "You will +get good rewards from me, and riches and red gold," said Finn, "and my +full friendship, for I like you well." "That is the best luck ever came +to you, Finn," said all the rest of the Fianna, for they were well +pleased to have him in their company. And they gave him the name of the +Little Nut; and he was good in speaking, and he had so good a memory he +never forgot anything he heard east or west; and there was no one but +must listen to his music, and all the Fianna liked him well. And there +were some said he was a son of Lugh Lamh-Fada, of the Long Hand. + +And the five musicians of the Fianna were brought to him, to learn the +music of the Sidhe he had brought from that other place; for there was +never any music heard on earth but his was better. These were the three +best things Finn ever got, Bran and Sceolan that were without fault, and +the Little Nut from the House of the Sidhe in Slieve-nam-ban. + + + + +CHAPTER III. BIRTH OF BRAN. + + +This, now, is the story of the birth of Bran. + +Finn's mother, Muirne, came one time to Almhuin, and she brought with +her Tuiren, her sister. And Iollan Eachtach, a chief man of the Fianna +of Ulster, was at Almhuin at the time, and he gave his love to Tuiren, +and asked her in marriage, and brought her to his own house. But before +they went, Finn made him gave his word he would bring her back safe and +sound if ever he asked for her, and he bade him find sureties for +himself among the chief men of the Fianna. And Iollan did that, and the +sureties he got were Caoilte and Goll and Lugaidh Lamha, and it was +Lugaidh gave her into the hand of Iollan Eachtach. + +But before Iollan made that marriage, he had a sweetheart of the Sidhe, +Uchtdealb of the Fair Breast; and there came great jealousy on her when +she knew he had taken a wife. And she took the appearance of Finn's +woman-messenger, and she came to the house where Tuiren was, and she +said: "Finn sends health and long life to you, queen, and he bids you to +make a great feast; and come with me now," she said, "till I speak a few +words with you, for there is hurry on me." + +So Tuiren went out with her, and when they were away from the house the +woman of the Sidhe took out her dark Druid rod from under her cloak and +gave her a blow of it that changed her into a hound, the most beautiful +that was ever seen. And then she went on, bringing the hound with her, +to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, king of the harbour of Gallimh. And +it is the way Fergus was, he was the most unfriendly man to dogs in the +whole world, and he would not let one stop in the same house with him. +But it is what Uchtdealb said to him: "Finn wishes you life and health, +Fergus, and he says to you to take good care of his hound till he comes +himself; and mind her well," she said, "for she is with young, and do +not let her go hunting when her time is near, or Finn will be no way +thankful to you." "I wonder at that message," said Fergus, "for Finn +knows well there is not in the world a man has less liking for dogs than +myself. But for all that," he said, "I will not refuse Finn the first +time he sent a hound to me." + +And when he brought the hound out to try her, she was the best he ever +knew, and she never saw the wild creature she would not run down; and +Fergus took a great liking for hounds from that out. + +And when her time came near, they did not let her go hunting any more, +and she gave birth to two whelps. + +And as to Finn, when he heard his mother's sister was not living with +Iollan Eachtach, he called to him for the fulfilment of the pledge that +was given to the Fianna. And Iollan asked time to go looking for Tuiren, +and he gave his word that if he did not find her, he would give himself +up in satisfaction for her. So they agreed to that, and Iollan went to +the hill where Uchtdealb was, his sweetheart of the Sidhe, and told her +the way things were with him, and the promise he had made to give +himself up to the Fianna. "If that is so," said she, "and if you will +give me your pledge to keep me as your sweetheart to the end of your +life, I will free you from that danger." So Iollan gave her his promise, +and she went to the house of Fergus Fionnliath, and she brought Tuiren +away and put her own shape on her again, and gave her up to Finn. And +Finn gave her to Lugaidh Lamha that asked her in marriage. + +And as to the two whelps, they stopped always with Finn, and the names +he gave them were Bran and Sceolan. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S MOTHER. + + +It happened one time Finn and his men were coming back from the hunting, +a beautiful fawn started up before them, and they followed after it, men +and dogs, till at last they were all tired and fell back, all but Finn +himself and Bran and Sceolan. And suddenly as they were going through a +valley, the fawn stopped and lay down on the smooth grass, and Bran and +Sceolan came up with it, and they did not harm it at all, but went +playing about it, licking its neck and its face. + +There was wonder on Finn when he saw that, and he went on home to +Almhuin, and the fawn followed after him playing with the hounds, and it +came with them into the house at Almhuin. And when Finn was alone late +that evening, a beautiful young woman having a rich dress came before +him, and she told him it was she herself was the fawn he was after +hunting that day. "And it is for refusing the love of Fear Doirche, the +Dark Druid of the Men of Dea," she said, "I was put in this shape. And +through the length of three years," she said, "I have lived the life of +a wild deer in a far part of Ireland, and I am hunted like a wild deer. +And a serving-man of the Dark Druid took pity on me," she said, "and he +said that if I was once within the dun of the Fianna of Ireland, the +Druid would have no more power over me. So I made away, and I never +stopped through the whole length of a day till I came into the district +of Almhuin. And I never stopped then till there was no one after me but +only Bran and Sceolan, that have human wits; and I was safe with them, +for they knew my nature to be like their own." + +Then Finn gave her his love, and took her as his wife, and she stopped +in Almhuin. And so great was his love for her, he gave up his hunting +and all the things he used to take pleasure in, and gave his mind to no +other thing but herself. + +But at last the men of Lochlann came against Ireland, and their ships +were in the bay below Beinn Edair, and they landed there. + +And Finn and the battalions of the Fianna went out against them, and +drove them back. And at the end of seven days Finn came back home, and +he went quickly over the plain of Almhuin, thinking to see Sadbh his +wife looking out from the dun, but there was no sign of her. And when he +came to the dun, all his people came out to meet him, but they had a +very downcast look. "Where is the flower of Almhuin, beautiful gentle +Sadbh?" he asked them. And it is what they said: "While you were away +fighting, your likeness, and the likeness of Bran and of Sceolan +appeared before the dun, and we thought we heard the sweet call of the +Dord Fiann. And Sadbh, that was so good and so beautiful, came out of +the house," they said, "and she went out of the gates, and she would not +listen to us, and we could not stop her." "Let me go meet my love," she +said, "my husband, the father of the child that is not born." And with +that she went running out towards the shadow of yourself that was before +her, and that had its arms stretched out to her. But no sooner did she +touch it than she gave a great cry, and the shadow lifted up a hazel +rod, and on the moment it was a fawn was standing on the grass. Three +times she turned and made for the gate of the dun, but the two hounds +the shadow had with him went after her and took her by the throat and +dragged her back to him. "And by your hand of valour, Finn," they said, +"we ourselves made no delay till we went out on the plain after her. But +it is our grief, they had all vanished, and there was not to be seen +woman, or fawn or Druid, but we could hear the quick tread of feet on +the hard plain, and the howling of dogs. And if you would ask every one +of us in what quarter he heard those sounds, he would tell you a +different one." + +When Finn heard that, he said no word at all, but he struck his breast +over and over again with his shut hands. And he went then to his own +inside room, and his people saw him no more for that day, or till the +sun rose over Magh Life on the morrow. + +And through the length of seven years from that time, whenever he was +not out fighting against the enemies of Ireland, he went searching and +ever searching in every far corner for beautiful Sadbh. And there was +great trouble on him all the time, unless he might throw it off for a +while in hunting or in battle. And through all that time he never +brought out to any hunting but the five hounds he had most trust in, +Bran and Sceolan and Lomaire and Brod and Lomluath, the way there would +be no danger for Sadbh if ever he came on her track. + +But after the end of seven years, Finn and some of his chief men were +hunting on the sides of Beinn Gulbain, and they heard a great outcry +among the hounds, that were gone into some narrow place. And when they +followed them there, they saw the five hounds of Finn in a ring, and +they keeping back the other hounds, and in the middle of the ring was a +young boy, with high looks, and he naked and having long hair. And he +was no way daunted by the noise of the hounds, and did not look at them +at all, but at the men that were coming up. And as soon as the fight was +stopped Bran and Sceolan went up to the little lad, and whined and +licked him, that any one would think they had forgotten their master. +Finn and the others came up to him then, and put their hands on his +head, and made much of him. And they brought him to their own hunting +cabin, and he ate and drank with them, and before long he lost his +wildness and was the same as themselves. And as to Bran and Sceolan, +they were never tired playing about him. + +And it is what Finn thought, there was some look of Sadbh in his face, +and that it might be he was her son, and he kept him always beside him. +And little by little when the boy had learned their talk, he told them +all he could remember. He used to be with a deer he loved very much, he +said, and that cared and sheltered him, and it was in a wide place they +used to be, having hills and valleys and streams and woods in it, but +that was shut in with high cliffs on every side, that there was no way +of escape from it. And he used to be eating fruits and roots in the +summer, and in the winter there was food left for him in the shelter of +a cave. And a dark-looking man used to be coming to the place, and +sometimes he would speak to the deer softly and gently, and sometimes +with a loud angry voice. But whatever way he spoke, she would always +draw away from him with the appearance of great dread on her, and the +man would go away in great anger. And the last time he saw the deer, his +mother, the dark man was speaking to her for a long time, from softness +to anger. And at the end he struck her with a hazel rod, and with that +she was forced to follow him, and she looking back all the while at the +child, and crying after him that any one would pity her. And he tried +hard to follow after her, and made every attempt, and cried out with +grief and rage, but he had no power to move, and when he could hear his +mother no more he fell on the grass and his wits went from him. And when +he awoke it is on the side of the hill he was, where the hounds found +him. And he searched a long time for the place where he was brought up, +but he could not find it. + +And the name the Fianna gave him was Oisin, and it is he was their maker +of poems, and their good fighter afterwards. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA + + +And while Oisin was in his young youth, Finn had other good men along +with him, and the best of them were Goll, son of Morna, and Caoilte, son +of Ronan, and Lugaidh's Son. + +As to Goll, that was of Connacht, he was very tall and light-haired, and +some say he was the strongest of all the Fianna. Finn made a poem in +praise of him one time when some stranger was asking what sort he was, +saying how hardy he was and brave in battle, and as strong as a hound or +as the waves, and with all that so kind and so gentle, and open-handed +and sweet-voiced, and faithful to his friends. + +And the chessboard he had was called the Solustairtech, the Shining +Thing, and some of the chessmen were made of gold, and some of them of +silver, and each one of them was as big as the fist of the biggest man +of the Fianna; and after the death of Goll it was buried in Slieve +Baune. + +And as to Caoilte, that was a grey thin man, he was the best runner of +them all. And he did a good many great deeds; a big man of the Fomor he +killed one time, and he killed a five-headed giant in a wheeling door, +and another time he made an end of an enchanted boar that no one else +could get near, and he killed a grey stag that had got away from the +Fianna through twenty-seven years. And another time he brought Finn out +of Teamhair, where he was kept by force by the High King, because of +some rebellion the Fianna had stirred up. And when Caoilte heard Finn +had been brought away to Teamhair, he went out to avenge him. And the +first he killed was Cuireach, a king of Leinster that had a great name, +and he brought his head up to the hill that is above Buadhmaic. And +after that he made a great rout through Ireland, bringing sorrow into +every house for the sake of Finn, killing a man in every place, and +killing the calves with the cows. + +And every door the red wind from the east blew on, he would throw it +open, and go in and destroy all before him, setting fire to the fields, +and giving the wife of one man to another. + +And when he came to Teamhair, he came to the palace, and took the +clothes off the door-keeper, and he left his own sword that was worn +thin in the king's sheath, and took the king's sword that had great +power in it. And he went into the palace then in the disguise of a +servant, to see how he could best free Finn. + +And when evening came Caoilte held the candle at the king's feast in the +great hall, and after a while the king said: "You will wonder at what I +tell you, Finn, that the two eyes of Caoilte are in my candlestick." "Do +not say that," said Finn, "and do not put reproach on my people although +I myself am your prisoner; for as to Caoilte," he said, "that is not the +way with him, for it is a high mind he has, and he only does high +deeds, and he would not stand serving with a candle for all the gold of +the whole world." + +After that Caoilte was serving the King of Ireland with drink, and when +he was standing beside him he gave out a high sorrowful lament. "There +is the smell of Caoilte's skin on that lament," said the king. And when +Caoilte saw he knew him he spoke out and he said: "Tell me what way I +can get freedom for my master." "There is no way to get freedom for him +but by doing one thing," said the king, "and that is a thing you can +never do. If you can bring me together a couple of all the wild +creatures of Ireland," he said, "I will give up your master to you +then." + +When Caoilte heard him say that he made no delay, but he set out from +Teamhair, and went through the whole of Ireland to do that work for the +sake of Finn. It is with the flocks of birds he began, though they were +scattered in every part, and from them he went on to the beasts. And he +gathered together two of every sort, two ravens from Fiodh da Bheann; +two wild ducks from Loch na Seillein; two foxes from Slieve Cuilinn; two +wild oxen from Burren; two swans from blue Dobhran; two owls from the +wood of Faradhruim; two polecats from the branchy wood on the side of +Druim da Raoin, the Ridge of the Victories; two gulls from the strand of +Loch Leith; four woodpeckers from white Brosna; two plovers from +Carraigh Dhain; two thrushes from Leith Lomard; two wrens from Dun +Aoibh; two herons from Corrain Cleibh; two eagles from Carraig of the +stones; two hawks from Fiodh Chonnach; two sows from Loch Meilghe; two +water-hens from Loch Erne; two moor-hens from Monadh Maith; two +sparrow-hawks from Dubhloch; two stonechats from Magh Cuillean; two +tomtits from Magh Tuallainn; two swallows from Sean Abhla; two +cormorants from Ath Cliath; two wolves from Broit Cliathach; two +blackbirds from the Strand of the Two Women; two roebucks from Luachair +Ire; two pigeons from Ceas Chuir; two nightingales from Leiter Ruadh; +two starlings from green-sided Teamhair; two rabbits from Sith Dubh +Donn; two wild pigs from Cluaidh Chuir; two cuckoos from Drom Daibh; two +lapwings from Leanain na Furraich; two woodcocks from Craobh Ruadh; two +hawks from the Bright Mountain; two grey mice from Luimneach; two otters +from the Boinn; two larks from the Great Bog; two bats from the Cave of +the Nuts; two badgers from the province of Ulster; two landrail from the +banks of the Sionnan; two wagtails from Port Lairrge; two curlews from +the harbour of Gallimh; two hares from Muirthemne; two deer from Sith +Buidhe; two peacocks from Magh Mell; two cormorants from Ath Cliath; two +eels from Duth Dur; two goldfinches from Slieve na-n Eun; two birds of +slaughter from Magh Bhuilg; two bright swallows from Granard; two +redbreasts from the Great Wood; two rock-cod from Cala Chairge; two +sea-pigs from the great sea; two wrens from Mios an Chuil; two salmon +from Eas Mhic Muirne; two clean deer from Gleann na Smoil; two cows from +Magh Mor; two cats from the Cave of Cruachan; two sheep from bright +Sidhe Diobhlain; two pigs of the pigs of the son of Lir; a ram and a +crimson sheep from Innis. + +And along with all these he brought ten hounds of the hounds of the +Fianna, and a horse and a mare of the beautiful horses of Manannan. + +And when Caoilte had gathered all these, he brought them to the one +place. But when he tried to keep them together, they scattered here and +there from him; the raven went away southward, and that vexed him +greatly, but he overtook it again in Gleann da Bheann, beside Loch +Lurcan. And then his wild duck went away from him, and it was not easy +to get it again, but he followed it through every stream to grey Accuill +till he took it by the neck and brought it back, and it no way willing. + +And indeed through the length of his life Caoilte remembered well all he +went through that time with the birds, big and little, travelling over +hills and ditches and striving to bring them with him, that he might set +Finn his master free. + +And when he came to Teamhair he had more to go through yet, for the king +would not let him bring them in before morning, but gave him a house +having nine doors in it to put them up in for the night. And no sooner +were they put in than they raised a loud screech all together, for a +little ray of light was coming to them through fifty openings, and they +were trying to make their escape. And if they were not easy in the +house, Caoilte was not easy outside it, watching every door till the +rising of the sun on the morrow. + +And when he brought out his troop, the name the people gave them was +"Caoilte's Rabble," and there was no wonder at all in that. + +But all the profit the King of Ireland got from them was to see them +together for that one time. For no sooner did Finn get his freedom than +the whole of them scattered here and there, and no two of them went by +the same road out of Teamhair. + +And that was one of the best things Caoilte, son of Ronan, ever did. And +another time he ran from the wave of Cliodna in the south to the wave of +Rudraige in the north. And Colla his son was a very good runner too, and +one time he ran a race backwards against the three battalions of the +Fianna for a chessboard. And he won the race, but if he did, he went +backward over Beinn Edair into the sea. + +And very good hearing Caoilte had. One time he heard the King of the +Luigne of Connacht at his hunting, and Blathmec that was with him said, +"What is that hunt, Caoilte?" "A hunt of three packs of hounds," he +said, "and three sorts of wild creatures before them. The first hunt," +he said, "is after stags and large deer and the second hunt is after +swift small hares, and the third is a furious hunt after heavy boars." +"And what is the fourth hunt, Caoilte?" said Blathmec. "It is the +hunting of heavy-sided, low-bellied badgers." And then they heard coming +after the hunt the shouts of the lads and of the readiest of the men and +the serving-men that were best at carrying burdens. And Blathmec went +out to see the hunting, and just as Caoilte had told him, that was the +way it was. + +And he understood the use of herbs, and one time he met with two women +that were very downhearted because their husbands had gone from them to +take other wives. And Caoilte gave them Druid herbs, and they put them +in the water of a bath and washed in it, and the love of their husbands +came back to them, and they sent away the new wives they had taken. + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was of Finn's blood, and another of the +best men of the Fianna, he was put into Finn's arms as a child, and he +was reared up by Duban's daughter, that had reared eight hundred +fighting men of the Fianna, till his twelfth year, and then she gave him +all he wanted of arms and of armour, and he went to Chorraig Conluain +and the mountains of Slieve Bladhma, where Finn and the Fianna were at +that time. + +And Finn gave him a very gentle welcome, and he struck his hand in +Finn's hand, and made his agreement of service with him. And he stopped +through the length of a year with the Fianna; but he was someway +sluggish through all that time, so that under his leading not more than +nine of the Fianna got to kill so much as a boar or a deer. And along +with that, he used to beat both his servants and his hounds. + +And at last the three battalions of the Fianna went to where Finn was, +at the Point of the Fianna on the edge of Loch Lein, and they made their +complaint against Lugaidh's Son, and it is what they said: "Make your +choice now, will you have us with you, or will you have Lugaidh's Son by +himself." + +Then Lugaidh's Son came to Finn, and Finn asked him, "What is it has put +the whole of the Fianna against you?" "By my word," said the lad, "I do +not know the reason, unless it might be they do not like me to be doing +my feats and casting my spears among them." + +Then Finn gave him an advice, and it is what he said: "If you have a +mind to be a good champion, be quiet in a great man's house; be surly in +the narrow pass. Do not beat your hound without a cause; do not bring a +charge against your wife without having knowledge of her guilt; do not +hurt a fool in fighting, for he is without his wits. Do not find fault +with high-up persons; do not stand up to take part in a quarrel; have no +dealings with a bad man or a foolish man. Let two-thirds of your +gentleness be showed to women and to little children that are creeping +on the floor, and to men of learning that make the poems, and do not be +rough with the common people. Do not give your reverence to all; do not +be ready to have one bed with your companions. Do not threaten or speak +big words, for it is a shameful thing to speak stiffly unless you can +carry it out afterwards. Do not forsake your lord so long as you live; +do not give up any man that puts himself under your protection for all +the treasures of the world. Do not speak against others to their lord, +that is not work for a good man. Do not be a bearer of lying stories, or +a tale-bearer that is always chattering. Do not be talking too much; do +not find fault hastily; however brave you may be, do not raise factions +against you. Do not be going to drinking-houses, or finding fault with +old men; do not meddle with low people; this is right conduct I am +telling you. Do not refuse to share your meat; do not have a niggard for +your friend; do not force yourself on a great man or give him occasion +to speak against you. Hold fast to your arms till the hard fight is well +ended. Do not give up your opportunity, but with that follow after +gentleness." + +That was good advice Finn gave, and he was well able to do that; for it +was said of him that he had all the wisdom of a little child that is +busy about the house, and the mother herself not understanding what he +is doing; and that is the time she has most pride in him. + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, that advice stayed always with him, and he +changed his ways, and after a while he got a great name among the poets +of Ireland and of Alban, and whenever they would praise Finn in their +poems, they would praise him as well. + +And Aoife, daughter of the King of Lochlann, that was married to Mal, +son of Aiel, King of Alban, heard the great praise the poets were giving +to Lugaidh's Son, and she set her love on him for the sake of those +stories. + +And one time Mal her husband and his young men went hunting to +Slieve-mor-Monaidh in the north of Alban. And when he was gone Aoife +made a plan in her sunny house where she was, to go over to Ireland, +herself and her nine foster-sisters. And they set out and went over the +manes of the sea till they came to Beinn Edair, and there they landed. + +And it chanced on that day there was a hunting going on, from Slieve +Bladhma to Beinn Edair. And Finn was in his hunting seat, and his +fosterling, brown-haired Duibhruinn, beside him. And the little lad was +looking about him on every side, and he saw a ship coming to the +strand, and a queen with modest looks in the ship, and nine women along +with her. They landed then, and they came up to where Finn was, bringing +every sort of present with them, and Aoife sat down beside him. And Finn +asked news of her, and she told him the whole story, and how she had +given her love to Lugaidh's Son, and was come over the sea looking for +him; and Finn made her welcome. + +And when the hunting was over, the chief men of the Fianna came back to +where Finn was, and every one asked who was the queen that was with him. +And Finn told them her name, and what it was brought her to Ireland. "We +welcome her that made that journey," said they all; "for there is not in +Ireland or in Alban a better man than the man she is come looking for, +unless Finn himself." + +And as to Lugaidh's Son, it was on the far side of Slieve Bladhma he was +hunting that day, and he was the last to come in. And he went into +Finn's tent, and when he saw the woman beside him he questioned Finn the +same as the others had done, and Finn told him the whole story. "And it +is to you she is come," he said; "and here she is to you out of my hand, +and all the war and the battles she brings with her; but it will not +fall heavier on you," he said, "than on the rest of the Fianna." + +And she was with Lugaidh's Son a month and a year without being asked +for. But one day the three battalions of the Fianna were on the Hill of +the Poet in Leinster, and they saw three armed battalions equal to +themselves coming, against them, and they asked who was bringing them. +"It is Mal, son of Aiel, is bringing them," said Finn, "to avenge his +wife on the Fianna. And it is a good time they are come," he said, "when +we are gathered together at the one spot." + +Then the two armies went towards one another, and Mal, son of Aiel, +took hold of his arms, and three times he broke through the Fianna, and +every time a hundred fell by him. And in the middle of the battle he and +Lugaidh's Son met, and they fought against one another with spear and +sword. And whether the fight was short or long, it was Mal fell by +Lugaidh's Son at the last. + +And Aoife stood on a hill near by, as long as the battle lasted. And +from that out she belonged to Lugaidh's Son, and was a mother of +children to him. + + + + +BOOK TWO: FINN'S HELPERS + +CHAPTER I. THE LAD OF THE SKINS + + +Besides all the men Finn had in his household, there were some that +would come and join him from one place or another. One time a young man +wearing a dress of skins came to Finn's house at Almhuin, and his wife +along with him, and he asked to take service with Finn. + +And in the morning, as they were going to their hunting, the Lad of the +Skins said to Finn: "Let me have no one with me but myself, and let me +go into one part of the country by myself, and you yourself with all +your men go to another part." "Is it on the dry ridges you will go," +said Finn, "or is it in the deep bogs and marshes, where there is danger +of drowning?" "I will go in the deep boggy places," said he. + +So they all went out from Almhuin, Finn and the Fianna to one part, and +the Lad of the Skins to another part, and they hunted through the day. +And when they came back at evening, the Lad of the Skins had killed more +than Finn and all his men together. + +When Finn saw that, he was glad to have so good a servant. But Conan +said to him: "The Lad of the Skins will destroy ourselves and the whole +of the Fianna of Ireland unless you will find some way to rid yourself +of him." "I never had a good man with me yet, Conan," said Finn, "but +you wanted me to put him away; and how could I put away a man like +that?" he said. "The way to put him away," said Conan, "is to send him +to the King of the Floods to take from him the great cauldron that is +never without meat, but that has always enough in it to feed the whole +world. And let him bring that cauldron back here with him to Almhuin," +he said. + +So Finn called to the Lad of the Skins, and he said: "Go from me now to +the King of the Floods and get the great cauldron that is never empty +from him, and bring it here to me." "So long as I am in your service I +must do your work," said the Lad of the Skins. With that he set out, +leaping over the hills and valleys till he came to the shore of the sea. +And then he took up two sticks and put one of them across the other, and +a great ship rose out of the two sticks. The Lad of the Skins went into +the ship then, and put up the sails and set out over the sea, and he +heard nothing but the whistling of eels in the sea and the calling of +gulls in the air till he came to the house of the King of the Floods. +And at that time there were hundreds of ships waiting near the shore; +and he left his ship outside them all, and then he stepped from ship to +ship till he stood on land. + +There was a great feast going on at that time in the king's house, and +the Lad of the Skins went up to the door, but he could get no farther +because of the crowd. So he stood outside the door for a while, and no +one looked at him, and he called out at last: "This is a hospitable +house indeed, and these are mannerly ways, not to ask a stranger if +there is hunger on him or thirst." "That is true," said the king; "and +give the cauldron of plenty now to this stranger," he said, "till he +eats his fill." + +So his people did that, and no sooner did the Lad of the Skins get a +hold of the cauldron than he made away to the ship and put it safe into +it. But when he had done that he said: "There is no use in taking the +pot by my swiftness, if I do not take it by my strength." And with that +he turned and went to land again. And the whole of the men of the army +of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was +the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till +the whole place was quiet. + +He went back to his ship then and raised the sails and set out again +for Ireland, and the ship went rushing back to the place where he made +it. And when he came there, he gave a touch of his hand to the ship, and +there was nothing left of it but the two sticks he made it from, and +they lying on the strand before him, and the cauldron of plenty with +them. And he took up the cauldron on his back, and brought it to Finn, +son of Cumhal, at Almhuin. And Finn gave him his thanks for the work he +had done. + +One day, now, Finn was washing himself at the well, and a voice spoke +out of the water, and it said: "You must give back the cauldron, Finn, +to the King of the Floods, or you must give him battle in place of it." + +Finn told that to the Lad of the Skins, but the answer he got from him +was that his time was up, and that he could not serve on time that was +past. "But if you want me to go with you," he said, "let you watch my +wife, that is Manannan's daughter, through the night; and in the middle +of the night, when she will be combing her hair, any request you make of +her, she cannot refuse it. And the request you will make is that she +will let me go with you to the King of the Floods, to bring the cauldron +to his house and to bring it back again." + +So Finn watched Manannan's daughter through the night, and when he saw +her combing her hair, he made his request of her. "I have no power to +refuse you," she said; "but you must promise me one thing, to bring my +husband back to me, alive or dead. And if he is alive," she said, "put +up a grey-green flag on the ship coming back; but if he is dead, put up +a red flag." + +So Finn promised to do that, and he himself and the Lad of the Skins set +out together for the dun of the King of the Floods, bringing the +cauldron with them. + +No sooner did the king see them than he gave word to all his armies to +make ready. But the Lad of the Skins made for them and overthrew them, +and he went into the king's dun, and Finn with him, and they overcame +him and brought away again the cauldron that was never empty. + +But as they were going back to Ireland, they saw a great ship coming +towards them. And when the Lad of the Skins looked at the ship, he said: +"I think it is an old enemy of my own is in that ship, that is trying to +bring me to my death, because of my wife that refused him her love." And +when the ship came alongside, the man that was in it called out: "I know +you well, and it is not by your dress I know you, son of the King of the +Hills." And with that he made a leap on to the ship, and the two fought +a great battle together, and they took every shape; they began young +like two little boys, and fought till they were two old men; they fought +from being two young pups until they were two old dogs; from being two +young horses till they were two old horses. And then they began to fight +in the shape of birds, and it is in that shape they killed one another +at the last. And Finn threw the one bird into the water, but the other, +that was the Lad of the Skins, he brought with him in the ship. And when +he came in sight of Ireland, he raised a red flag as he had promised the +woman. + +And when he came to the strand, she was there before him, and when she +saw Finn, she said: "It is dead you have brought him back to me." And +Finn gave her the bird, and she asked was that what she was to get in +the place of her husband. And she was crying over the bird, and she +brought it into a little boat with her, and she bade Finn to push out +the boat to sea. + +And he pushed it out, and it was driven by wind and waves till at last +she saw two birds flying, having a dead one between them. And the two +living birds let down the dead one on an island; and it was not long +till it rose up living, and the three went away together. + +And when Manannan's daughter saw that, she said: "There might be some +cure for my man on the island, the way there was for that dead bird." + +And the sea brought the boat to the island, and she went searching +around, but all she could find was a tree having green leaves. "It might +be in these leaves the cure is," she said; and she took some of the +leaves and brought them to where the Lad of the Skins was, and put them +about him. And on that moment he stood up as well and as sound as ever +he was. + +They went back then to Ireland, and they came to Almhuin at midnight, +and the Lad of the Skins knocked at the door, and he said: "Put me out +my wages." "There is no man, living or dead, has wages on me but the Lad +of the Skins," said Finn; "and I would sooner see him here to-night," he +said, "than the wages of three men." "If that is so, rise up and you +will see him," said he. + +So Finn rose up and saw him, and gave him a great welcome, and paid him +his wages. + +And after that he went away and his wife with him to wherever his own +country was; but there were some said he was gone to the country of his +wife's father, Manannan, Son of the Sea. + + + + +CHAPTER II. BLACK, BROWN, AND GREY + + +Finn was hunting one time near Teamhair of the Kings, and he saw three +strange men coming towards him, and he asked what were their names. +"Dubh and Dun and Glasan, Black, Brown, and Grey, are our names," they +said, "and we are come to find Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the Fianna, +and to take service with him." + +So Finn took them into his service, and when evening came he said: "Let +each one of you watch through a third part of the night." And there was +a trunk of a tree there, and he bade them make three equal parts of it, +and he gave a part to each of the three men, and he said: "When each one +of you begins his watch, let him set fire to his own log, and as long as +the wood burns let him watch." + +Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Dubh to go on the first watch. +So he set fire to his log, and he went out around the place, and Bran +with him. He went farther and farther till at last he saw a bright +light, and when he came to the place where it was, he saw a large house. +He went inside, and there was a great company of very strange-looking +men in it, and they drinking out of a single cup. One of the men, that +seemed to be the highest, gave the cup to the man nearest him; and after +he had drunk his fill he passed it on to the next, and so on to the +last. And while it was going round, he said: "This is the great cup that +was taken from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred years ago, and however +many men may be together, every man of them can drink his fill from it, +of whatever sort of drink he has a mind for." + +Dubh was sitting near the door, on the edge of the crowd, and when the +cup came to him he took a drink from it, and then he slipped away in the +dark, bringing it with him. And when he came to the place where Finn +was, his log was burned out. + +Then it was the turn of Dun to go out, for the second lot had fallen on +him, and he put a light to his log, and went out, and Bran with him. + +He walked on through the night till he saw a fire that was shining from +a large house, and when he went in he saw a crowd of men, and they +fighting. And a very old man that was in a high place above the rest +called out: "Stop fighting now, for I have a better gift for you than +the one you lost to-night." And with that he drew a knife out of his +belt and held it up, and said: "This is the wonderful knife, the small +knife of division, that was stolen from Finn, son of Cumhal, a hundred +years ago; and you have but to cut on a bone with that knife and you +will get your fill of the best meat in the world." Then he gave the +knife to the man nearest him, and a bare bone with it, and the man began +to cut, and there came off the bone slices of the best meat in the +world. + +The knife and the bone were sent round then from man to man till they +came to Dun, and as soon as he had the knife in his hand he slipped out +unknown and hurried back, and he had just got to the well where Finn +was, when his part of the log burned out. + +Then Glasan lighted his log and went out on his watch till he came to +the house, the same way the others did. And he looked in and he saw the +floor full of dead bodies, and he thought to himself: "There must be +some great wonder here. And if I lie down on the floor and put some of +the bodies over me," he said, "I will be able to see all that happens." + +So he lay down and pulled some of the bodies over him, and he was not +long there till he saw an old hag coming into the house, having one leg +and one arm and one upper tooth, that was long enough to serve her in +place of a crutch. And when she came inside the door she took up the +first dead body she met with, and threw it aside, for it was lean. And +as she went on, she took two bites out of every fat body she met with, +and threw away every lean one. + +She had her fill of flesh and blood before she came to Glasan, and she +dropped down on the floor and fell asleep, and Glasan thought that every +breath she drew would bring down the roof on his head. He rose up then +and looked at her, and wondered at the bulk of her body. And at last he +drew his sword and hit her a slash that killed her; but if he did, three +young men leaped out of her body. And Glasan made a stroke that killed +the first of them, and Bran killed the second, but the third made his +escape. + +Glasan made his way back then, and just when he got to where Finn was, +his log of wood was burned out, and the day was beginning to break. + +And when Finn rose up in the morning he asked news of the three +watchers, and they gave him the cup and the knife and told him all they +had seen, and he gave great praise to Dubh and to Dun; but to Glasan he +said: "It might have been as well for you to have left that old hag +alone, for I am in dread the third young man may bring trouble on us +all." + +It happened at the end of twenty-one years, Finn and the Fianna were at +their hunting in the hills, and they saw a Red-Haired Man coming +towards them, and he spoke to no one, but came and stood before Finn. +"What is it you are looking for?" said Finn. "I am looking for a master +for the next twenty-one years," he said. "What wages are you asking?" +said Finn. "No wages at all, but only if I die before the twenty-one +years are up, to bury me on Inis Caol, the Narrow Island." "I will do +that for you," said Finn. + +So the Red-Haired Man served Finn well through the length of twenty +years. But in the twenty-first year he began to waste and to wither +away, and he died. + +And when he was dead, the Fianna were no way inclined to go to Inis Caol +to bury him. But Finn said he would break his word for no man, and that +he himself would bring his body there. And he took an old white horse +that had been turned loose on the hills, and that had got younger and +not older since it was put out, and he put the body of the Red-Haired +Man on its back, and let it take its own way, and he himself followed +it, and twelve men of the Fianna. + +And when they came to Inis Caol they saw no trace of the horse or of the +body. And there was an open house on the island, and they went in. And +there were seats for every man of them inside, and they sat down to rest +for a while. + +But when they tried to rise up it failed them to do it, for there was +enchantment on them. And they saw the Red-Haired Man standing before +them in that moment. + +"The time is come now," he said, "for me to get satisfaction from you +for the death of my mother and my two brothers that were killed by +Glasan in the house of the dead bodies." He began to make an attack on +them then, and he would have made an end of them all, but Finn took +hold of the Dord Fiann, and blew a great blast on it. + +And before the Red-Haired Man was able to kill more than three of them, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that had heard the sound of the Dord +Fiann, came into the house and made an end of him, and put an end to the +enchantment. And Finn, with the nine that were left of the Fianna, came +back again to Almhuin. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE HOUND + + +One day the three battalions of the Fianna came to Magh Femen, and there +they saw three young men waiting for them, having a hound with them; and +there was not a colour in the world but was on that hound, and it was +bigger than any other hound. + +"Where do you come from, young men?" said Finn. "Out of the greater +Iruath in the east," said they; "and our names are Dubh, the Dark, and +Agh, the Battle, and Ilar, the Eagle." "What is it you came for?" "To +enter into service, and your friendship," said they. "What good will it +do us, you to be with us?" said Finn. "We are three," said they, "and +you can make a different use of each one of us." "What uses are those?" +said Finn. "I will do the watching for all the Fianna of Ireland and of +Alban," said one of them. "I will take the weight of every fight and +every battle that will come to them, the way they can keep themselves in +quiet," said the second. "I will meet every troublesome thing that might +come to my master," said the third; "and let all the wants of the world +be told to me and I will satisfy them. And I have a pipe with me," he +said; "and all the men of the world would sleep at the sound of it, and +they in their sickness. And as to the hound," he said, "as long as there +are deer in Ireland he will get provision for the Fianna every second +night. And I myself," he said, "will get it on the other nights." "What +will you ask of us to be with us like that?" said Finn. "We will ask +three things," they said: "no one to come near to the place where we +have our lodging after the fall of night; nothing to be given out to us, +but we to provide for ourselves; and the worst places to be given to us +in the hunting." "Tell me by your oath now," said Finn, "why is it you +will let no one see you after nightfall?" "We have a reason," said they; +"but do not ask it of us, whether we are short or long on the one path +with you. But we will tell you this much," they said, "every third +night, one of us three is dead and the other two are watching him, and +we have no mind for any one to be looking at us." + +So Finn promised that; but if he did there were some of the Fianna were +not well pleased because of the ways of those three men, living as they +did by themselves, and having a wall of fire about them, and they would +have made an end of them but for Finn protecting them. + +About that time there came seven men of poetry belonging to the people +of Cithruadh, asking the fee for a poem, three times fifty ounces of +gold and the same of silver to bring back to Cithruadh at Teamhair. +"Whatever way we get it, we must find some way to get that," said a man +of the Fianna. Then the three young men from Iruath said: "Well, men of +learning," they said, "would you sooner get the fee for your poem +to-night or to-morrow?" "To-morrow will be time enough," said they. + +And the three young men went to the place where the hound had his bed a +little way off from the rath, and the hound threw out of his mouth +before them the three times fifty ounces of gold and three times fifty +of silver, and they gave them to the men of poetry, and they went away. + +Another time Finn said: "What can the three battalions of the Fianna do +to-night, having no water?" And one of the men of Iruath said: "How many +drinking-horns are with you?" "Three hundred and twelve," said Caoilte. +"Give me the horns into my hand," said the young man, "and whatever you +will find in them after that, you may drink it." He filled the horns +then with beer and they drank it, and he did that a second and a third +time; and with the third time of filling they were talkative and their +wits confused. "This is a wonderful mending of the feast," said Finn. +And they gave the place where all that happened the name of the Little +Rath of Wonders. + +And one time after that again there came to Finn three bald red clowns, +holding three red hounds in their hands, and three deadly spears. And +there was poison on their clothes and on their hands and their feet, and +on everything they touched. And Finn asked them who were they. And they +said they were three sons of Uar, son of Indast of the Tuatha de Danaan; +and it was by a man of the Fianna, Caoilte son of Ronan, their father +was killed in the battle of the Tuatha de Danaan on Slieve nan Ean, the +Mountain of Birds, in the east. "And let Caoilte son of Ronan give us +the blood-fine for him now," they said. "What are your names?" said +Finn. "Aincel and Digbail and Espaid; Ill-wishing and Harm and Want are +our names. And what answer do you give us now, Finn?" they said. "No one +before me ever gave a blood-fine for a man killed in battle, and I will +not give it," said Finn. "We will do revenge and robbery on you so," +said they. "What revenge is that?" said Finn. "It is what I will do," +said Aincel, "if I meet with two or three or four of the Fianna, I will +take their feet and their hands from them." "It is what I will do," +said Digbail, "I will not leave a day without loss of a hound or a +serving-boy or a fighting man to the Fianna of Ireland." "And I myself +will be always leaving them in want of people, or of a hand, or of an +eye," said Espaid. "Without we get some help against them," said +Caoilte, "there will not be one of us living at the end of a year." +"Well," said Finn, "we will make a dun and stop here for a while, for I +will not be going through Ireland and these men following after me, till +I find who are the strongest, themselves or ourselves." + +So the Fianna made little raths for themselves all about Slieve Mis, and +they stopped there through a month and a quarter and a year. And through +all that time the three red bald-headed men were doing every sort of +hurt and harm upon them. + +But the three sons of the King of Iruath came to speak with Finn, and it +is what they said: "It is our wish, Finn, to send the hound that is with +us to go around you three times in every day, and however many may be +trying to hurt or to rob you, they will not have power to do it after +that. But let there be neither fire nor arms nor any other dog in the +house he goes into," they said. "I will let none of these things go into +the one house with him," said Finn, "and he will go safe back to you." +So every day the hound would be sent to Finn, having his chain of ridges +of red gold around his neck, and he would go three times around Finn, +and three times he would put his tongue upon him. And to the people that +were nearest to the hound when he came into the house it would seem like +as if a vat of mead was being strained, and to others there would come +the sweet smell of an apple garden. + +And every harm and sickness the three sons of Uar would bring on the +Fianna, the three sons of the King of Iruath would take it off them +with their herbs and their help and their healing. + +And after a while the High King of Ireland came to Slieve Mis with a +great, troop of his men, to join with Finn and the Fianna. And they told +the High King the whole story, and how the sons of Uar were destroying +them, and the three sons of the King of Iruath were helping them against +them. "Why would not the men that can do all that find some good spell +that would drive the sons of Uar out of Ireland?" said the High King. + +With that Caoilte went looking for the three young men from Iruath and +brought them to the High King. "These are comely men," said the High +King, "good in their shape and having a good name. And could you find +any charm, my sons," he said, "that will drive out these three enemies +that are destroying the Fianna of Ireland?" "We would do that if we +could find those men near us," said they; "and it is where they are +now," they said, "at Daire's Cairn at the end of the raths." "Where are +Garb-Cronan, the Rough Buzzing One, and Saltran of the Long Heel?" said +Finn. "Here we are, King of the Fianna," said they. "Go out to those men +beyond, and tell them I will give according to the judgment of the King +of Ireland in satisfaction for their father." The messengers went out +then and brought them in, and they sat down on the bank of the rath. + +Then the High King said: "Rise up, Dubh, son of the King of Iruath, and +command these sons of Uar with a spell to quit Ireland." And Dubh rose +up, and he said: "Go out through the strength of this spell and this +charm, you three enemies of the Fianna, one-eyed, lame-thighed, +left-handed, of the bad race. And go out on the deep bitter sea," he +said, "and let each one of you strike a blow of his sword on the head +of his brothers. For it is long enough you are doing harm and +destruction on the King of the Fianna, Finn, son of Cumhal." + +With that the hound sent a blast of wind under them that brought them +out into the fierce green sea, and each of them struck a blow on the +head of the others. And that was the last that was seen of the three +destroying sons of Uar, Aincel and Digbail and Espaid. + +But after the time of the Fianna, there came three times in the one +year, into West Munster, three flocks of birds from the western sea +having beaks of bone and fiery breath, and the wind from their wings was +as cold as a wind of spring. And the first time they came was at reaping +time, and every one of them brought away an ear of corn from the field. +And the next time they came they did not leave apple on tree, or nut on +bush, or berry on the rowan; and the third time they spared no live +thing they could lift from the ground, young bird or fawn or silly +little child. And the first day they came was the same day of the year +the three sons of Uar were put out in the sea. + +And when Caoilte, that was one of the last of the Fianna, and that was +living yet, heard of them, he remembered the sons of Uar, and he made a +spell that drove them out into the sea again, and they perished there by +one another. + +It was about the length of a year the three sons of the King of Iruath +stopped with Finn. And at the end of that time Donn and Dubhan, two sons +of the King of Ulster, came out of the north to Munster. And one night +they kept watch for the Fianna, and three times they made a round of the +camp. And it is the way the young men from Iruath used to be, in a place +by themselves apart from the Fianna, and their hound in the middle +between them; and at the fall of night there used a wall of fire to be +around them, the way no one could look at them. + +And the third time the sons of the King of Ulster made the round of the +camp, they saw the fiery wall, and Donn said: "It is a wonder the way +those three young men are through the length of a year now, and their +hound along with them, and no one getting leave to look at them." + +With that he himself and his brother took their arms in their hands, and +went inside the wall of fire, and they began looking at the three men +and at the hound. And the great hound they used to see every day at the +hunting was at this time no bigger than a lap-dog that would be with a +queen or a high person. And one of the young men was watching over the +dog, and his sword in his hand, and another of them was holding a vessel +of white silver to the mouth of the dog; and any drink any one of the +three would ask for, the dog would put it out of his mouth into the +vessel. + +Then one of the young men said to the hound: "Well, noble one and brave +one and just one, take notice of the treachery that is done to you by +Finn." When the dog heard that he turned to the King of Ulster's sons, +and there rose a dark Druid wind that blew away the shields from their +shoulders and the swords from their sides into the wall of fire. And +then the three men came out and made an end of them; and when that was +done the dog came and breathed on them, and they turned to ashes on the +moment, and there was never blood or flesh or bone of them found after. + +And the three battalions of the Fianna divided themselves into companies +of nine, and went searching through every part of Ireland for the King +of Ulster's two sons. + +And as to Finn, he went to Teamhair Luachra, and no one with him but the +serving-lads and the followers of the army. And the companies of nine +that were looking for the King of Ulster's sons came back to him there +in the one night; but they brought no word of them, if they were dead or +living. + +But as to the three sons of the King of Iruath and the hound that was +with them, they were seen no more by Finn and the Fianna. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. RED RIDGE + + +There was another young man came and served Finn for a while; out of +Connacht he came, and he was very daring, and the Red Ridge was the name +they gave him. And he all but went from Finn one time, because of his +wages that were too long in coming to him. And the three battalions of +the Fianna came trying to quiet him, but he would not stay for them. And +at the last Finn himself came, for it is a power he had, if he would +make but three verses he would quiet any one. And it is what he said: +"Daring Red Ridge," he said, "good in battle, if you go from me to-day +with your great name it is a good parting for us. But once at Rath Cro," +he said, "I gave you three times fifty ounces in the one day; and at Cam +Ruidhe I gave you the full of my cup of silver and of yellow gold. And +do you remember," he said, "the time we were at Rath Ai, when we found +the two women, and when we ate the nuts, myself and yourself were there +together." + +And after that the young man said no more about going from him. + +And another helper came to Finn one time he was fighting at a ford, and +all his weapons were used or worn with the dint of the fight. And there +came to him a daughter of Mongan of the Sidhe, bringing him a flat stone +having a chain of gold to it. And he took the stone and did great deeds +with it. And after the fight the stone fell into the ford, that got the +name of Ath Liag Finn. + +And that stone will never be found till the Woman of the Waves will find +it, and will bring it to land on a Sunday morning; and on that day seven +years the world will come to an end. + + + + +BOOK THREE: THE BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND. + +CHAPTER I. THE ENEMIES OF IRELAND + + +Of all the great battles the Fianna fought to keep the foreigners out of +Ireland, the greatest was the one that was fought at Finntraigh the +White Strand, in Munster; and this is the whole story of it, and of the +way the Fianna came to have so great a name. + +One time the enemies of Ireland gathered together under Daire Donn, High +King of the Great World, thinking to take Ireland and to put it under +tribute. + +The King of Greece was of them, and the King of France, and the King of +the Eastern World, and Lughman of the Broad Arms, King of the Saxons, +and Fiacha of the Long Hair, King of the Gairean, and Tor the son of +Breogan, King of the Great Plain, and Sligech, son of the King of the +Men of Cepda, and Comur of the Crooked Sword, King of the Men of the +Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads, and Caisel +of the Feathers, King of Lochlann, and Madan of the Bent Neck, son of +the King of the Marshes, and three kings from the rising of the sun in +the east, and Ogarmach, daughter of the King of Greece, the best +woman-warrior that ever came into the world, and a great many other +kings and great lords. + +The King of the World asked then: "Who is there can give me knowledge of +the harbours of Ireland?" "I will do that for you, and I will bring you +to a good harbour," said Glas, son of Bremen, that had been put out of +Ireland by Finn for doing some treachery. + +Then the armies set out in their ships, and they were not gone far when +the wind rose and the waves, and they could hear nothing but the wild +playing of the sea-women, and the screams of frightened birds, and the +breaking of ropes and of sails. But after a while, when the wind found +no weakness in the heroes, it rose from them and went up into its own +high place. And then the sea grew quiet and the waves grew tame and the +harbours friendly, and they stopped for a while at an island that was +called the Green Rock. But the King of the World said then: "It is not a +harbour like this you promised me, Glas, son of Dremen, but a shore of +white sand where my armies could have their fairs and their gatherings +the time they would not be fighting." "I know a harbour of that sort in +the west of Ireland," said Glas, "the Harbour of the White Strand in +Corca Duibhne." So they went into their ships again, and went on over +the sea towards Ireland. + + + + +CHAPTER II. CAEL AND CREDHE + + +Now as to Finn, when it was shown to him that the enemies of Ireland +were coming, he called together the seven battalions of the Fianna. And +the place where they gathered was on the hill that was called +Fionntulach, the White Hill, in Munster. They often stopped on that hill +for a while, and spear-shafts with spells on them were brought to them +there, and they had every sort of thing for food, beautiful +blackberries, haws of the hawthorn, nuts of the hazels of Cenntire, +tender twigs of the bramble bush, sprigs of wholesome gentian, +watercress at the beginning of summer. And there would be brought to +their cooking-pots birds out of the oak-woods, and squirrels from +Berramain, and speckled eggs from the cliffs, and salmon out of +Luimnech, and eels of the Sionnan, and woodcocks of Fidhrinne, and +otters from the hidden places of the Doile, and fish from the coasts of +Buie and Beare, and dulse from the bays of Cleire. + +And as they were going to set out southwards, they saw one of their +young men, Gael, grandson of Nemhnain, coming towards them. "Where are +you come from, Cael?" Finn asked him. "From Brugh na Boinne," said he. +"What were you asking there?" said Finn. "I was asking to speak with +Muirenn, daughter of Derg, that was my own nurse," said he. "For what +cause?" said Finn. "It was about a high marriage and a woman of the +Sidhe that was showed to me in a dream; Credhe it was I saw, daughter of +the King of Ciarraighe Luachra." "Do you know this, Cael," said Finn, +"that she is the greatest deceiver of all the women of Ireland; and +there is hardly a precious thing in Ireland but she has coaxed it away +to her own great dun." "Do you know what she asks of every man that +comes asking for her?" said Cael. "I know it," said Finn; "she will let +no one come unless he is able to make a poem setting out the report of +her bowls and her horns and her cups, her grand vessels and all her +palaces." "I have all that ready," said Cael; "it was given to me by my +nurse, Muirenn, daughter of Derg." + +They gave up the battle then for that time, and they went on over every +hilly place and every stony place till they came to Loch Cuire in the +west; and they came to the door of the hill of the Sidhe and knocked at +it with the shafts of their long gold-socketted spears. And there came +young girls having yellow hair to the windows of the sunny houses; and +Credhe herself, having three times fifty women with her, came out to +speak with them. "It is to ask you in marriage we are come," said Finn. +"Who is it is asking for me?" said she. "It is Cael, the hundred-killer, +grandson of Nemhnain, son of the King of Leinster in the east." "I have +heard talk of him, but I have never seen him," said Credhe. "And has he +any poem for me?" she said. "I have that," said Cael, and he rose up +then and sang his poem: + +"A journey I have to make, and it is no easy journey, to the house of +Credhe against the breast of the mountain, at the Paps of Dana; it is +there I must be going through hardships for the length of seven days. It +is pleasant her house is, with men and boys and women, with Druids and +musicians, with cup-bearer and door-keeper, with horse-boy that does not +leave his work, with distributer to share food; and Credhe of the Fair +Hair having command over them all. + +"It would be delightful to me in her dun, with coverings and with down, +if she has but a mind to listen to me. + +"A bowl she has with juice of berries in it to make her eyebrows black; +crystal vats of fermenting grain; beautiful cups and vessels. Her house +is of the colour of lime; there are rushes for beds, and many silken +coverings and blue cloaks; red gold is there, and bright drinking-horns. +Her sunny house is beside Loch Cuire, made of silver and yellow gold; +its ridge is thatched without any fault, with the crimson wings of +birds. The doorposts are green, the lintel is of silver taken in battle. +Credhe's chair on the left is the delight of delights, covered with gold +of Elga; at the foot of the pleasant bed it is, the bed that was made of +precious stones by Tuile in the east. Another bed there is on the right, +of gold and silver, it is made without any fault, curtains it has of the +colour of the foxglove, hanging on rods of copper. + +"The people of her house, it is they have delight, their cloaks are not +faded white, they are not worn smooth; their hair is fair and curling. +Wounded men in their blood would sleep hearing the birds of the Sidhe +singing in the eaves of the sunny house. + +"If I have any thanks to give to Credhe, for whom the cuckoo calls, she +will get better praise than this; if this love-service I have done is +pleasing to her, let her not delay, let her say, 'Your coming is +welcome to me.' + +"A hundred feet there are in her house, from one corner to another; +twenty feet fully measured is the width of her great door; her roof has +its thatch of the wings of blue and yellow birds, the border of her well +is of crystals and carbuncles. + +"There is a vat there of royal bronze; the juice of pleasant malt is +running from it; over the vat is an apple-tree with its heavy fruit; +when Credhe's horn is filled from the vat, four apples fall into it +together. + +"She that owns all these things both at low water and at flood, Credhe +from the Hill of the Three Peaks, she is beyond all the women of Ireland +by the length of a spear-cast. + +"Here is this song for her, it is no sudden bride-gift it is, no hurried +asking; I bring it to Credhe of the beautiful shape, that my coming may +be very bright to her." + +Then Credhe took him for her husband, and the wedding-feast was made, +and the whole of the Fianna stopped there through seven days, at +drinking and pleasure, and having every good thing. + + + + +CHAPTER III. CONN CRITHER + + +Finn now, when he had turned from his road to go to Credhe's house, had +sent out watchmen to every landing-place to give warning when the ships +of the strangers would be in sight. And the man that was keeping watch +at the White Strand was Conn Crither, son of Bran, from Teamhair +Luachra. + +And after he had been a long time watching, he was one night west from +the Round Hill of the Fianna that is called Cruachan Adrann, and there +he fell asleep. And while he was in his sleep the ships came; and what +roused him was the noise of the breaking of shields and the clashing of +swords and of spears, and the cries of women and children and of dogs +and horses that were under flames, and that the strangers were making an +attack on. + +Conn Crither started up when he heard that, and he said: "It is great +trouble has come on the people through my sleep; and I will not stay +living after this," he said, "for Finn and the Fianna of Ireland to see +me, but I will rush into the middle of the strangers," he said, "and +they will fall by me till I fall by them." + +He put on his suit of battle then and ran down towards the strand. And +on the way he saw three women dressed in battle clothes before him, and +fast as he ran he could not overtake them. He took his spear then to +make a cast of it at the woman was nearest him, but she stopped on the +moment, and she said: "Hold your hand and do not harm us, for we are not +come to harm you but to help you." "Who are you yourselves?" said Conn +Crither. "We are three sisters," she said, "and we are come from Tir nan +Og, the Country of the Young, and we have all three given you our love, +and no one of us loves you less than the other, and it is to give you +our help we are come." "What way will you help me?" said Conn. "We will +give you good help," she said, "for we will make Druid armies about you +from stalks of grass and from the tops of the watercress, and they will +cry out to the strangers and will strike their arms from their hands, +and take from them their strength and their eyesight. And we will put a +Druid mist about you now," she said, "that will hide you from the armies +of the strangers, and they will not see you when you make an attack on +them. And we have a well of healing at the foot of Slieve Iolair, the +Eagle's Mountain," she said, "and its waters will cure every wound made +in battle. And after bathing in that well you will be as whole and as +sound as the day you were born. And bring whatever man you like best +with you," she said, "and we will heal him along with you." + +Conn Crither gave them his thanks for that, and he hurried on to the +strand. And it was at that time the armies of the King of the Great +Plain were taking spoils from Traigh Moduirn in the north to Finntraighe +in the south. And Conn Crither came on them, and the Druid army with +him, and he took their spoils from them, and the Druid army took their +sight and their strength from them, and they were routed, and they made +away to where the King of the Great Plain was, and Conn Crither +followed, killing and destroying. "Stop with me, king-hero," said the +King of the Great Plain, "that I may fight with you on account of my +people, since there is not one of them that turns to stand against you." + +So the two set their banners in the earth and attacked one another, and +fought a good part of the day until Conn Crither struck off the king's +head. And he lifted up the head, and he was boasting of what he had +done. "By my word," he said, "I will not let myself be parted from this +body till some of the Fianna, few or many, will come to me." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. GLAS, SON OF BREMEN + + +The King of the World heard that, and he said: "It is a big word that +man is saying," he said; "and rise up now, Glas, son of Dremen, and see +which of the Fianna of Ireland it is that is saying it." + +Glas left the ship then, and he went to where Conn + +Crither was, and he asked who was he. "I am Conn Crither, son of Bran, +from Teamhair Luachra," said he. "If that is so," said Glas, "you are of +the one blood with myself, for I am Glas, son of Bremen from Teamhair +Luachra." "It is not right for you to come fighting against me from +those foreigners, so," said Conn. "It is a pity indeed," said Glas; "and +but for Finn and the Fianna driving me from them, I would not fight +against you or against one of themselves for all the treasures of the +whole world." "Do not say that," said Conn, "for I swear by my hand of +valour," he said, "if you had killed Finn's own son and the sons of his +people along with him, you need not be in dread of him if only you came +under his word and his protection." "I think indeed the day is come for +me to fight beside you," said Glas, "and I will go back and tell that to +the King of the World." + +He went back then to where the king was, and the king asked him which of +the men of the Fianna was in it. "It is a kinsman of my own is in it, +High King," said Glas; "and it is weak my heart is, he to be alone, and +I have a great desire to go and help him." "If you go," said the King of +the World, "it is what I ask you, to come and to tell me every day how +many of the Fianna of Ireland have fallen by me; and if a few of my own +men should fall," he said, "come and tell me who it was they fell by." +"It is what I ask you," said Glas, "not to let your armies land till the +Fianna come to us, but to let one man only come to fight with each of us +until that time," he said. + +So two of the strangers were sent against them that day, and they got +their death by Glas and by Conn Crither. Then they asked to have two men +sent against each of them, and that was done; and three times nine fell +by them before night. And Conn Crither was covered with wounds after +the day, and he said to Glas: "Three women came to me from the Country +of the Young, and they promised to put me in a well of healing for my +wounds. And let you watch the harbour to-night," he said, "and I will go +look for them." So he went to them, and they bathed him in the well of +healing, and he was whole of his wounds. + +And as to Glas, son of Dremen, he went down to the harbour, and he said: +"O King of the World," he said, "there is a friend of mine in the ships, +Madan of the Bent Neck, son of the King of the Marshes; and it is what +he said in the great world in the east, that he himself would be enough +to take Ireland for you, and that he would bring it under tribute to you +by one way or another. And I ask you to let him come alone against me +to-night, till we see which of us will fight best for Ireland." + +So Madan came to the land, and the two attacked one another, and made a +very hard fight; but as it was not in the prophecy that Glas would find +his death there, it was the son of the King of the Marshes that got his +death by him. + +And not long after that Conn Crither came back to Glas, and he gave Glas +great praise for all he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE HELP OF THE MEN OF DEA + + +Then Taistellach that was one of Finn's messengers came to the White +Strand asking news; and Conn bade him go back to where Finn was and tell +him the way things were. But Taistellach would not go until he had +wetted his sword in the blood of one of the enemies of Ireland, the same +as the others had done. And he sent a challenge to the ships, and +Coimhleathan, a champion that was very big and tall, came and fought +with him on the strand, and took him in his arms to bring him back +living to the ship of the High King; but Taistellach struck his head off +in the sea and brought it back to land. + +"Victory and blessing be with you!" said Conn Crither. "And go now +to-night," he said, "to the house of Bran, son of Febal my father at +Teamhair Luachra, and bid him to gather all the Tuatha de Danaan to help +us; and go on to-morrow to the Fianna of Ireland." So Taistellach went +on to Bran's house, and he told him the whole story and gave him the +message. + +Then Bran, son of Febal, went out to gather the Tuatha de Danaan, and he +went to Dun Sesnain in Ui Conall Gabra, where they were holding a feast +at that time. And there he found three of the best young men of the +Tuatha de Danaan, Ilbrec the Many Coloured, son of Manannan, and +Nemanach the Pearly, son of Angus Og, and Sigmall, grandson of Midhir, +and they made him welcome and bade him to stop with them. "There is a +greater thing than this for you to do, Men of Dea," said Bran; and he +told them the whole story, and the way Conn Crither his son was. "Stop +with me to-night," said Sesnan, "and my son Dolb will go to Bodb Dearg, +son of the Dagda, and gather in the Tuatha de Danaan to us." + +So he stopped there, and Dolb, son of Sesnan, went to Sidhe Bean Finn +above Magh Femen, and Bodb Dearg was there at that time, and Dolb gave +him his message. "Young man," said Bodb Dearg, "we are no way bound to +help the men of Ireland out of that strait." "Do not say that," said +Dolb, "for there is not a king's son or a prince or a leader of the +Fianna of Ireland without having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother +or a sweetheart of the Tuatha de Danaan; and it is good help they have +given you every time you were in want of it." "I give my word," said +Bodb Dearg, "it is right to give a good answer to so good a messenger." +With that he sent word to the Tuatha de Danaan in every place where they +were, and they gathered to him. And from that they went on to Dun +Sesnain, and they stopped there through the night And they rose up in +the morning and put on their shirts of the dearest silk and their +embroidered coats of rejoicing, and they took their green shields and +their swords and their spears. And their leaders at that time besides +Bodb Dearg were Midhir of Bri Leith, and Lir of Sidhe Finnachaidh, and +Abarthach, son of Ildathach, and Ilbrec, son of Manannan, and Fionnbhar +of Magh Suil, and Argat Lamh, the Silver Hand, from the Sionnan, and the +Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn. + +And the whole army of them came into Ciarraighe Luachra, and to +red-haired Slieve Mis, and from that to the harbour of the White Strand. +"O Men of Dea," said Abarthach then, "let a high mind and high courage +rise within you now in the face of the battle. For the doings of every +one among you," he said, "will be told till the end of the world; and +let you fulfil now the big words you have spoken in the +drinking-houses." "Rise up, Glas, son of Dremen," said Bodb Dearg then, +"and tell out to the King of the World that I am come to do battle." +Glas went then to the King of the World. "Are those the Fianna of +Ireland I see?" said the king. "They are not," said Glas, "but another +part of the men of Ireland that do not dare to be on the face of the +earth, but that live in hidden houses under the earth, and it is to give +warning of battle from them I am come." "Who will answer the Tuatha de +Danaan for me?" said the King of the World. "We will go against them," +said two of the kings that were with him, Comur Cromchenn, King of the +Men of the Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads. +And they had five red-armed battalions with them, and they went to the +shore like great red waves. "Who is there to match with the King of the +Dog-Heads for me?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will go against him," said Lir of +Sidhe Finnachaidh, "though I heard there is not in the world a man with +stronger hands than himself." "Who will be a match for the King of the +Cat-Heads?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will be a match for him," said +Abarthach, son of Ildathach. + +So Lir and the King of the Dog-Heads attacked one another, and they made +a hard fight; but after a while Lir was getting the worst of it. "It is +a pity the way Lir is," said Bodb Dearg; "and let some of you rise up +and help him," he said. Then Ilbrec, son of Manannan, went to his help; +but if he did, he got a wound himself and could do nothing. Then Sigmal, +grandson of Midhir, went to his help, and after him the five sons of +Finnaistucan, and others of the Men of Dea, but they were all driven off +by the King of the Dog-Heads. But at that time Abarthach had made an end +of the King of the Cat-Heads, and he rose on his spear, and made a leap, +and came down between Lir and his enemy. "Leave off now and look on at +the fight," he said to Lir, "and leave it to me and the foreigner." With +that he took his sword in his left hand and made a thrust with his spear +in through the king's armour. And as the king was raising up his shield, +he struck at him with the sword that was in his left hand, and cut off +both his legs at the knees, and the king let fall his shield then, and +Abarthach struck off his head. And the two kings being dead, their +people broke away and ran, but the Men of Dea followed them and made an +end of them all; but if they did, they lost a good many of their own +men. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA + + +Ana Finn and the Fianna were at the house of Credhe yet, and they saw +Taistellach coming towards them. It was the custom, now, with Finn when +he sent any one looking for news, that it was to himself it was to be +told first, the way that if he got bad news he would let on not to mind +it; and if it was good news he got, he would have the satisfaction of +telling it himself. So Taistellach told him how the foreigners were come +to the harbour of the White Strand. + +Then Finn turned to his chief men, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland, +there never came harm or danger to Ireland to be put aside this great +danger that is come against us now. And you get great tribute and great +service from the chief men of Ireland," he said, "and if you take that +from them it is right for you to defend them now." + +And the Fianna all said they would not go back one step from the defence +of Ireland. And as to Credhe, she gave every one of them a battle dress, +and they were taking leave of her, and Finn said: "Let the woman come +along with us till we know is it good or bad the end of this journey +will be." So she came with them, bringing a great herd of cattle; and +through the whole length of the battle, that lasted a year and a day, +she had new milk for them, and it was to her house the wounded were +brought for healing. + +Then the Fianna set out, and they went to the borders of Ciarraighe +Luachra and across by the shores of the Bannlid with their left hand to +Slieve Mis, and they made shelters for themselves that night, and +kindled fires. + +But Caoilte and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son said to one another they would +go on to the harbour, the way they would have time to redden their hands +in the blood of the foreigners before the rest of the Fianna would come. + +And at that time the King of the World bade some of his chief men to go +on shore and to bring him back some spoils. So they went to land and +they gave out a great shout, and the people of the ships gave out a +great shout at the same time. "I swear by the oath my people swear by," +said Caoilte, "I have gone round the whole world, but I never heard so +many voices together in the one place." And with that he himself and +Oisin and Lugaidh's Son made an attack on the strangers, and struck +great blows at them. And when Conn Crither and Glas, son of Bremen, +heard the noise of those blows, they knew they were struck by some of +the Fianna of Ireland, and they came and joined with them, and did great +destruction on the strangers, till there was not one left of all that +had come to land. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS + + +And in the morning they saw Finn and all his people coming to the rath +that is above the harbour. "My father Finn," said Oisin than, "let us +fight now with the whole of the foreigners altogether." "That is not my +advice," said Finn, "for the number of their armies is too great for us, +and we could not stand against them. But we will send out every day," +he said, "some son of a king or of a leader against some king of the +kings of the world that is equal in blood to ourselves. And let none of +you redden your arms," he said, "but against a king or a chief man at +first, for when a king is fallen, his people will be more inclined to +give way. And who will give out a challenge of battle from me now?" he +said. "I will do that," said the son of Cuban, leader of the Fianna of +Munster. "Do not go, my son," said Finn, "for it is not showed to me +that you will have good luck in the battle, and I never sent out any man +to fight without I knew he would come back safe to me." "Do not say +that," said Cuban's son, "for I would not for the treasure of the whole +world go back from a fight on account of a bad foretelling. And as it is +my own country they have done their robbery in first," he said, "I will +defend it for you." "It is sorrowful I am for that," said Finn, "for +whichever of the kings of the world will meet you to-day, yourself and +himself will fall together." + +Then Glas, son of Dremen, gave out a challenge of fight from Cuban's +son, and the King of Greece answered it. And the two fought hand to +hand, and the King of Greece made a great cast of his thick spear at +Cuban's son, that went through his body and broke his back in two. But +he did not take that blow as a gift, but he paid for it with a strong +cast of his own golden spear that went through the ringed armour of the +King of Greece. And those two fell together, sole to sole, and lip to +lip. "There is grief on me, Cuban's son to have fallen," said Finn, "for +no one ever went from his house unsatisfied; and a man that I would not +keep, or the High King of Ireland would not keep for a week, he would +keep him in his house through the length of a year. And let Follamain, +his son, be called to me now," he said, "and I will give him his +father's name and place." + +They stopped there then till the next morning. "Who will go and fight +to-day?" said Finn then. "I will do that," said Goll Garb, son of the +King of Alban and of the daughter of Goll, son of Morna. + +So he put on his battle dress, and there came against him the three +kings from the rising of the sun in the east, and their three battalions +with them. And Goll Garb rushed among their men, and wounded and maimed +and destroyed them, and blinded their eyes for ever, so that their wits +went from them, and they called to him to stop his deadly sword for a +while. So he did that; and it is what they agreed to take their three +kings and to give them over to Goll Garb that he might stop doing +destruction with his sword. + +"Who will go out and fight to-day?" said Finn, on the morning of the +morrow. "I will go," said Oisin, "and the chief men of the sons of +Baiscne with me; for we get the best share of all the pleasant things of +Ireland, and we should be first to defend her." "I will answer that +challenge," said the King of France, "for it is against Finn I am come +to Ireland, on account of my wife that he brought away from me; and +these men will fall by me now," he said, "and Finn himself at the last; +for when the branches of a tree are cut off, it is not hard to cut down +the tree itself." + +So the King of France and Oisin met one another at the eastern end of +the strand, and they struck their banners of soft silk into the green +hill, and bared their swords and made a quick attack on one another. And +at one time the king struck such a great blow that he knocked a groan +out of Oisin. But for all that he was worsted in the end, and great fear +came on him, like the fear of a hundred horses at the sound of thunder, +and he ran from Oisin, and he rose like a swallow, that his feet never +touched the earth at all; and he never stopped till he came to Gleann +na-n Gealt, the Valley of Wild Men. And ever since that time, people +that have lost their wits make for that valley; and every mad person in +Ireland, if he had his way, would go there within twenty-four hours. + +And there rose great cries of lamentation from the armies of the World +when they saw him going from them, and the Fianna of Ireland raised +great shouts of joy. + +And when the night was coming on, it is what Finn said: "It is sad and +gloomy the King of the World is to-night; and it is likely he will make +an attack on us. And which of you will keep watch over the harbour +through the night?" he said. "I will," said Oisin, "with the same number +that was fighting along with me to-day; for it is not too much for you +to fight for the Fianna of Ireland through a day and a night," he said. + +So they went down to the harbour, and it was just at that time the King +of the World was saying, "It seems to me, men of the World, that our +luck of battle was not good to-day. And let a share of you rise up now," +he said, "and make an attack on the Fianna of Ireland." Then there rose +up the nine sons of Garb, King of the Sea of Icht, that were smiths, and +sixteen hundred of their people along with them, and they all went on +shore but Dolar Durba that was the eldest of them. And the sons of +Baiscne were ready for them, and they fought a great battle till the +early light of the morrow. And not one of them was left alive on either +side that could hold a weapon but only Oisin and one of the sons of +Garb. And they made rushes at one another, and threw their swords out of +their hands, and closed their arms about one another, and wrestled +together, so that it was worth coming from the east to the west of the +world to see the fight of those two. Then the foreigner gave a sudden +great fall to Oisin, to bring him into the sea, for he was a great +swimmer, and he thought to get the better of him there. And Oisin +thought it would not be worthy of him to refuse any man his place of +fighting. So they went into the water together, and they were trying to +drown one another till they came to the sand and the gravel of the clear +sea. And it was a torment to the heart of the Fianna, Oisin to be in +that strait. "Rise up, Fergus of the Sweet Lips," said Finn then, "and +go praise my son and encourage him." So Fergus went down to the edge of +the sea, and he said: "It is a good fight you are making, Oisin, and +there are many to see it, for the armies of the whole world are looking +at you, and the Fianna of Ireland. And show now," he said, "your ways +and your greatness, for you never went into any place but some woman of +high beauty or some king's daughter set her love on you." Then Oisin's +courage increased, and anger came on him and he linked his hands behind +the back of the foreigner and put him down on the sand under the sea +with his face upwards, and did not let him rise till the life was gone +from him. And he brought the body to shore then, and struck off his head +and brought it to the Fianna. + +But there was great grief and anger on Dolar Durba, the eldest of the +sons of Garb, that had stopped in the ship, and he made a great oath +that he would have satisfaction for his brothers. And he went to the +High King, and he said: "I will go alone to the strand, and I will kill +a hundred men every day till I have made an end of the whole of the +armies of Ireland; and if any one of your own men comes to interfere +with me," he said, "I will kill him along with them." + +The next morning Finn asked who would lead the battle that day. "I +will," said Dubhan, son of Donn. "Do not," said Finn, "but let some +other one go." + +But Dubhan went to the strand, and a hundred men along with him; and +there was no one there before him but Dolar Durba, and he said he was +there to fight with the whole of them. And Dubhan's men gave a great +shout of laughter when they heard that; but Dolar Durba rushed on them, +and he made an end of the whole hundred, without a man of them being +able to put a scratch on him. And then he took a hurling stick and a +ball, and he threw up the ball and kept it in the air with the hurl from +the west to the east of the strand without letting it touch the ground +at all. And then he put the ball on his right foot and kicked it high +into the air, and when it was coming down he gave it a kick of his left +foot and kept it in the air like that, and he rushing like a blast of +March wind from one end of the strand to the other. And when he had done +that he walked up and down on the strand making great boasts, and +challenging the men of Ireland to do the like of those feats. And every +day he killed a hundred of the men that were sent against him. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE KING OF ULSTER'S SON + + +Now it chanced at that time that news of the great battle that was going +on reached to the court of the King of Ulster. And the king's son, that +was only twelve years of age, and that was the comeliest of all the +young men of Ireland, said to his father: "Let me go to help Finn, son +of Cumhal, and his men." "You are not old enough, or strong enough, boy; +your bones are too soft," said the king. And when the boy went on +asking, his father shut him up in some close place, and put twelve +young men, his foster-brothers, in charge of him. + +There was great anger on the young lad then, and he said to his +foster-brothers: "It is through courage and daring my father won a great +name for himself in his young youth, and why does he keep me from +winning a name for myself? And let you help me now," he said, "and I +will be a friend to you for ever." And he went on talking to them and +persuading them till he got round them all, and they agreed to go with +him to join Finn and the Fianna. And when the king was asleep, they went +into the house where the arms were kept, and every lad of them brought +away with him a shield and a sword and a helmet and two spears and two +greyhound whelps. And they went across Ess Ruadh in the north, and +through Connacht of many tribes, and through Caille an Chosanma, the +Woods of Defence, that were called the choice of every king and the true +honour of every poet, and into Ciarraighe, and so on to the White +Strand. + +And when they came there Dolar Durba was on the strand, boasting before +the men of Ireland. And Oisin was rising up to go against him, for he +said he would sooner die fighting with him than see the destruction he +was doing every day on his people. And all the wise men and the fighting +men and the poets and the musicians of the Fianna gave a great cry of +sorrow when they heard Oisin saying that. + +And the King of Ulster's son went to Finn and stood before him and +saluted him, and Finn asked who was he, and where did he come from. "I +am the son of the King of Ulster," he said; "and I am come here, myself +and my twelve foster-brothers, to give you what help we can." "I give +you a welcome," said Finn. + +Just then they heard the voice of Dolar Durba, very loud and boastful. +"Who is that I hear?" said the king's son. "It is a man of the +foreigners asking for a hundred of my men to go and meet him," said +Finn. + +Now, when the twelve foster-brothers heard that, they said no word but +went down to the strand, unknown to the king's son and to Finn. + +"You are not a grown man," said Conan; "and neither yourself or your +comrades are fit to face any fighting man at all." "I never saw the +Fianna of Ireland till this day," said the young lad; "but I know well +that you are Conan Maol, that never says a good word of any man. And you +will see now," he said, "if I am in dread of that man on the strand, or +of any man in the world, for I will go out against him by myself." + +But Finn kept him back and was talking with him; but then Conan began +again, and he said: "It is many men Dolar Durba has made an end of, and +there was not a man of all those that could not have killed a hundred of +the like of you every day." + +When the king's son heard that, there was great anger on him, and he +leaped up, and just then Dolar Durba gave a great shout on the strand. +"What is he giving, that shout for?" said the king's son. "He is shouting +for more men to come against him," said Conan, "for he is just after +killing your twelve comrades." "That is a sorrowful story," said the +king's son. + +And with that he took hold of his arms, and no one could hold him or +hinder him, and he rushed down to the strand where Dolar Durba was. And +all the armies of the strangers gave a great shout of laughter, for they +thought all Finn's men had been made an end of, when he sent a young lad +like that against their best champion. And when the boy heard that, his +courage grew the greater, and he fell on Dolar Durba and gave him many +wounds before he knew he was attacked at all. And they fought a very +hard fight together, till their shields and their swords were broken in +pieces. And that did not stop the battle, but they grappled together +and fought and wrestled that way, till the tide went over them and +drowned them both. And when the sea went over them the armies on each +side gave out a great sorrowful cry. + +And after the ebb-tide on the morrow, the two bodies were found cold and +quiet, each one held fast by the other. But Dolar Durba was beneath the +king's son, so they knew it was the young lad was the best and had got +the victory. And they buried him, and put a flag-stone over his grave, +and keened him there. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. THE HIGH KING'S SON + + +Then Finn said he would send a challenge himself to Daire Bonn, the King +of the Great World. But Caoilte asked leave to do that day's fighting +himself. And Finn said he would agree to that if he could find enough of +men to go with him. And he himself gave him a hundred men, and Oisin did +the same, and so on with the rest. And he gave out his challenge, and it +was the son of the King of the Great Plain that answered it. And while +they were in the heat of the fight, a fleet of ships came into the +harbour, and Finn thought they were come to help the foreigners. But +Oisin looked at them, and he said: "It is seldom your knowledge fails +you, Finn, but those are friends of our own: Fiachra, son of the King of +the Fianna of the Bretons, and Duaban Donn, son of the King of +Tuathmumain with his own people." + +And when those that were in the ships came on shore, they saw Caoilte's +banner going down before the son of the King of the Great Plain. And +they all went hurrying on to his help, and between them they made an +end of the king's son and of all his people. + +"Who will keep watch to-night?" said Finn then. "We will," said the nine +Garbhs of the Fianna, of Slieve Mis, and Slieve Cua, and Slieve Clair, +and Slieve Crot, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve Fuad, and Slieve Atha +Moir, and Dun Sobairce and Dundealgan. + +And they were not long watching till they saw the King of the Men of +Dregan coming towards them, and they fought a fierce battle; and at the +end of the night there were left standing but three of the Garbhs, and +the King of the Men of Dregan. And they fought till their wits were gone +from them; and those four fell together, sole against sole, and lip +against lip. + +And the fight went on from day to day, and from week to week, and there +were great losses on both sides. And when Fergus of the Sweet Lips saw +that so many of the Fianna were fallen, he asked no leave but went to +Teamhair of the Kings, where the High King of Ireland was, and he told +him the way it was with Finn and his people. "That is good," said the +High King, "Finn to be in that strait; for there is no labouring man +dares touch a pig or a deer or a salmon if he finds it dead before him +on account of the Fianna; and there is no man but is in dread to go from +one place to another without leave from Finn, or to take a wife till he +knows if she has a sweetheart among the Fianna of Ireland. And it is +often Finn has given bad judgments against us," he said, "and it would +be better for us the foreigners to gain the day than himself." + +Then Fergus went out to the lawn where the High King's son was playing +at ball. "It is no good help you are giving to Ireland," said Fergus +then, "to be playing a game without lasting profit, and strangers taking +away your country from you." And he was urging him and blaming him, and +great shame came on the young man, and he threw away the stick and went +through the people of Teamhair and brought together all the young men, a +thousand and twenty of them that were in it. And they asked no leave and +no advice from the High King, but they set out and went on till they +came to Finntraigh. And Fergus went to where Finn was, and told him the +son of the High King of Ireland was come with him; and all the Fianna +rose up before the young man and bade him welcome. And Finn said: "Young +man," he said, "we would sooner see you coming at a time when there +would be musicians and singers and poets and high-up women to make +pleasure for you than at the time we are in the straits of battle the +way we are now." "It is not for playing I am come," said the young man, +"but to give you my service in battle." "I never brought a lad new to +the work into the breast of battle," said Finn, "for it is often a lad +coming like that finds his death, and I would not wish him to fall +through me." "I give my word," said the young man, "I will do battle +with them on my own account if I may not do it on yours." Then Fergus of +the Fair Lips went out to give a challenge of battle from the son of the +High King of Ireland to the King of the World. + +"Who will answer the King of Ireland's son for me?" said the King of the +World. "I will go against him," said Sligech, King of the Men of Cepda; +and he went on shore, and his three red battalions with him. And the +High King's son went against them, and his comrades were near him, and +they were saying to him: "Take a good heart now into the fight, for the +Fianna will be no better pleased if it goes well with you than if it +goes well with the foreigner." And when the High King's son heard that, +he made a rush through the army of the foreigners, and began killing and +overthrowing them, till their chief men were all made an end of. Then +Sligech their king came to meet him, very angry and destroying, and +they struck at one another and made a great fight, but at the last the +King of Ireland's son got the upper hand, and he killed the King of the +Men of Cepda and struck off his head. + + + + +CHAPTER X. THE KING OF LOCHLANN AND HIS SONS + + +And the fighting went on from day to day, and at last Finn said to +Fergus of the Sweet Lips: "Go out, Fergus, and see how many of the +Fianna are left for the fight to-day." And Fergus counted them, and he +said: "There is one battalion only of the Fianna left in good order; but +there are some of the men of it," he said, "are able to fight against +three, and some that are able to fight against nine or thirty or a +hundred." "If that is so," said Finn, "rise up and go to where the King +of the World is, and bid him to come out to the great battle." + +So Fergus went to the King of the World, and it is the way he was, on +his bed listening to the music of harps and pipes. "King of the World," +said Fergus, "it is long you are in that sleep; and that is no shame for +you," he said, "for it will be your last sleep. And the whole of the +Fianna are gone out to their place of battle," he said, "and let you go +out and answer them." "In my opinion," said the King of the World, +"there is not a man of them is able to fight against me; and how many +are there left of the Fianna of Ireland?" "One battalion only that is in +good order," said Fergus. "And how many of the armies of the World are +there left?" he said. "Thirty battalions came with me to Ireland; and +there are twenty of them fallen by the Fianna, and what is left of them +is ten red battalions in good order. And there are eight good fighters +of them," he said, "that would put down the men of the whole world if +they were against me; that is, myself, and Conmail my son, and Ogarmach, +the daughter of the King of Greece, that is the best hand in battle of +the whole world after myself, and Finnachta of the Teeth, the chief of +my household, and the King of Lochlann, Caisel Clumach of the Feathers, +and his three sons, Tocha, and Forne of the Broad Shoulders, and Mongach +of the Sea." + +"I swear by the oath of my people," said the King of Lochlann then, "if +any man of the armies goes out against the Fianna before myself and my +three sons, we will not go at all, for we would not get the satisfaction +we are used to, unless our swords get their fill of blood." "I will go +out against them alone," said Forne, the youngest son of the King of +Lochlann. With that he put on his battle suit, and he went among the +Fianna of Ireland, and a red-edged sword in each of his hands. And he +destroyed those of their young men that were sent against him, and he +made the strand narrow with their bodies. + +And Finn saw that, and it was torment to his heart, and danger of death +and loss of wits to him, and he was encouraging the men of Ireland +against Forne. And Fergus of the True Lips stood up, and it is what he +said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "it is a pity the way you are under +hardship and you defending Ireland. And one man is taking her from you +to-day," he said, "and you are like no other thing but a flock of little +birds looking for shelter in a bush from a hawk that is after them. And +it is going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Caoilte you are," he +said; "and not one of you is better than another, and none of you sets +his face against the foreigner." "By my oath," said Oisin, "all that is +true, and no one of us tries to do better than another keeping him off." +"There is not one of you is better than another," said Fergus. Then +Oisin gave out a great shout against the King of Lochlann's son. "Stop +here with me, king's son," he said, "until I fight with you for the +Fianna." "I give my word it is short the delay will be," said Forne. + +Then he himself and Oisin made an attack on one another, and it seemed +for a while that the battle was going against Oisin. "By my word, Man of +Poetry," said Finn then to Fergus of the True Lips, "it is a pity the +way you sent my son against the foreigner. And rise up and praise him +and hearten him now," he said. So Fergus went down to where the fight +was, and he said: "There is great shame on the Fianna, Oisin, seeing you +so low in this fight; and there is many a foot messenger and many a +horsemen from the daughters of the kings and princes of Ireland looking +at you now," he said. And great courage rose in Oisin then, and he drove +his spear through the body of Forne, the King of Lochlann's son. And he +himself came back to the Fianna of Ireland. + +Then the armies of the World gave out a great cry, keening Forne; and +there was anger and not fear on his brothers, for they thought it no +right thing he to have fallen by a man of the Fianna. And Tocha, the +second son of the King of Lochlann, went on shore to avenge his brother. +And he went straight into the middle of the Fianna, and gave his sword +good feeding on their bodies, till they broke away before him and made +no stand till Lugaidh's Son turned round against him. And those two +fought a great fight, till their swords were bent and their spears +crumbled away, and they lost their golden shields. And at the last +Lugaidh's Son made a stroke of his sword that cut through the +foreigner's sword, and then he made another stroke that cut his heart +in two halves. And he came back high and proud to the Fianna. + +Then the third son of the King of Lochlann, Mongach of the Sea, rose up, +and all the armies rose up along with him. "Stop here, Men of the +World," he said, "for it is not you but myself that has to go and ask +satisfaction for the bodies of my brothers." So he went on shore; and it +is the way he was, with a strong iron flail in his hand having seven +balls of pure iron on it, and fifty iron chains, and fifty apples on +every chain, and fifty deadly thorns on every apple. And he made a rush +through the Fianna to break them up entirely and to tear them into +strings, and they gave way before him. And great shame came on Fidach, +son of the King of the Bretons, and he said: "Come here and praise me, +Fergus of the True Lips, till I go out and fight with the foreigner." +"It is easy to praise you, son," said Fergus, and he was praising him +for a long time. + +Then the two looked at one another and used fierce, proud words. And +then Mongach of the Sea raised his iron flail and made a great blow at +the King of the Bretons' son. But he made a quick leap to one side and +gave him a blow of his sword that cut off his two hands at the joint; +and he did not stop at that, but made a blow at his middle that cut him +into two halves. But as he fell, an apple of the flail with its deadly +thorns went into Fidach's comely mouth and through his brain, and it was +foot to foot those two fell, and lip to lip. + +And the next that came to fight on the strand was the King of Lochlann +himself, Caisel of the Feathers. And he came to the battle having his +shield on his arm; and it is the way the shield was, that was made for +him by the smith of the Fomor, there were red flames coming from it; and +if it was put under the sea itself, not one of its flames would stop +blazing. And when he had that shield on his arm no man could come near +him. + +And there was never such destruction done on the men of Ireland as on +that day, for the flames of fire that he sent from his shield went +through the bodies of men till they blazed up like a splinter of oak +that was after hanging through the length of a year in the smoke of a +chimney; and any one that would touch the man that was burning would +catch fire himself. And every other harm that ever came into Ireland +before was small beside this. + +Then Finn said: "Lift up your hands, Fianna of Ireland, and give three +shouts of blessing to whoever will hinder this foreigner." And the +Fianna gave those three shouts; and the King of Lochlann gave a great +laugh when he heard them. And Druimderg, grandson of the Head of the +Fianna of Ulster, was near him, and he had with him a deadly spear, the +Croderg, the Red-Socketed, that came down from one to another of the +sons of Rudraighe. And he looked at the King of Lochlann, and he could +see no part of him without armour but his mouth that was opened wide, +and he laughing at the Fianna. Then Druimderg made a cast with the +Croderg that hit him in the open mouth, and he fell, and his shield fell +along with its master, and its flame went out. And Druimderg struck the +head from his body, and made great boasts of the things he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. LABRAN'S JOURNEY + + +It is then Fergus of the True Lips set out again and went through the +length of Ireland till he came to the house of Tadg, son of Nuada, that +was grandfather to Finn. + +And there was great grief on Muirne, Finn's mother, and on Labran of the +Long Hand her brother, and on all her people, when they knew the great +danger he was in. And Tadg asked his wife who did she think would escape +with their lives from the great fighting at the White Strand. "It is a +pity the way they are there," said she; "for if all the living men of +the world were on one side, Daire Donn, the King of the World, would put +them all down; for there are no weapons in the world that will ever be +reddened on him. And on the night he was born, the smith of the Fomor +made a shield and a sword, and it is in the prophecy that he will fall +by no other arms but those. And it is to the King of the Country of the +Fair Men he gave them to keep, and it is with him they are now." "If +that is so," said Tadg, "you might be able to get help for Finn, son of +Cumhal, the only son of your daughter. And bid Labran Lamfada to go and +ask those weapons of him," he said. "Do not be asking me," said she, "to +go against Daire Donn that was brought up in my father's house." But +after they had talked for a while, they went out on the lawn, and they +sent Labran looking for the weapons in the shape of a great eagle. + +And he went on from sea to sea, till at noon on the morrow he came to +the dun of the King of the Country of the Fair Men; and he went in his +own shape to the dun and saluted the king, and the king bade him +welcome, and asked him to stop with him for a while. "There is a thing I +want more than that," said Labran, "for the wife of a champion of the +Fianna has given me her love, and I cannot get her without fighting for +her; and it is the loan of that sword and that shield you have in your +keeping I am come asking now," he said. + +There were seven rooms, now, in the king's house that opened into one +another, and on the first door was one lock, and on the second two +locks, and so on to the door of the last room that had seven locks; and +it was in that the sword and the shield that were made by the smith of +the Fomor were kept. And they were brought out and were given to Labran, +and stalks of luck were put with them, and they were bound together with +shield straps. + +Then Labran of the Long Hand went back across the seas again, and he +reached his father's dun between the crowing of the cock and the full +light of day; and the weakness of death came on him. "It is a good +message you are after doing, my son," said Tadg, "and no one ever went +that far in so short a time as yourself." "It is little profit that is +to me," said Labran, "for I am not able to bring them to Finn in time +for the fight to-morrow." + +But just at that time one of Tadg's people saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, that +was as quick as the wind over a plain till the middle of every day, and +after that, there was no man quicker than he was. "You are come at a +good time," said Tadg. And with that he gave him the sword and the +shield to bring to Finn for the battle. + +So Aedh, son of Aebinn, went with the swiftness of a hare or of a fawn +or a swallow, till at the rising of the day on the morrow he came to the +White Strand. And just at that time Fergus of the True Lips was rousing +up the Fianna for the great fight, and it is what he said: "Fianna of +Ireland," he said, "if there was the length of seven days in one day, +you would have work to fill it now; for there never was and there never +will be done in Ireland a day's work like the work of to-day." + +Then the Fianna of Ireland rose up, and they saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, +coming towards them with his quick running, and Finn asked news from +him. "It is from the dun of Tadg, son of Nuada, I am come," he said, +"and it is to yourself I am sent, to ask how it is you did not redden +your weapons yet upon the King of the World." "I swear by the oath of my +people," said Finn, "if I do not redden my weapons on him, I will crush +his body within his armour." "I have here for you, King of the Fianna," +said Aedh then, "the deadly weapons that will bring him to his death; +and it was Labran of the Long Hand got them for you through his Druid +arts." He put them in Finn's hand then, and Finn took the coverings off +them, and there rose from them flashes of fire and deadly bubbles; and +not one of the Fianna could stay looking at them, but it put great +courage into them to know they were with Finn. "Rise up now," said Finn +to Fergus of the True Lips, "and go where the King of the World is, and +bid him to come out to the place of the great fight." + + + + +CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT FIGHT + + +Then the King of the World came to the strand, and all his armies with +him; and all that were left of the Fianna went out against them, and +they were like thick woods meeting one another, and they made great +strokes, and there were swords crashing against bones, and bodies that +were hacked, and eyes that were blinded, and many a mother was left +without her son, and many a comely wife without her comrade. + +Then the creatures of the high air answered to the battle, foretelling +the destruction that would be done that day; and the sea chattered of +the losses, and the waves gave heavy shouts keening them, and the +water-beasts roared to one another, and the rough hills creaked with the +danger of the battle, and the woods trembled mourning the heroes, and +the grey stones cried out at their deeds, and the wind sobbed telling +them, and the earth shook, foretelling the slaughter; and the cries of +the grey armies put a blue cloak over the sun, and the clouds were dark; +and the hounds and the whelps and the crows, and the witches of the +valley, and the powers of the air, and the wolves of the forests, howled +from every quarter and on every side of the armies, urging them against +one another. + +It was then Conan, son of Morna, brought to mind that himself and his +kindred had done great harm to the sons of Baiscne, and he had a wish to +do some good thing for them on account of that, and he raised up his +sword and did great deeds. + +And Finn was over the battle, encouraging the Fianna; and the King of +the World was on the other side encouraging the foreigners. "Rise up +now, Fergus," said Finn, "and praise Conan for me that his courage may +be the greater, for it is good work he is doing on my enemies." So +Fergus went where Conan was, and at that time he was heated with the +dust of the fight, and he was gone outside to let the wind go about him. + +"It is well you remember the old quarrel between the sons of Morna and +the sons of Baiscne, Conan," said Fergus; "and you would be ready to go +to your own death if it would bring harm on the sons of Baiscne," he +said. "For the love of your good name, Man of Poetry," said Conan, "do +not be speaking against me without cause, and I will do good work on the +foreigners when I get to the battle again." "By my word," said Fergus, +"that would be a good thing for you to do." He sang a verse of praise +for him then, and Conan went back into the battle, and his deeds were +not worse this time than they were before. And Fergus went back to where +Finn was. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "Duban, son of Cas, a +champion of your own people," said Fergus, "for he never gives but the +one stroke to any man, and no man escapes with his life from that +stroke, and three times nine and eighty men have fallen by him up to +this time." And Duban Donn, great-grandson of the King of Tuathmumhain, +was there listening to him, and it is what he said: "By my oath, +Fergus," he said, "all you are saying is true, for there is not a son of +a king or of a lord is better in the battle than Duban, son of Cas; and +I will go to my own death if I do not go beyond him." With that he went +rushing through the battle like flames over a high hill that is thick +with furze. Nine times he made a round of the battle, and he killed nine +times nine in every round. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn, after a while. "It is Duban +Donn that is after going from us," said Fergus. "For there has been no +one ahead of him since he was in his seventh year, and there is no one +ahead of him now." "Rise up and praise him that his courage may be the +greater," said Finn. "It is right to praise him," said Fergus, "and the +foreigners running before him on every side as they would run from a +heavy drenching of the sea." So Fergus praised him for a while, and he +went back then to Finn. + +"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "It is Osgar is best in it +now," said Fergus, "and he is fighting alone against two hundred Franks +and two hundred of the men of Gairian, and the King of the Men of +Gairian himself. And all these are beating at his shield," he said, "and +not one of them has given him a wound but he gave him a wound back for +it." "What way is Caoilte, son of Ronan?" said Finn. "He is in no great +strait after the red slaughter he has made," said Fergus. "Go to him +then," said Finn, "and bid him to keep off a share of the foreigners +from Osgar." So Fergus went to him. "Caoilte," he said, "it is great +danger your friend Osgar is in under the blows of the foreigners, and +let you rise up and give him some help," he said. + +Caoilte went then to the place where Osgar was, and he gave a straight +blow of his sword at the man who was nearest him, that made two halves +of him. Osgar raised his head then and looked at him. "It is likely, +Caoilte," he said, "you did not dare redden your sword on any one till +you struck down a man that was before my sword. And it is a shame for +you," he said, "all the men of the great world and the Fianna of Ireland +to be in the one battle, and you not able to make out a fight for +yourself without coming to take a share of my share of the battle. And I +give my oath," he said, "I would be glad to see you put down in your bed +of blood on account of that thing." Caoilte's mind changed when he heard +that, and he turned again to the army of the foreigners with the redness +of anger on his white face; and eighty fighting men fell in that rout. + +"What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is a pity," said Fergus, +"there never came and there never will come any one that can tell the +way it is now. For by my word," he said, "the tree-tops of the thickest +forest in the whole of the western world are not closer together than +the armies are now. For the bosses of their shields are in one another's +hands. And there is fire coming from the edges of their swords," he +said, "and blood is raining down like a shower on a day of harvest; and +there were never so many leaves torn by the wind from a great forest as +there are locks of long golden hair, and of black curled hair, cut off +by sharp weapons, blowing into the clouds at this time. And there is no +person could tell one man from another, now," he said, "unless it might +be by their voices." With that he went into the very middle of the fight +to praise and to hearten the men of the Fianna. + +"Who is first in the battle now, Fergus?" said Finn, when he came back +to him. "By my oath, it is no friend of your own is first in it," said +Fergus, "for it is Daire Donn, the King of the World; and it is for you +he is searching through the battle," he said, "and three times fifty of +his own people were with him. But two of the men of your Fianna fell on +them," he said, "Cairell the Battle Striker, and Aelchinn of Cruachan, +and made an end of them. But they were not able to wound the King of the +World," he said, "but the two of them fell together by him." + +Then the King of the World came towards Finn, and there was no one near +him but Arcallach of the Black Axe, the first that ever brought a wide +axe into Ireland. "I give my word," said Arcallach, "I would never let +Finn go before me into any battle." He rose up then and made a terrible +great blow of his axe at the king, that went through his royal crown to +the hair of his head, but that did not take a drop of blood out of him, +for the edge of the axe turned and there went balls of fire over the +plain from that blow. And the King of the World struck back at +Arcallach, and made two halves of him. + +Then Finn and the King of the World turned on one another. And when the +king saw the sword and the shield in Finn's hand, he knew those were the +weapons that were to bring him to his death, and great dread came on +him, and his comeliness left him, and his fingers were shaking, and his +feet were unsteady, and the sight of his eyes was weakened. + +And then the two fought a great fight, striking at one another like two +days of judgment for the possession of the world. + +But the king, that had never met with a wound before, began to be +greatly weakened in the fight. And Finn gave great strokes that broke +his shield and his sword, and that cut off his left foot, and at the +last he struck off his head. But if he did, he himself fell into a faint +of weakness with the dint of the wounds he had got. + +Then Finnachta of the Teeth, the first man of the household of the King +of the World, took hold of the royal crown of the king, and brought it +where Conmail his son was, and put it on his head. + +"That this may bring you success in many battles, my son," he said. And +he gave him his father's weapons along with it; and the young man went +through the battle looking for Finn, and three fifties of the men of the +Fianna fell by him. Then Goll Garbh the Rough, son of the King of Alban, +saw him and attacked him, and they fought a hard fight. But the King of +Albain's son gave him a blow under the shelter of the shield, in his +left side, that made an end of him. + +Finnachta of the Teeth saw that, and he made another rush at the royal +crown, and brought it to where Ogarmach was, the daughter of the King of +Greece. "Put on that crown, Ogarmach," he said, "as it is in the +prophecy the world will be owned by a woman; and it will never be owned +by any woman higher than yourself," he said. + +She went then to look for Finn in the battle, and Fergus of the True +Lips saw her, and he went where Finn was. "O King of the Fianna," he +said then, "bring to mind the good fight you made against the King of +the World and all your victories before that; for it is a great danger +is coming to you now," he said, "and that is Ogarmach, daughter of the +King of Greece." + +With that the woman-fighter came towards him. "O Finn," she said, "it is +little satisfaction you are to me for all the kings and lords that have +fallen by you and by your people; but for all that," she said, "there is +nothing better for me to get than your own self and whatever is left of +your people." "You will not get that," said Finn, "for I will lay your +head in its bed of blood the same as I did to every other one." Then +those two attacked one another like as if there had risen to smother +one another the flooded wave of Cliodna, and the seeking wave of Tuaigh, +and the big brave wave of Rudraighe. And though the woman-warrior fought +for a long time, a blow from Finn reached to her at last and cut through +the royal crown, and with a second blow he struck her head off. And then +he fell himself in his bed of blood, and was the same as dead, but that +he rose again. + +And the armies of the World and the Fianna of Ireland were fallen side +by side there, and there were none left fit to stand but Cael, son of +Crimthan of the Harbours, and the chief man of the household of the King +of the World, Finnachta of the Teeth. And Finnachta went among the dead +bodies and lifted up the body of the King of the World and brought it +with him to his ship, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, +"although it is bad this battle was for the armies of the World, it was +worse for yourselves; and I am going back to tell that in the East of +the World," he said. Finn heard him saying that, and he lying on the +ground in his blood, and the best men of the sons of Baiscne about him, +and he said: "It is a pity I not to have found death before I heard the +foreigner saying those words. And nothing I myself have done, or the +Fianna of Ireland, is worth anything since there is left a man of the +foreigners alive to go back into the great world again to tell that +story. And is there any one left living near me?" he said. "I am," said +Fergus of the True Lips. "What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is +a pity the way it is," said Fergus, "for, by my word," he said, "since +the armies met together to-day, no man of the foreigners or of the men +of Ireland took a step backward from one another till they all fell foot +to foot, and sole to sole. And there is not so much as a blade of grass +or a grain of sand to be seen," he said, "with the bodies of fighting +men that are stretched on them; and there is no man of the two armies +that is not stretched in that bed of blood, but only the chief man of +the household of the King of the World, and your own foster-son, Cael, +son of Crimthan of the Harbours." "Rise up and go to him," said Finn. So +Fergus went where Cael was, and asked what way was he. "It is a pity the +way I am," said Cael, "for I swear by my word that if my helmet and my +armour were taken from me, there is no part of my body but would fall +from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that +man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I +leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to +the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the +foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus +lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming +after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for +he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when +he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him. +And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it, +and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then +their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the +sand and the gravel of the clear sea. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT + + +Then there came the women and the musicians and the singers and the +physicians of the Fianna of Ireland to search out the kings and the +princes of the Fianna, and to bury them; and every one that might be +healed was brought to a place of healing. + +And Credhe, wife of Cael, came with the others, and went looking +through the bodies for her comely comrade, and crying as she went. And +as she was searching, she saw a crane of the meadows and her two +nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching the nestlings; and +when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, he would make a rush +at the other bird, the way she had to stretch herself out over the +birds; and she would sooner have got her own death by the fox than her +nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was looking at that, and she +said: "It is no wonder I to have such love for my comely sweetheart, and +the bird in that distress about her nestlings." + +Then she heard a stag in Druim Ruighlenn above the harbour, that was +making great lamentations for his hind from place to place, for they had +been nine years together, and had lived in the wood at the foot of the +harbour, Fidh Leis, and Finn had killed the hind, and the stag was +nineteen days without tasting grass or water, lamenting after the hind. +"It is no shame for me," said Credhe, "I to die for grief after Cael, +since the stag is shortening his life sorrowing after the hind." + +Then she met with Fergus of the True Lips. "Have you news of Cael for +me, Fergus?" she said. "I have news," said Fergus, "for he and the last +man that was left of the foreigners, Finnachta Fiaclach, are after +drowning one another in the sea." + +And at that time the waves had put Cael back on the strand, and the +women and the men of the Fianna that were looking for him raised him up, +and brought him to the south of the White Strand. + +And Credhe came to where he was, and she keened him and cried over him, +and she made this complaint:-- + +"The harbour roars, O the harbour roars, over the rushing race of the +Headland of the Two Storms, the drowning of the hero of the Lake of the +Two Dogs, that is what the waves are keening on the strand. + +"Sweet-voiced is the crane, O sweet-voiced is the crane in the marshes +of the Ridge of the Two Strong Men; it is she cannot save her nestlings, +the wild dog of two colours is taking her little ones. + +"Pitiful the cry, pitiful the cry the thrush is making in the Pleasant +Ridge, sorrowful is the cry of the blackbird in Leiter Laeig. + +"Sorrowful the call, O sorrowful the call of the deer in the Ridge of +Two Lights; the doe is lying dead in Druim Silenn, the mighty stag cries +after her. + +"Sorrowful to me, O sorrowful to me the death of the hero that lay +beside me; the son of the woman of the Wood of the Two Thickets, to be +with a bunch of grass under his head. + +"Sore to me, O sore to me Cael to be a dead man beside me, the waves to +have gone over his white body; it is his pleasantness that has put my +wits astray. + +"A woeful shout, O a woeful shout the waves are making on the strand; +they that took hold of comely Cael, a pity it is he went to meet them. + +"A woeful crash, O a woeful crash the waves are making on the strand to +the north, breaking against the smooth rock, crying after Cael now he is +gone. + +"A sorrowful fight, O a sorrowful fight, the sea is making with the +strand to the north; my beauty is lessened; the end of my life is +measured. + +"A song of grief, O a song of grief is made by the waves of Tulcha Leis; +all I had is gone since this story came to me. Since the son of +Crimthann is drowned I will love no one after him for ever; many a king +fell by his hand; his shield never cried out in the battle." + +After she had made that complaint, Credhe laid herself down beside Cael +and died for grief after him. And they were put in the one grave, and +it was Caoilte raised the stone over them. + +And after that great battle of the White Strand, that lasted a year and +a day, there was many a sword and shield left broken, and many a dead +body lying on the ground, and many a fighting man left with a foolish +smile on his face. + +And the great name that was on the armies of the World went from them to +the Fianna of Ireland; and they took the ships and the gold and the +silver and all the spoils of the armies of the World. And from that time +the Fianna had charge of the whole of Ireland, to keep it from the Fomor +and from any that might come against it. + +And they never lost power from that time until the time of their last +battle, the sorrowful battle of Gabhra. + + + + +BOOK FOUR: HUNTINGS AND ENCHANTMENTS. + +CHAPTER I. THE KING OF BRITAIN'S SON + + +Arthur, son of the King of Britain, came one time to take service with +Finn, and three times nine men along with him. And they went hunting one +day on Beinn Edair, and Finn took his place on the Cairn of the Fianna +between the hill and the sea, and Arthur took his stand between the hunt +and the sea, the way the deer would not escape by swimming. + +And while Arthur was there he took notice of three of Finn's hounds, +Bran, and Sceolan and Adhnuall, and he made a plan in his mind to go +away across the sea, himself and his three nines, bringing those three +hounds along with him. So he did that, and he himself and his men +brought away the hounds and crossed the sea, and the place where they +landed was Inver Mara Gamiach on the coast of Britain. And after they +landed, they went to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir, to hunt on it. + +And as to the Fianna, after their hunting was done they gathered +together on the hill; and as the custom was, all Finn's hounds were +counted. Three hundred full-grown hounds he had, and two hundred whelps; +and it is what the poets used to say, that to be counting them was like +counting the branches on a tree. + +Now on this day when they were counted, Bran and Sceolan and Adhnuall +were missing; and that was told to Finn. He bade his people to search +again through the three battalions of the Fianna, but search as they +would, the hounds were not to be found. + +Then Finn sent for a long-shaped basin of pale gold, and water in it, +and he put his face in the water, and his hand over his face, and it was +showed him what had happened, and he said: "The King of Britain's son +has brought away the hound. And let nine men be chosen out to follow +after them," he said. So nine men were chosen out, Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne; Goll, son of Morna; Oisin, son of Finn; Faolan, the friend of +the hounds, son of a woman that had come over the sea to give her love +to Finn; Ferdoman, son of Bodb Dearg; two sons of Finn, Raighne Wide Eye +and Cainche the Crimson-Red; Glas, son of Enchered Bera, with Caoilte +and Lugaidh's Son. And their nine put their helmets on their heads, and +took their long spears in their hands, and they felt sure they were a +match for any four hundred men from the east to the west of the world. + +They set out then, till they came to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir; +and they were not long there till they heard talk of men that were +hunting in that place. + +Arthur of Britain and his people were sitting on a hunting mound just at +that time, and the nine men of the Fianna made an attack on them and +killed all of them but Arthur, that Goll, son of Morna, put his two arms +about and saved from death. Then they turned to go back to Ireland, +bringing Arthur with them, and the three hounds. And as they were going, +Goll chanced to look around him and he saw a dark-grey horse, having a +bridle with fittings of worked gold. And then he looked to the left and +saw a bay mare that was not easy to get hold of, and it having a bridle +of silver rings and a golden bit. And Goll took hold of the two, and he +gave them into Oisin's hand, and he gave them on to Diarmuid. + +They went back to Finn then, bringing his three hounds with them, and +the King of Britain's son as a prisoner; and Arthur made bonds with +Finn, and was his follower till he died. + +And as to the horse and the mare, they gave them to Finn; and the mare +bred eight times, at every birth eight foals, and it is of that seed +came all the horses of the fair Fianna of the Gael, for they had used +no horses up to that time. + +And that was not the only time Finn was robbed of some of his hounds. +For there was a daughter of Roman was woman-Druid to the Tuatha de +Danaan, and she set her love on Finn. But Finn said, so long as there +was another woman to be found in the world, he would not marry a witch. +And one time, three times fifty of Finn's hounds passed by the hill +where she was; and she breathed on the hounds and shut them up in the +hill, and they never came out again. It was to spite Finn she did that, +and the place got the name of Duma na Conn, the Mound of the Hounds. + +And as to Adhnuall, one of the hounds Finn thought most of, and that was +brought back from the King of Britain's son, this is the way he came to +his death afterwards. + +There was a great fight one time between the Fianna and Macoon, son of +Macnia, at some place in the province of Leinster, and a great many of +the Fianna were killed. And the hound Adhnuall went wandering northward +from the battle and went astray; and three times he went round the whole +of Ireland, and then he came back to the place of the battle, and to a +hill where three young men of the Fianna that had fallen there were +buried after their death, and three daughters of a King of Alban that +had died for love of them. And when Adhnuall came to that hill, he gave +three loud howls and he stretched himself out and died. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN + + +Finn called for a great hunt one time on the plains of Magh Chonaill and +in the forest parts of Cairbre of the Nuts. And he himself went up to +the top of Ceiscoran, and his two dogs Bran and Sceolan with him. + +And the Fianna were shouting through the whole country where they were +hunting, the way the deer were roused in their wild places and the +badgers in their holes, and foxes in their wanderings, and birds on the +wing. + +And Conaran, son of Imidd, of the Tuatha de Danaan, had the sway in +Ceiscoran at that time, and when he heard the shouting and the cry of +the hounds all around, he bade his three daughters that had a great +share of enchantments, to do vengeance on Finn for his hunting. + +The three women went then to the opening of a cave that was in the +hills, and there they sat down together, and they put three strong +enchanted hanks of yarn on crooked holly-sticks, and began to reel them +off outside the cave. + +They were not long there till Finn and Conan came towards them, and saw +the three ugly old hags at their work, their coarse hair tossed, their +eyes red and bleary, their teeth sharp and crooked, their arms very +long, their nails like the tips of cows' horns, and the three spindles +in their hands. + +Finn and Conan passed through the hanks of yarn to get a better look at +the hags. And no sooner had they done that, than a deadly trembling came +on them and a weakness, and the bold hags took hold of them and put them +in tight bonds. + +Two other men of the Fianna came up then, and the sons of Menhann along +with them, and they went through the spindles to where Finn and Conan +were, and their strength went from them in the same way, and the hags +tied them fast and carried them into the cave. + +They were not long there till Caoilte and Lugaidh's Son came to the +place, and along with them the best men of the sons of Baiscne. The sons +of Morna came as well, and no sooner did they see the hanks than their +strength and their bravery went out of them the same as it went from the +others. + +And in the end the whole number of them, gentle and simple, were put in +bonds by the hags, and brought into the cave. And there began at the +mouth of the cave a great outcry of hounds calling for their masters +that had left them there. And there was lying on the hillside a great +heap of deer, and wild pigs, and hares, and badgers, dead and torn, that +were brought as far as that by the hunters that were tied up now in the +cave. + +Then the three women came in, having swords in their hands, to the place +where they were lying, to make an end of them. But first they looked out +to see was there ever another man of the Fianna to bring in and to make +an end of with the rest. + +And they saw coming towards them a very tall man that was Goll, son of +Morna, the Flame of Battle. And when the three hags saw him they went to +meet him, and they fought a hard battle with him. And great anger came +on Goll, and he made great strokes at the witches, and at the last he +raised up his sword, and with one blow he cut the two that were nearest +him through and through. + +And then the oldest of the three women wound her arms about Goll, and he +beheading the two others, and he turned to face her and they wrestled +together, till at last Goll gave her a great twist and threw her on the +ground. He tied her fast then with the straps of a shield, and took his +sword to make an end of her. But the hag said: "O champion that was +never worsted, strong man that never went back in battle, I put my body +and my life under the protection of your bravery. And it is better for +you," she said, "to get Finn and the Fianna safe and whole than to have +my blood; and I swear by the gods my people swear by," she said, "I will +give them back to you again." + +With that Goll set her free, and they went together into the hill where +the Fianna were lying. And Goll said: "Loose off the fastenings first +from Fergus of the True Lips and from the other learned men of the +Fianna; and after that from Finn, and Oisin, and the twenty-nine sons of +Morna, and from all the rest." + +She took off the fastenings then, and the Fianna made no delay, but rose +up and went out and sat down on the side of the hill. And Fergus of the +Sweet Lips looked at Goll, son of Morna, and made great praises of him, +and of all that he had done. + + + + +CHAPTER III. DONN SON OF MIDHIR + + +One time the Fianna were at their hunting at the island of Toraig to the +north of Ireland, and they roused a fawn that was very wild and +beautiful, and it made for the coast, and Finn and six of his men +followed after it through the whole country, till they came to +Slieve-nam-Ban. And there the fawn put down its head and vanished into +the earth, and none of them knew where was it gone to. + +A heavy snow began to fall then that bent down the tops of the trees +like a willow-gad, and the courage and the strength went from the Fianna +with the dint of the bad weather, and Finn said to Caoilte: "Is there +any place we can find shelter to-night?" Caoilte made himself supple +then, and went over the elbow of the hill southward. + +And when he looked around him he saw a house full of light, with cups +and horns and bowls of different sorts in it. He stood a good while +before the door of the house, that he knew to be a house of the Sidhe, +thinking would it be best go in and get news of it, or to go back to +Finn and the few men that were with him. And he made up his mind to go +into the house, and there he sat down on a shining chair in the middle +of the floor; and he looked around him, and he saw, on the one side, +eight-and-twenty armed men, each of them having a well-shaped woman +beside him. And on the other side he saw six nice young girls, +yellow-haired, having shaggy gowns from their shoulders. And in the +middle there was another young girl sitting in a chair, and a harp in +her hand, and she playing on it and singing. And every time she stopped, +a man of them would give her a horn to drink from, and she would give it +back to him again, and they were all making mirth around her. + +She spoke to Caoilte then. "Caoilte, my life," she said, "give us leave +to attend on you now." "Do not," said Caoilte, "for there is a better +man than myself outside, Finn, son of Cumhal, and he has a mind to eat +in this house to-night." "Rise up, Caoilte, and go for Finn," said a man +of the house then; "for he never refused any man in his own house, and +he will get no refusal from us." + +Caoilte went back then to Finn, and when Finn saw him he said: "It is +long you are away from us, Caoilte, for from the time I took arms in my +hands I never had a night that put so much hardship on me as this one." + +The six of them went then into the lighted house and their shields and +their arms with them. And they sat down on the edge of a seat, and a +girl having yellow hair came and brought them to a shining seat in the +middle of the house, and the newest of every food, and the oldest of +every drink was put before them. And when the sharpness of their hunger +and their thirst was lessened, Finn said: "Which of you can I question?" +"Question whoever you have a mind to," said the tallest of the men that +was near him. "Who are you yourself then?" said Finn, "for I did not +think there were so many champions in Ireland, and I not knowing them." + +"Those eight-and-twenty armed men you see beyond," said the tall man, +"had the one father and mother with myself; and we are the sons of +Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and our mother is Fionnchaem, the fair, +beautiful daughter of the King of the Sidhe of Monaid in the east. And +at one time the Tuatha de Danaan had a gathering, and gave the kingship +to Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, at his bright hospitable place, and he +began to ask hostages of myself and of my brothers; but we said that +till all the rest of the Men of Dea had given them, we would not give +them. Bodb Dearg said then to our father: 'Unless you will put away your +sons, we will wall up your dwelling-place on you.' So the +eight-and-twenty brothers of us came out to look for a place for +ourselves; and we searched all Ireland till we found this secret hidden +place, and we are here ever since. And my own name," he said, "is Donn, +son of Midhir. And we had every one of us ten hundred armed men +belonging to himself, but they are all worn away now, and only the +eight-and-twenty of us left." "What is it is wearing you away?" said +Finn. "The Men of Dea," said Donn, "that come three times in every year +to give battle to us on the green outside." "What is the long new grave +we saw on the green outside?" said Finn. "It is the grave of Diangalach, +a man of enchantments of the Men of Dea; and that is the greatest loss +came on them yet," said Donn; "and it was I myself killed him," he +said. "What loss came next to that?" said Finn. "All the Tuatha de +Danaan had of jewels and riches and treasures, horns and vessels and +cups of pale gold, we took from them at the one time." "What was the +third greatest loss they had?" said Finn. "It was Fethnaid, daughter of +Feclach, the woman-harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, their music and the +delight of their minds," said Donn. + +"And to-morrow," he said, "they will be coming to make an attack on us, +and there is no one but myself and my brothers left; and we knew we +would be in danger, and that we could make no stand against them. And we +sent that bare-headed girl beyond to Toraig in the North in the shape of +a foolish fawn, and you followed her here. It is that girl washing +herself, and having a green cloak about her, went looking for you. + +"And the empty side of the house," he said, "belonged to our people that +the Men of Dea have killed." + +They spent that night in drinking and in pleasure. And when they rose up +in the morning of the morrow, Donn, son of Midhir, said to Finn, "Come +out with me now on the lawn till you see the place where we fight the +battles every year." They went out then and they looked at the graves +and the flag-stones, and Donn said: "It is as far as this the Men of Dea +come to meet us." "Which of them come here?" said Finn. + +"Bodb Dearg with his seven sons," said Donn; "and Angus Og, son of the +Dagda, with his seven sons; and Finnbharr of Cnoc Medha with his +seventeen sons; Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh with his twenty-seven sons and +their sons; Tadg, son of Nuada, out of the beautiful hill of Almhuin; +Donn of the Island and Donn of the Vat; the two called Glas from the +district of Osraige; Dobhran Dubthaire from the hill of Liamhain of the +Smooth Shirt; Aedh of the Island of Rachrainn in the north; Ferai and +Aillinn and Lir and Fainnle, sons of Eogobal, from Cnoc Aine in Munster; +Cian and Coban and Conn, three sons of the King of Sidhe Monaid in +Alban; Aedh Minbhreac of Ess Ruadh with his seven sons; the children of +the Morrigu, the Great Queen, her six-and-twenty women warriors, the two +Luaths from Magh Life; Derg and Drecan out of the hill of Beinn Edair in +the east; Bodb Dearg himself with his great household, ten hundred ten +score and ten. Those are the chief leaders of the Tuatha de Danaan that +come to destroy our hill every year." + +Finn went back into the hill then, and told all that to his people. + +"My people," he said, "it is in great need and under great oppression +the sons of Midhir are, and it is into great danger we are come +ourselves. And unless we make a good fight now," he said, "it is likely +we will never see the Fianna again." + +"Good Finn," every one of them said then, "did you ever see any +drawing-back in any of us that you give us that warning?" "I give my +word," said Finn, "if I would go through the whole world having only +this many of the Fianna of Ireland along with me, I would not know fear +nor fright. And good Donn," he said, "is it by day or by night the Men +of Dea come against you?" "It is at the fall of night they come," said +Donn, "the way they can do us the most harm." + +So they waited till night came on, and then Finn said: "Let one of you +go out now on the green to keep watch for us, the way the Men of Dea +will not come on us without word or warning." + +And the man they set to watch was not gone far when he saw five strong +battalions of the Men of Dea coming towards him. He went back then to +the hill and he said: "It is what I think, that the troops that are come +against us this time and are standing now around the grave of the Man +of Enchantments are a match for any other fighting men." + +Finn called to his people then, and he said: "These are good fighters +are come against you, having strong red spears. And let you all do well +now in the battle. And it is what you have to do," he said, "to keep the +little troop of brothers, the sons of Midhir, safe in the fight; for it +would be a treachery to friendship any harm to come on them, and we +after joining them; and myself and Caoilte are the oldest among you, and +leave the rest of the battle to us." + +Then from the covering time of evening to the edge of the morning they +fought the battle. And the loss of the Tuatha de Danaan was no less a +number than ten hundred ten score and ten men. Then Bodb Dearg and +Midhir and Fionnbhar said to one another: "What are we to do with all +these? And let Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh give us an advice," they said, +"since he is the oldest of us." And Lir said: "It is what I advise, let +every one carry away his friends and his fosterlings, his sons and his +brothers, to his own place. And as for us that stop here," he said, "let +a wall of fire be made about us on the one side, and a wall of water on +the other side." Then the Men of Dea put up a great heap of stones, and +brought away their dead; and of all the great slaughter that Finn and +his men and the sons of Midhir had made, there was not left enough for a +crow to perch upon. + +And as to Finn and his men, they went back into the hill, hurt and +wounded and worn-out. + +And they stopped in the hill with the sons of Midhir through the whole +length of a year, and three times in the year the Men of Dea made an +attack on the hill, and a battle was fought. + +And Conn, son of Midhir, was killed in one of the battles; and as to the +Fianna, there were so many wounds on them that the clothing was held +off from their bodies with bent hazel sticks, and they lying in their +beds, and two of them were like to die. And Finn and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son went out on the green, and Caoilte said: "It was a bad +journey we made coming to this hill, to leave two of our comrades after +us." "It is a pity for whoever will face the Fianna of Ireland," said +Lugaidh's Son, "and he after leaving his comrades after him." "Whoever +will go back and leave them, it will not be myself," said Finn. Then +Bonn, son of Midhir, came to them. "Good Donn," said Finn, "have you +knowledge of any physician that can cure our men?" "I only know one +physician could do that," said Donn; "a physician the Tuatha de Danaan +have with them. And unless a wounded man has the marrow of his back cut +through, he will get relief from that physician, the way he will be +sound at the end of nine days." "How can we bring that man here," said +Finn, "for those he is with are no good friends to us?" "He goes out +every morning at break of day," said Donn, "to gather healing herbs +while the dew is on them." "Find some one, Donn," said Caoilte, "that +will show me that physician, and, living or dead, I will bring him with +me." + +Then Aedh and Flann, two of the sons of Midhir, rose up. "Come with us, +Caoilte," they said, and they went on before him to a green lawn with +the dew on it; and when they came to it they saw a strong young man +armed and having a cloak of the wool of the seven sheep of the Land of +Promise, and it full of herbs of healing he was after gathering for the +Men of Dea that were wounded in the battle. "Who is that man?" said +Caoilte. "That is the man we came looking for," said Aedh. "And mind him +well now," he said, "that he will not make his escape from us back to +his own people." + +They ran at him together then, and Caoilte took him by the shoulders +and they brought him away with them to the ford of the Slaine in the +great plain of Leinster, where the most of the Fianna were at that time; +and a Druid mist rose up about them that they could not be seen. + +And they went up on a little hill over the ford, and they saw before +them four young men having crimson fringed cloaks and swords with gold +hilts, and four good hunting hounds along with them. And the young man +could not see them because of the mist, but Caoilte saw they were his +own two sons, Colla and Faolan, and two other young men of the Fianna, +and he could hear them talking together, and saying it was a year now +that Finn, son of Cumhal, was gone from them. "And what will the Fianna +of Ireland do from this out," said one of them, "without their lord and +their leader?" "There is nothing for them to do," said another, "but to +go to Teamhair and to break up there, or to find another leader for +themselves." And there was heavy sorrow on them for the loss of their +lord; and it was grief to Caoilte to be looking at them. + +And he and the two sons of Midhir went back then by the Lake of the Two +Birds to Slieve-nam Ban, and they went into the hill. + +And Finn and Donn gave a great welcome to Luibra, the physician, and +they showed him their two comrades that were lying in their wounds. +"Those men are brothers to me," said Donn, "and tell me how can they be +cured?" Luibra looked then at their wounds, and he said: "They can be +cured if I get a good reward." "You will get that indeed," said Caoilte; +"and tell me now," he said, "how long will it take to cure them?" "It +will take nine days," said Luibra. "It is a good reward you will get," +said Caoilte, "and this is what it is, your own life to be left to you. +But if these young men are not healed," he said, "it is my own hand will +strike off your head." + +And within nine days the physician had done a cure on them, and they +were as well and as sound as before. + +And it was after that time the High King sent a messenger to bring the +Fianna to the Feast of Teamhair. And they all gathered to it, men and +women, boys and heroes and musicians. And Goll, son of Morna, was +sitting at the feast beside the king. "It is a great loss you have had, +Fianna of Ireland," said the king, "losing your lord and your leader, +Finn, son of Cumhal." "It is a great loss indeed," said Goll. + +"There has no greater loss fallen on Ireland since the loss of Lugh, son +of Ethne," said the king. "What orders will you give to the Fianna now, +king?" said Goll. "To yourself, Goll," said the king, "I will give the +right of hunting over all Ireland till we know if the loss of Finn is +lasting." "I will not take Finn's place," said Goll, "till he has been +wanting to us through the length of three years, and till no person in +Ireland has any hope of seeing him again." + +Then Ailbe of the Freckled Face said to the king: "What should these +seventeen queens belonging to Finn's household do?" "Let a safe, secret +sunny house be given to every one of them," said the king; "and let her +stop there and her women with her, and let provision be given to her for +a month and a quarter and a year till we have knowledge if Finn is alive +or dead." + +Then the king stood up, and a smooth drinking-horn in his hand, and he +said: "It would be a good thing, men of Ireland, if any one among you +could get us news of Finn in hills or in secret places, or in rivers or +invers, or in any house of the Sidhe in Ireland or in Alban." + +With that Berngal, the cow-owner from the borders of Slieve Fuad, that +was divider to the King of Ireland, said: "The day Finn came out from +the north, following after a deer of the Sidhe, and his five comrades +with him, he put a sharp spear having a shining head in my hand, and a +hound's collar along with it, and he bade me to keep them till he would +meet me again in the same place." Berngal showed the spear and the +collar then to the king and to Goll, and they looked at them and the +king said: "It is a great loss to the men of Ireland the man is that +owned this collar and this spear. And were his hounds along with him?" +he said. "They were," said Berngal; "Bran and Sceolan were with Finn, +and Breac and Lainbhui with Caoilte, and Conuall and Comrith with +Lugaidh's Son." + +The High King called then for Fergus of the True Lips, and he said: "Do +you know how long is Finn away from us?" "I know that well," said +Fergus; "it is a month and a quarter and a year since we lost him. And +indeed it is a great loss he is to the Fianna of Ireland," he +said, "himself and the men that were with him." "It is a great loss +indeed," said the king, "and I have no hope at all of finding those six +that were the best men of Ireland or of Alban." + +And then he called to Cithruadh, the Druid, and he said: "It is much +riches and many treasures Finn gave you, and tell us now is he living or +is he dead?" "He is living," said Cithruadh then. "But as to where he +is, I will give no news of that," he said, "for he himself would not +like me to give news of it." There was great joy among them when they +heard that, for everything Cithruadh had ever foretold had come true. +"Tell us when will he come back?" said the king. "Before the Feast of +Teamhair is over," said the Druid, "you will see the Leader of the +Fianna drinking at it." + +And as to Finn and his men, they stopped in the House of the Two Birds +till they had taken hostages for Donn, son of Midhir, from the Tuatha de +Danaan. And on the last day of the Feast of Teamhair they came back to +their people again. + +And from that time out the Fianna of Ireland had not more dealings with +the people living in houses than they had with the People of the Gods of +Dana. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE + + +It happened one day Finn and Oisin and Caoilte and Diarmuid and +Lugaidh's Son went up on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their five +hounds with them, Bran and Sceolan, Sear Dubh, Luath Luachar and +Adhnuall. And they were not long there till they saw a giant coming +towards them, very tall and rough and having an iron fork on his back +and a squealing pig between the prongs of the fork. And there was a +beautiful eager young girl behind the giant, shoving him on before her. +"Let some one go speak with those people," said Finn. So Diarmuid went +towards them, but they turned away before he came to them. Then Finn and +the rest rose up and went after them, but before they came to the giant +and the girl, a dark Druid mist rose up that hid the road. And when the +mist cleared away, Finn and the rest looked about them, and they saw a +good light-roofed house at the edge of a ford near at hand. They went on +to the house, and there was a green lawn before it, and in the lawn two +wells, and on the edge of one well there was a rough iron vessel, and on +the edge of the other a copper vessel. They went into the house then, +and they found there a very old white-haired man, standing to the right +hand of the door, and the beautiful young girl they saw before, sitting +near him, and the great rough giant beside the fire, and he boiling a +pig. And on the other side of the fire there was an old countryman, +having dark-grey hair and twelve eyes in his head, and his twelve eyes +were twelve sons of battle. And there was a ram in the house having a +white belly and a very black head, and dark-blue horns and green feet. +And there was a hag in the end of the house and a worn grey gown on her, +and there was no one in the house but those. + +And the man at the door gave them a welcome, and then the five of them +sat down on the floor of the house, and their hounds along with them. + +"Let great respect be shown to Finn, son of Cumhal, and to his people," +said the man at the door. "It is the way I am," said the giant, "to be +asking always and getting nothing." But for all that he rose up and +showed respect to Finn. + +Presently there came a great thirst on Finn, and no one took notice of +it but Caoilte, and he began complaining greatly. "Why are you +complaining, Caoilte?" said the man at the door; "you have but to go out +and get a drink for Finn at whichever of the wells you will choose." +Caoilte went out then, and he brought the full of the copper vessel to +Finn, and Finn took a drink from it, and there was the taste of honey on +it while he was drinking, and the taste of gall on it after, so that +fierce windy pains and signs of death came on him, and his appearance +changed, that he would hardly be known. And Caoilte made greater +complaints than he did before on account of the way he was, till the man +at the door bade him to go out and to bring him a drink from the other +well. So Caoilte did that, and brought in the full of the iron vessel. +And Finn never went through such great hardship in any battle as he did +drinking that draught, from the bitterness of it; but no sooner did he +drink it than his own colour and appearance came back to him and he was +as well as before, and his people were very glad when they saw that. + +Then the man of the house asked was the pig ready that was in the +cauldron. "It is ready," said the giant; "and leave the dividing of it +to me," he said. "What way will you divide it?" said the man of the +house. "I will give one hind quarter to Finn and his dogs," said the +giant, "and the other hind quarter to Finn's four comrades; and the fore +quarter to myself, and the chine and the rump to the old man there by +the fire and the hag in the corner; and the entrails to yourself and to +the young girl that is beside you." "I give my word," said the man of +the house, "you have shared it well." "I give my word," said the ram, +"it is a bad division to me, for you have forgotten my share in it." +With that he took hold of the quarter that was before the Fianna, and +brought it into a corner and began to eat it. On that the four of them +attacked him with their swords, but with all the hard strokes they gave +they could not harm him at all, for the swords slipped from his back the +same as they would from a rock. "On my word it is a pity for any one +that has the like of you for comrades," said the man with the twelve +eyes, "and you letting a sheep bring away your food from you." With that +he went up to the ram and took him by the feet and threw him out from +the door that he fell on his back, and they saw him no more. + +It was not long after that, the hag rose up and threw her pale grey gown +over Finn's four comrades, and they turned to four old men, weak and +withered, their heads hanging. When Finn saw that there came great dread +on him, and the man at the door saw it, and he bade him to come over to +him, and to put his head in his breast and to sleep. Finn did that, and +the hag took her covering off the four men, the way that when Finn awoke +they were in their own shape again, and it is well pleased he was to see +that. + +"Is there wonder on you, Finn?" said the man at the door, "at the ways +of this house?" "I never wondered more at anything I ever saw," said +Finn. "I will tell you the meaning of them, so," said the man. "As to +the giant you saw first," he said, "having the squealing pig in the +prongs of his fork, Sluggishness is his name; and the girl here beside +me that was shoving him along is Liveliness, for liveliness pushes on +sluggishness, and liveliness goes farther in the winking of an eye than +the foot can travel in a year. The old man there beyond with the twelve +bright eyes betokens the World, and he is stronger than any other, and +he showed that when he made nothing of the ram. The ram you saw betokens +the Desires of Men. The hag is Old Age, and her gown withered up your +four comrades. And the two wells you drank the two draughts out of," he +said, "betoken Lying and Truth; for it is sweet to people to be telling +a lie, but it is bitter in the end. And as to myself," he said, "Cuanna +from Innistuil is my name, and it is not here I am used to be, but I +took a very great love for you, Finn, because of your wisdom and your +great name, and so I put these things in your way that I might see you. +And the hospitality of Cuanna's house to Finn will be the name of this +story to the end of the world. And let you and your men come together +now," he said, "and sleep till morning." + +So they did that, and when they awoke in the morning, it is where they +were, on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their dogs and their arms beside +them. + + + +CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS + + +Nine of the Fianna set out one time, looking for a pup they wanted, and +they searched through many places before they found it. All through Magh +Leine they searched, and through the Valley of the Swords, and through +the storm of Druim Cleibh, and it is pleasant the Plain of the Life +looked after it; but not a pup could they find. Then they went searching +through Durlass of the generous men, and great Teamhair and Dun Dobhran +and Ceanntsaile, men and dogs searching the whole of Ireland, but not a +pup could they find. + +And while they were going from place to place, and their people with +them, they saw the three armies of the sons of the King of Ruadhleath +coming towards them. Cat-headed one army was, and the one alongside of +it was Dog-headed, and the men of the third army were White-backed. + +And when the Fianna saw them coming, Finn held up his shining spear, and +light-hearted Caoilte gave out a great shout that was heard in Almhuin, +and in Magh Leine, and in Teamhair, and in Dun Reithlein. And that shout +was answered by Goll, son of Morna, and by Faolan, Finn's son that was +with him, and by the Stutterers from Burren, and by the two sons of +Maith Breac, and by Iolunn of the Sharp Edge, and by Cael of the Sharp +Sword, that never gave his ear to tale-bearers. + +It is pleasant the sound was then of the spears and the armies and of +the silken banners that were raised up in the gusty wind of the morning. +And as to the banners, Finn's banner, the Dealb-Greine, the Sun-Shape, +had the likeness of the sun on it; and Coil's banner was the Fulang +Duaraidh, that was the first and last to move in a battle; and Faolan's +banner was the Coinneal Catha, the Candle of Battle; and Oisin's banner +was the Donn Nimhe, the Dark Deadly One; and Caoilte's was the Lamh +Dearg, the Red Hand; and Osgar's was the Sguab Gabhaidh that had a Broom +of rowan branches on it, and the only thing asked when the fight was at +the hottest was where that Broom was; and merry Diarmuid's banner was +the Liath Loinneach, the Shining Grey; and the Craobh Fuileach, the +Bloody Branch, was the banner of Lugaidh's Son. And as to Conan, it is a +briar he had on his banner, because he was always for quarrels and for +trouble. And it used to be said of him he never saw a man frown without +striking him, or a door left open without going in through it. + +And when the Fianna had raised their banners they attacked the three +armies; and first of all they killed the whole of the Cat-Heads, and +then they took the Dog-Heads in hand and made an end of them, and of the +White-Backs along with them. + +And after that they went to a little hill to the south, having a double +dun on it, and it is there they found a hound they were able to get a +pup from. + +And by that time they had searched through the whole of Ireland, and +they did not find in the whole of it a hundred men that could match +their nine. + +And as well as their banners, some of the Fianna had swords that had +names to them, Mac an Luin, Son of the Waves, that belonged to Finn; and +Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, that was Oisin's; and +Caoilte's Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One; and Diarmuid's +Liomhadoir, the Burnisher; and Osgar's Cosgarach Mhor, the Great +Triumphant One. + +And it is the way they got those swords: there came one time to where +Finn and Caoilte and some others of the Fianna were, a young man, very +big and ugly, having but one foot and one eye; a cloak of black skins he +had over his shoulders, and in his hand a blunt ploughshare that was +turning to red. And he told them he was Lon, son of Liobhan, one of the +three smiths of the King of Lochlann. And whether he thought to go away +from the Fianna, or to bring them to his smithy, he started running, and +they followed after him all through Ireland, to Slieve-na-Righ, and to +Luimnech, and to Ath Luain, and by the right side of Cruachan of +Connacht, and to Ess Ruadh and to Beinn Edair, and so to the sea. + +And wherever it was they found the smithy, they went into it, and there +they found four smiths working, and every one of them having seven +hands. And Finn and Caoilte and the rest stopped there watching them +till the swords were made, and they brought them away with them then, +and it is good use they made of them afterwards. + +And besides his sword, Mac an Luin, Finn had a shield was called Sgiath +Gailbhinn, the Storm Shield; and when it called out it could be heard +all through Ireland. + +And whether or not it was the Storm Shield, Finn had a wonderful shield +that he did great deeds with, and the story of it is this: + +At the time of the battle of the Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh, +after he had struck the head off Balor of the Evil Eye, hung it in the +fork of a hazel-tree. And the tree split, and the leaves fell from it +with the dint of the poison that dropped from the head. And through the +length of fifty years that tree was a dwelling-place of crows and of +ravens. And at the end of that time Manannan, son of Lir, was passing +by, and he took notice of the tree that it was split and withered, and +he bade his men to dig it up. And when they began to dig, a mist of +poison rose up from the roots, and nine of the men got their death from +it, and another nine after them, and the third nine were blinded. And +Luchtaine the Carpenter made a shield of the wood of that hazel for +Manannan. And after a while Manannan gave it, and a set of chessmen +along with it, to Tadg, son of Nuada; and from him it came to his +grandson, Finn, son of Muirne and of Cumhal. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD + +FINN took a wife one time of the Luigne of Midhe. And at the same time +there was in his household one Lomna, a fool. + +Finn now went into Tethra, hunting with the Fianna, but Lomna stopped at +the house. And after a while he saw Coirpre, a man of the Luigne, go in +secretly to where Finn's wife was. + +And when the woman knew he had seen that, she begged and prayed of Lomna +to hide it from Finn. And Lomna agreed to that, but it preyed on him to +have a hand in doing treachery on Finn. And after a while he took a +four-square rod and wrote an Ogham on it, and these were the words he +wrote:--"An alder stake in a paling of silver; deadly night-shade in a +bunch of cresses; a husband of a lewd woman; a fool among the +well-taught Fianna; heather on bare Ualann of Luigne." + +Finn saw the message, and there was anger on him against the woman; and +she knew well it was from Lomna he had heard the story, and she sent a +message to Coirpre bidding him to come and kill the fool. + +So Coirpre came and struck his head off, and brought it away with him. + +And when Finn came back in the evening he saw the body, and it without a +head. "Let us know whose body is this," said the Fianna. And then Finn +did the divination of rhymes, and it is what he said: "It is the body of +Lomna; it is not by a wild boar he was killed; it is not by a fall he +was killed; it is not in his bed he died; it is by his enemies he died; +it is not a secret to the Luigne the way he died. And let out the hounds +now on their track," he said. + +So they let out the hounds, and put them on the track of Coirpre, and +Finn followed them, and they came to a house, and Coirpre in it, and +three times nine of his men and he cooking fish on a spit; and Lomna's +head was on a spike beside the fire. + +And the first of the fish that was cooked Coirpre divided between his +men, but he put no bit into the mouth of the head. And then he made a +second division in the same way. Now that was against the law of the +Fianna, and the head spoke, and it said: "A speckled white-bellied +salmon that grows from a small fish under the sea; you have shared a +share that is not right; the Fianna will avenge it upon you, Coirpre." +"Put the head outside," said Coirpre, "for that is an evil word for us." +Then the head said from outside: "It is in many pieces you will be; it +is great fires will be lighted by Finn in Luigne." + +And as it said that, Finn came in, and he made an end of Coirpre, and of +his men. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH + +One time Caoilte was hunting on Beinn Gulbain, and he went on to Ess +Ruadh. And when he came near the hill of the Sidhe that is there, he saw +a young man waiting for him, having a crimson fringed cloak about him, +and on his breast a silver brooch, and a white shield, ornamented with +linked beasts of red gold, and his hair rolled in a ball at the back, +and covered with a golden cup. And he had heavy green weapons, and he +was holding two hounds in a silver chain. + +And when Caoilte came up to him he gave him three loving kisses, and sat +down beside him on the grass. "Who are you, young champion?" said +Caoilte. "I am Derg, son of Eoghan of the people of Usnach," he said, +"and foster-brother of your own." Caoilte knew him then, and he said: +"And what is your life with your mother's people, the Tuatha de Danaan +in Sidhe Aedha?" "There is nothing wanting to us there of food or of +clothing," said the young man. "But for all that," he said, "I would +sooner live the life of the worst treated of the serving-boys of the +Fianna than the life I am living in the hill of the Sidhe." "Lonely as +you are at your hunting to-day," said Caoilte, "it is often I saw you +coming to the Valley of the Three Waters in the south, where the Siuir +and the Beoir and the Berba come together, with a great company about +you; fifteen hundred young men, fifteen hundred serving-boys, and +fifteen hundred women." "That was so," said Derg; "and although myself +and my gentle hound are living in the hill of the Sidhe, my mind is +always on the Fianna. And I remember well the time," he said, "when you +yourself won the race against Finn's lasting black horse. And come now +into the hill," he said, "for the darkness of the night is coming on." + +So he brought Caoilte into the hill with him, and they were set down in +their right places. + +It was at that time, now, there was great war between Lir of Sidhe +Fionnachaidh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh. There used a bird with an iron +beak and a tail of fire to come every evening to a golden window of +Ilbrec's house, and there he would shake himself till he would not leave +sword on pillow, or shield on peg, or spear in rack, but they would come +down on the heads of the people of the house; and whatever they would +throw at the bird, it is on the heads of some of themselves it would +fall. And the night Caoilte came in, the hall was made ready for a +feast, and the bird came in again, and did the same destruction as +before, and nothing they threw at him would touch him at all. "Is it +long the bird has been doing this?" said Caoilte. "Through the length of +a year now," said Derg, "since we went to war with Sidhe Fionnachaidh." + +Then Caoilte put his hand within the rim of his shield, and he took out +of it a copper rod he had, and he made a cast of it at the bird, that +brought it down on the floor of the hall. "Did any one ever make a +better cast than that?" said Ilbrec. "By my word," said Caoilte, "there +is no one of us in the Fianna has any right to boast against another." +Then Ilbrec took down a sharp spear, having thirty rivets of gold in it, +from its place, and he said: "That is the Spear of Fiacha, son of +Congha, and it is with that Finn made an end of Aillen, son of Midhna, +that used to burn Teamhair. And keep it beside you now, Caoilte," he +said, "till we see will Lir come to avenge his bird on us." + +Then they took up their horns and their cups, and they were at drinking +and pleasure, and Ilbrec said: "Well, Caoilte," he said, "if Lir comes +to avenge his bird on us, who will you put in command of the battle?" "I +will give the command to Derg there beyond," said he. "Will you take it +in hand, Derg?" said the people of the hill. "I will take it," said +Derg, "with its loss and its gain." + +So that is how they spent the night, and it was not long in the morning +till they heard blowing of horns, and rattling of chariots, and clashing +of shields, and the uproar of a great army that came all about the hill. +They sent some of their people out then to see were there many in it, +and they saw three brave armies of the one size. "It would be a great +vexation to me," said Aedh Nimbrec, the Speckled, then, "we to get our +death and Lir's people to take the hill." "Did you never hear, Aedh," +said Caoilte, "that the wild boar escapes sometimes from both hounds and +from wolves, and the stag in the same way goes away from the hounds with +a sudden start; and what man is it you are most in dread of in the +battle?" he said. "The man that is the best fighter of all the Men of +Dea," said they all, "and that is Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh." "The +thing I have done in every battle I will not give up to-day," said +Caoilte, "to meet the best man that is in it hand to hand." "The two +that are next to him in fighting," they said then, "are Donn and Dubh." +"I will put down those two," said Derg. + +Then the host of the Sidhe went out to the battle, and the armies +attacked one another with wide green spears and with little casting +spears, and with great stones; and the fight went on from the rising of +the day till midday. And then Caoilte and Lir met with one another, and +they made a very fierce fight, and at the last Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh +fell by the hand of Caoilte. + +Then the two good champions Dubh and Donn, sons of Eirrge, determined to +go on with the battle, and it is how they fought, Dubh in the front of +the whole army, and Donn behind all, guarding the rear. But Derg saw +that, and he put his finger into the thong of his spear and made a cast +at the one that was nearest him, and it broke his back and went on into +the body of the other, so that the one cast made an end of the two. And +that ended the battle, and all that was left of the great army of Lir +went wearing away to the north. And there was great rejoicing in the +hill at Ess Ruadh, and Ilbrec took the spoils of the beaten army for his +people, and to Caoilte he gave the enchanted spear of Fiacha, together +with nine rich cloaks and nine long swords with hilts and guards of +gold, and nine hounds for hunting. And they said farewell to one +another, and Caoilte left his blessing to the people of the hill, and he +brought their thanks with him. And as hard as the battle had been, it +was harder again for Derg to part from his comrade, and the day he was +parted from Finn and from all the Fianna was no sadder to him than this +day. + +It was a long time after that Caoilte went again to the hill of Ilbrec +at Ess Ruadh, and this is the way it happened. + +It was in a battle at Beinn Edair in the east that Mane, son of the King +of Lochlann, made a cast at him in the middle of the battle with a +deadly spear. And he heard the whistling of the spear, and it rushing to +him; and he lifted his shield to protect his head and his body, but that +did not save him, for it struck into his thigh, and left its poison in +it, so that he had to go in search of healing. And it is where he went, +to the hill of the Sidhe at Ess Ruadh, to ask help of Bebind, daughter +of Elcmar of Brugh na Boinne, that had the drink of healing of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and all that was left of the ale of Goibniu that she +used to be giving out to them. + +And Caoilte called to Cascorach the Musician, son of Caincenn, and bade +him bring his harp and come along with him. And they stopped for a night +in the hill of the Sidhe of Druim Nemed in Luigne of Connacht, and from +that they went forward by Ess Dara, the Fall of the Oaks, and Druim +Dearg na Feinne, the Red Ridge of the Fianna, and Ath Daim Glas, the +Ford of the Grey Stag, and to Beinn Gulbain, and northward into the +plain of Ceitne, where the Men of Dea used to pay their tribute to the +Fomor; and up to the Footstep of Ess Ruadh, and the High Place of the +Boys, where the boys of the Tuatha de Danaan used to be playing their +hurling. And Aedh of Ess Ruadh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh were at the door +of the hill, and they gave Caoilte a true welcome. "I am glad of that +welcome," said Caoilte. And then Bebind, daughter of Elcmar of Brugh na +Boinne, came out, and three times fifty comely women about her, and she +sat down on the green grass and gave three loving kisses to the three, +to Caoilte and to Cascorach and to Fermaise, that had come with them out +of the hill of the Sidhe in Luigne of Connacht. And all the people of +the hill welcomed them, and they said: "It is little your friendship +would be worth if you would not come to help us and we in need of help." +"It was not for bravery I was bade come," said Cascorach; "but when the +right time comes I will make music for you if you have a mind to hear +it." "It is not for deeds of bravery we are come," said Fermaise, "but +we will give you our help if you are in need of it." Then Caoilte told +them the cause of his journey. "We will heal you well," said they. And +then they all went into the hill and stayed there three days and three +nights at drinking and pleasure. + +And indeed it was good help Caoilte and Cascorach gave them after that. +For there was a woman-warrior used to come every year with the ships of +the men of Lochlann to make an attack on the Tuatha de Danaan. And she +had been reared by a woman that knew all enchantments, and there was no +precious thing in all the hills of the Sidhe but she had knowledge of +it, and would bring it away. And just at this time there came a +messenger to the door of the hill with news that the harbour was full of +ships, and that a great army had landed, and the woman-warrior along +with it. + +And it was Cascorach the Musician went out against her, having a shield +he got the loan of from Donn, son of Midhir; and she used high words +when she saw so young a man coming to fight with her, and he alone. But +he made an end of her for all her high talk, and left her lying on the +strand with the sea foam washing up to her. + +And as to Caoilte, he went out in a chariot belonging to Midhir of the +Yellow Hair, son of the Dagda, and a spear was given him that was called +Ben-badb, the War-Woman, and he made a cast of the spear that struck the +King of Lochlann, that he fell in the middle of his army, and the life +went from him. And Fermaise went looking for the king's brother, Eolus, +that was the comeliest of all the men of the world; and he knew him by +the band of gold around his head, and his green armour, and his red +shield, and he killed him with a cast of a five-pronged spear. And when +the men of Lochlann saw their three leaders were gone, they went into +their ships and back to their own country. And there was great joy +through the whole country, both among the men of Ireland and the Tuatha +de Danaan, the men of Lochlann to have been driven away by the deeds of +Caoilte and Fermaise and Cascorach. + +And that was not all they did, for it was at that time there came three +flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad in the north, and began +eating the green grass before the hill of the Sidhe. "What birds are +those?" said Caoilte. "Three flocks they are that come and destroy the +green every year, eating it down to the bare flag-stones, till they +leave us no place for our races," said Ilbrec. Then Caoilte and his +comrades took up three stones and threw them at the flocks and drove +them away. "Power and blessings to you," said the people of the Sidhe +then, "that is a good work you have done. And there is another thing you +can do for us," they said, "for there are three ravens come to us every +year out of the north, and the time the young lads of the hill are +playing their hurling, each one of the ravens carries off a boy of them. +And it is to-morrow the hurling will be," they said. + +So when the full light of day was come on the morrow, the whole of the +Tuatha de Danaan went out to look at the hurling; and to every six men +of them was given a chess-board, and a board for some other game to +every five, and to every ten men a little harp, and a harp to every +hundred men, and pipes that were sharp and powerful to every nine. + +Then they saw the three ravens from the north coming over the sea, and +they pitched on the great tree of power that was on the green, and they +gave three gloomy screeches, that if such a thing could be, would have +brought the dead out of the earth or the hair off the head of the +listeners; and as it was, they took the courage out of the whole +gathering. + +Then Cascorach, son of Caincenn, took a man of the chessmen and made a +cast at one of the ravens that struck his beak and his throat, and made +an end of him; and Fermaise killed the second of them, and Caoilte the +third of them in the same way. + +"Let my cure be done now," said Caoilte, "for I have paid my fee for it, +and it is time." "You have paid it indeed," said Ilbrec. "And where is +Bebind, daughter of Elcmar?" he said. "I am here," said she. + +"Bring Caoilte, son of Ronan, with you into some hidden place," he said, +"and do his cure, and let him be well served, for he has driven every +danger from the Men of Dea and from the Sons of the Gael. And let +Cascorach make music for him, and let Fermaise, son of Eogabil, be +watching him and guarding him and attending him." + +So Elcmar's daughter went to the House of Arms, and her two sons with +her, and a bed of healing was made ready for Caoilte, and a bowl of pale +gold was brought to her, and it full of water. And she took a crystal +vessel and put herbs into it, and she bruised them and put them in the +water, and gave the bowl to Caoilte, and he drank a great drink out of +it, that made him cast up the poison of the spear that was in him. Five +drinks of it he took, and after that she gave him new milk to drink; but +with the dint of the reaching he was left without strength through the +length of three days and three nights. + +"Caoilte, my life," she said then, "in my opinion you have got relief." +"I have got it indeed," he said, "but that the weakness of my head is +troubling me." "The washing of Flann, daughter of Flidais, will be done +for you now," she said, "and the head that washing is done for will +never be troubled with pain, or baldness, or weakness of sight." So that +cure was done to him for a while; and the people of the hill divided +themselves into three parts; the one part of their best men and great +nobles, and another of their young men, and another of their women and +poets, to be visiting him and making mirth with him as long as he would +be on his bed of healing. And everything that was best from their +hunting, it was to him they would bring it. + +And one day, when Elcmar's daughter and her two sons and Cascorach and +Fermaise were with Caoilte, there was heard a sound of music coming +towards them from the waters of Ess Ruadh, and any one would leave the +music of the whole world for that music. And they put their harps on the +corners of the pillars and went out, and there was wonder on Caoilte +that they left him. And he took notice that his strength and the +strength of his hands was not come to him yet, and he said: "It is many +a rough battle and many a hard fight I went into, and now there is not +enough strength in me so much as to go out along with the rest," and he +cried tears down. + +And the others came back to him then, and he asked news of them. "What +was that sound of music we heard?" he said. "It was Uaine out of the +hill of the Sidhe, at the Wave of Cliodna in the south," said they; "and +with her the birds of the Land of Promise; and she is musician to the +whole of that country. And every year she goes to visit one of the hills +of the Sidhe, and it is our turn this time." Then the woman from the +Land of Promise came into the house, and the birds came in along with +her, and they pitched on the pillars and the beams, and thirty of them +came in where Caoilte was, began singing together. And Cascorach took +his harp, and whatever he would play, the birds would sing to it. "It is +much music I have heard," said Caoilte, "but music so good as that I +never heard before." + +And after that Caoilte asked to have the healing of his thigh done, and +the daughter of Elcmar gave herself to that, and all that was bad was +sucked from the wound by her serving people till it was healed. And +Caoilte stopped on where he was for three nights after that. + +And then the people of the hill rose up and went into the stream to +swim. And Caoilte said: "What ails me now not to go swim, since my +health has come back to me?" And with that he went into the water. And +afterwards they went back into the hill, and there was a great feast +made that night. + +And Caoilte bade them farewell after that, and Cascorach, but Fermaise +stopped with them for a while. And the people of the hill gave good +gifts to Caoilte; a fringed crimson cloak of wool from the seven sheep +of the Land of Promise; and a fish-hook that was called Aicil mac Mogha, +and that could not be set in any river or inver but it would take fish; +and along with that they gave him a drink of remembrance, and after that +drink there would be no place he ever saw, or no battle or fight he ever +was in, but it would stay in his memory. "That is a good help from +kinsmen and from friends," said Caoilte. + +Then Caoilte and Cascorach went out from the hill, and the people of it +made a great lamentation after them. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE CAVE OF CRUACHAN + + +CAOLITE was one time at Cruachan of Connacht, and Cascorach was with +him, and there he saw sitting on a heap of stones a man with very rough +grey hair, having a dark brown cloak fastened with a pin of bronze, and +a long stick of white hazel in his hand; and there was a herd of cattle +before him in a fenced field. + +Caoilte asked news of him. "I am steward to the King of Ireland," said +the old man, "and it is from him I hold this land. And we have great +troubles on us in this district," he said. "What troubles are those?" +said Caoilte. "I have many herds of cattle," he said, "and every year at +Samhain time, a woman comes out of the hill of the Sidhe of Cruachan and +brings away nine of the best out of every herd. And as to my name, I am +Bairnech, son of Carbh of Collamair of Bregia." + +"Who was the best man that ever came out of Collamair?" said Caoilte. "I +know, and the men of Ireland and of Alban know," said he, "it was +Caoilte, son of Ronan. And do you know where is that man now?" he said. +"I myself am that man and your own kinsman," said Caoilte. + +When Bairnech heard that, he gave him a great welcome, and Caoilte gave +him three kisses. "It seems to me that to-night is Samhain night," said +Caoilte. "If that is so, it is to-night the woman will come to rob us," +said Bernech. "Let me go to-night to the door of the hill of the Sidhe," +said Cascorach. "You may do that, and bring your arms with you," said +Caoilte. + +So Cascorach went then, and it was not long till he saw the girl going +past him out of the hill of Cruachan, having a beautiful cloak of one +colour about her; a gown of yellow silk tied up with a knot between her +thighs, two spears in her hands, and she not in dread of anything before +her or after her. + +Then Cascorach blew a blast against her, and put his finger into the +thong of his spear, and made a cast at the girl that went through her, +and that is the way she was made an end of by Cascorach of the Music. + +And then Bernech said to Caoilte: "Caoilte," he said, "do you know the +other oppression that is on me in this place?" "What oppression is +that?" said Caoilte. "Three she-wolves that come out of the Cave of +Cruachan every year and destroy our sheep and our wethers, and we can do +nothing against them, and they go back into the cave again. And it will +be a good friend that will rid us of them," he said. "Well, Cascorach," +said Caoilte, "do you know what are the three wolves that are robbing +this man?" "I know well," said Cascorach, "they are the three daughters +of Airetach, of the last of the people of oppression of the Cave of +Cruachan, and it is easier for them to do their robbery as wolves than +as women." "And will they come near to any one?" said Caoilte. "They +will only come near to one sort," said Cascorach; "if they see the +world's men having harps for music, they will come near to them." "And +how would it be for me," he said, "to go to-morrow to the cairn beyond, +and to bring my harp with me?" + +So in the morning he rose up and went to the cairn and stopped on it, +playing his harp till the coming of the mists of the evening. And while +he was there he saw the three wolves coming towards him, and they lay +down before him, listening to the music. But Cascerach found no way to +make an attack on them, and they went back into the cave at the end of +the day. + +Cascorach went back then to Caoilte and told him what had happened. "Go +up to-morrow to the same place," said Caoilte, "and say to them it would +be better for them to be in the shape of women for listening to music +than in the shape of wolves." + +So on the morrow Cascorach went out to the same cairn, and set his +people about it, and the wolves came there and stretched themselves to +listen to the music. And Cascorach was saying to them: "If you were ever +women," he said, "it would be better for you to be listening to the +music as women than as wolves." And they heard that, and they threw off +the dark trailing coverings that were about them, for they liked well +the sweet music of the Sidhe. + +And when Caoilte saw them there side by side, and elbow by elbow, he +made a cast of his spear, and it went through the three women, that they +were like a skein of thread drawn together on the spear. And that is the +way he made an end of the strange, unknown three. And that place got the +name of the Valley of the Shapes of the Wolves. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. THE WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE + +Finn and the Fianna made a great hunting one time on the hill of Torc +that is over Loch Lein and Feara Mor. And they went on with their +hunting till they came to pleasant green Slieve Echtge, and from that it +spread over other green-topped hills, and through thick tangled woods, +and rough red-headed hills, and over the wide plains of the country. And +every chief man among them chose the place that was to his liking, and +the gap of danger he was used to before. And the shouts they gave in the +turns of the hunt were heard in the woods all around, so that they +started the deer in the wood, and sent the foxes wandering, and the +little red beasts climbing rocks, and badgers from their holes, and +birds flying, and fawns running their best. Then they let out their +angry small-headed hounds and set them hunting. And it is red the hands +of the Fianna were that day, and it is proud they were of their hounds +that were torn and wounded before evening. + +It happened that day no one stopped with Finn but only Diorraing, son of +Domhar. "Well, Diorraing," said Finn, "let you watch for me while I go +asleep, for it is early I rose to-day, and it is an early rising a man +makes when he cannot see the shadow of his five fingers between himself +and the light of day, or know the leaves of the hazel from the leaves of +the oak." With that he fell into a quiet sleep that lasted till the +yellow light of the evening. And the rest of the Fianna, not knowing +where he was gone, gave over the hunt. + +And the time was long to Diorraing while Finn was asleep, and he roused +him and told him the Fianna must have given up the hunt, for he could +not hear a cry or a whistle from them. "The end of day is come," said +Finn then, "and we will not follow them to-night. And go now to the +wood," he said, "and bring timber and dead branches for a shelter, and I +will go looking for food for the night." So Diorraing went to the wood, +but he was not gone far till he saw a fine well-lighted house of the +Sidhe before him on the edge of the wood near at hand, and he went back +to Finn with the news. "Let us go to it," said Finn, "for we ought not +to be working in this place, and people living so near at hand." They +went then to the door of the house and knocked at it, and the +door-keeper came to it. "Whose house is this?" said Diorraing. "It +belongs to Conan of Ceann Slieve," said the door-keeper. "Tell him," +said Diorraing, "there are two of the Fianna of the Gael at the door." + +The door-keeper went in then and told Conan there were two men of the +Fianna at the door. "The one of them," he said, "is young and strong, +and quiet and fair-haired, and more beautiful than the rest of the men +of the world, and he has in his hand a small-headed, white-breasted +hound, having a collar of rubbed gold and a chain of old silver. And the +other of them," he said, "is brown and ruddy and white-toothed, and he +is leading a yellow-spotted hound by a chain of bright bronze." "It is +well you have made your report of them," said Conan, "and I know them by +it; for the man you spoke of first is Finn, son of Cumhal, Head of the +Fianna of Ireland, and Bran in his hand; and the other is Diorraing, and +Sceolan in his hand. And go now quickly and let them in," he said. + +Finn and Diorraing were brought in then, and they got good attendance, +and their arms were taken from them, and a grand feast was made ready +that pleased them well. And the wife of Conan was at the one side of +Finn, and his daughter, Finndealbh, of the Fair Shape, was at his other +side. And they had a great deal of talk together, and at last, seeing +her so beautiful, the colour of gold on her curled hair, and her eyes as +blue as flowers, and a soft four-cornered cloak fastened at her breast +with a silver pin, he asked her of Conan for his wife. "Leave asking +that, Finn," said Conan, "for your own courage is not greater than the +courage of the man she is promised to." "Who is that?" said Finn. "He is +Fatha, son of the King of Ess Ruadh," said Conan. "Your wounds and your +danger on yourself," said Diorraing; "and it would be right," he said, +"that stammering tongue that gave out those words to be tied and to be +shortened for ever, and a drink of death to be given to you; for if the +whole of the Men of Dea," he said, "could be put into the one body, Finn +would be better than them all." "Leave off, Diorraing," said Finn, "for +it is not fighting I am here, but asking a wife, and I will get her +whether the Men of Dea think good or bad of it." "I will not be making a +quarrel with you," said Conan, "but I put you under bonds as a true +hero to answer me everything I am going to ask you." "I will do that," +said Finn. + +With that Conan put questions to Finn as to his birth and his rearing, +and the deeds he had done since he came to the Fianna, and Finn gave +full answers to them all. And at last he said: "Let us go on with this +no longer, but if you have musicians with you, let them be brought to us +now; for it is not my custom," he said, "to be for a single night +without music." "Tell me this first," said Conan, "who was it made the +Dord Fiann, the Mutterer of the Fianna, and when was it made?" "I will +tell you the truth of that," said Finn; "it was made in Ireland by the +three sons of Cearmait Honey-Mouth; and nine men used to be sounding it, +and since it came to me I have fifty men sounding it." "And tell me +this," said Conan, "what is the music pleased you best of all you ever +heard?" "I will tell you that," said Finn; "the time the seven +battalions of the Fianna are gathered in the one place and raise their +spear-shafts over their heads, and the sharp whining of the clear, cold +wind goes through them, that is very sweet to me. And when the +drinking-hall is set out in Almhuin, and the cup-bearers give out the +bright cups to the chief men of the Fianna, that is very sweet to me; +and it is sweet to me to be listening to the voice of the sea-gull and +the heron, and the noise of the waves of Traig Liath, the song of the +three sons of Meardha, the whistle of Lugaidh's Son, and the voice of +the cuckoo in the beginning of summer, and the grunting of the pigs on +the Plain of Eithne, and the shouting of laughter in Doire." And it is +what he said: "The Dord in the green-topped woods, the lasting wash of +the waves against the shore, the noise of the waves at Traig Liath +meeting with the river of the White Trout; the three men that came to +the Fianna, a man of them gentle and a man of them rough, another man of +them ploughing the clouds, they were sweeter than any other thing. + +"The grey mane of the sea, the time a man cannot follow its track; the +swell that brings the fish to the land, it is sleep-music, its sound is +sweet. + +"Feargall, son of Fionn, a man that was ready-handed, it is long his +leap was, it is well marked his track is; he never gave a story that did +not do away with secrets; it is his voice was music of sleep to me." + +And when Finn had answered all the questions so well, Conan said he +would give him his daughter, and that he would have a wedding-feast +ready at the end of a month. + +They spent the rest of the night then in sleep; but Finn saw a dreadful +vision through his sleep that made him start three times from his bed. +"What makes you start from your bed, Finn?" said Diorraing. "It was the +Tuatha de Danaan I saw," said he, "taking up a quarrel against me, and +making a great slaughter of the Fianna." + +Now as to the Fianna, they rested at Fotharladh of Moghna that night, +and they were downhearted, having no tidings of Finn. And early on the +morrow two of them, Bran Beag and Bran Mor, rose up and went to +Mac-an-Reith, son of the Ram, that had the gift of true knowledge, and +they asked him where did Finn spend the night. And Mac-an-Reith was +someway unwilling to tell them, but at the last he said it was at the +house of Conan of Ceann Slieve. + +The two Brans went on then to Conan's house, and Finn made them welcome; +but they blamed him when they heard he was taking a wife, and none of +his people with him. "Bid all the Fianna to come to the feast at the end +of a month," said Conan then. So Finn and Diorraing and the two Brans +went back to where the Fianna were and told them all that had happened, +and they went on to Almhuin. + +And when they were in the drinking-hall at Almhuin that night, they saw +the son of the King of Ireland coming to where they were. "It is a pity +the king's son to have come," said Finn; "for he will not be satisfied +without ordering everything in the hall in his own way." "We will not +take his orders," said Oisin, "but we will leave the half of the hall to +him, and keep the other half ourselves." + +So they did that; but it happened that in the half of the house that was +given up to the King of Ireland's son, there were sitting two of the Men +of Dea, Failbhe Mor and Failbhe Beag; and it is what they said, that it +is because they were in that side of the hall it was given up. "It is a +pity," said Failbhe Beag, "this shame and this great insult to have been +put on us to-night; and it is likely Finn has a mind to do more than +that again to us," he said, "for he is going to bring away the woman +that is promised to the third best man of the Tuatha de Danaan, and +against the will of her father and mother." And these two went away +early in the morning to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail, and told him of the +insults Finn and the Fianna of Ireland had a mind to put on the Tuatha +de Danaan. + +And when Fionnbhar that was king over the Tuatha de Danaan heard that, +he sent out messengers through the length of Ireland to gather them all +to him. And there came six good battalions to him on the edge of Loch +Derg Dheirc at the end of a month; and it was the same day Conan had the +wedding-feast made ready for Finn and his people. + +And Finn was at Teamhair Luachra at that time, and when he heard the +feast was ready, he set out to go to it. And it chanced that the most of +the men he had with him at that time were of the sons of Morna. And when +they were on their way, Finn said to Goll, "O Goll," he said, "I never +felt any fear till now going to a feast. And there are but few of my +people with me," he said; "and I know there is no good thing before me, +but the Men of Dea are going to raise a quarrel against me and to kill +my people." "I will defend you against anything they may do," said Goll. + +They went on then to Conan's house, and there was a welcome before them, +and they were brought into the drinking-hall, and Finn was put in the +place beside the door, and Goll on his right and Finndeilb, of the Fair +Shape, on his left, and all the rest in the places they were used to. + +And as to Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail and the Tuatha de Danaan, they put +a Druid mist about themselves and went on, hidden and armed, in sixteen +battalions, to the lawn before Conan's house. "It is little profit we +have being here," they said then, "and Goll being with Finn against us." +"Goll will not protect him this time," said Ethne, the woman-Druid, "for +I will entice Finn out of the house, however well he is watched." + +She went on to the house then, and took her stand before Finn outside. +"Who is that before me?" she said then. "It is I myself," said Finn. "I +put you under the bonds a true hero never broke," she said, "to come out +to me here." When Finn heard that, he made no delay and went out to her; +and for all there were so many in the house, not one of them took notice +of him going, only Caoilte, and he followed him out. And at the same +time the Tuatha de Danaan let out a flock of blackbirds having fiery +beaks, that pitched on the breasts of all the people in the house, and +burned them and destroyed them, till the young lads and the women and +children of the place ran out on all sides, and the woman of the house, +Conan's wife, was drowned in the river outside the dun. + +But as to Ethne, the woman-Druid, she asked Finn would he run against +her. "For it is to run a race against you I called you out," she said. +"What length of a race?" said Finn. "From Doire da Torc, the Wood of the +Two Boars, to Ath Mor, the Great Ford," she said. So they set out, but +Finn got first over the ford. And Caoilte was following after them, and +Finn was urging him, and he said: "It is ashamed of your running you +should be, Caoilte, a woman to be going past you." On that Caoilte made +a leap forward, and when he was in front of the witch he turned about +and gave a blow of his sword that made two equal halves of her. + +"Power and good luck to you, Caoilte!" said Finn; "for though it is many +a good blow you have struck, you never struck a better one than this." + +They went back then to the lawn before Conan's dun, and there they found +the whole company of the Tuatha de Danaan, that had put the Druid mist +off them. "It seems to me, Caoilte," said Finn, "that we are come into +the middle of our enemies." + +With that they turned their backs to one another, and they were attacked +on all sides till groans of weakness from the unequal fight were forced +from Finn. And when Goll, that was in the house, heard that, he said: +"It is a pity the Tuatha de Danaan to have enticed Finn and Caoilte away +from us; and let us go to their help and make no delay," he said. + +Then he rushed out, and all that were there of the Fianna with him, and +Conan of Ceann Slieve and his sons. And great anger came on Goll, that +he looked like a tall mountain under his grey shield in the battle. And +he broke through the Tuatha de Danaan till he reached to Fionnbhar their +leader, and they attacked one another, cutting and wounding, till at the +last Fionnbhar of Magh Feabhail fell by the strokes of Goll. And a great +many others fell in that battle, and there never was a harder battle +fought in Ireland, for there was no man on one side or the other had a +mind to go back one step before whoever he was fighting against. For +they were the two hardest fighting troops to be found in the four parts +of the world, the strong, hardy Fianna of the Gael, and the beautiful +Men of Dea; and they went near to being all destroyed in that battle. + +But after a while they saw the rest of the Fianna that were not in the +battle coming from all parts of Ireland. And when the Tuatha de Danaan +saw them coming, they put the Druid mist about themselves again and made +away. And clouds of weakness came on Finn himself, and on them that were +with him, with the dint of the fight. And there were many men of the +Fianna lost in that battle; and as to the rest, it is a long time they +stopped in Almhuin of Leinster, till their wounds were entirely healed. + + + + +CHAPTER X. THE SHADOWY ONE + + +And indeed Finn had no great luck in going to look for a wife that time; +and he had no better luck another time he asked a wife from among the +Sidhe. And this is the way that happened. + +It was on the mountain of Bearnas Mor he was hunting, and a great wild +pig turned on the hounds of the Fianna and killed the most of them, but +Bran made an attack on it then and got the best of it. And the pig began +to scream, and with that a very tall man came out of the hill and he +asked Finn to let the pig go free. And when he agreed to that, the man +brought them into the hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis; and when they +came to the door of the house he struck the pig with his Druid rod, and +on the moment it changed into a beautiful young woman, and the name he +called her by was Scathach, the Shadowy One. + +And he made a great feast for the Fianna, and Finn asked the young girl +in marriage, and the tall man, her father, said he would give her to him +on that very night. + +But when night came on, Scathach asked the loan of a harp, and it was +brought to her. One string it had of iron, and one of bronze, and one of +silver. And when the iron string would be played, it would set all the +hosts of the world crying and ever crying; and when the bright bronze +string would be played, it would set them all laughing from the one day +to the same hour on the morrow; and when the silver string would be +played, all the men of the whole world would fall into a long sleep. + +And it is the sleepy silver string the Shadowy One played upon, till +Finn and Bran and all his people were in their heavy sleep. + +And when they awoke at the rising of the sun on the morrow, it is +outside on the mountain of Bearnas they were, where they first saw the +wild pig. + + + +CHAPTER XI. FINN'S MADNESS + + +One time Finn and the Fianna were come to a ford of the Slaine, and they +sat down for a while. And as they were sitting there they saw on the +round rock up over the ford a young woman, having a dress of silk and a +green cloak about her, and a golden brooch in the cloak, and the golden +crown that is the sign of a queen on her head. "Fianna of Ireland," she +said, "let one of you come now and speak with me." + +Then Sciathbreac, of the Speckled Shield, went towards her. "Who is it +you are wanting?" he said, "Finn, son of Cumhal," said she. Finn went +over then to talk with her. "Who are you?" he said, "and what is it you +are wanting?" "I am Daireann, daughter of Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda," +she said; "and I am come to be your wife if you will give me the +bride-gift I ask." "What bride-gift is that?" said Finn. "It is your +promise," said she, "I to be your only wife through the length of a +year, and to have the half of your time after that." "I will not give +that promise," said Finn, "to any woman of the world, and I will not +give it to you," he said. + +On that the young woman took a cup of white silver from under a +covering, and filled it with strong drink, and she gave it to Finn. +"What is this?" said Finn. "It is very strong mead," said she. Now there +were bonds on Finn not to refuse anything belonging to a feast, so he +took the cup and drank what was in it, and on the moment he was like one +gone mad. And he turned his face towards the Fianna, and every harm and +every fault and every misfortune in battle that he knew against any one +of them, he sprang it on them, through the mad drunkenness the young +woman had put on him. + +Then the chief men of the Fianna of Ireland rose up and left the place +to him, every one of them setting out for his own country, till there +was no one left upon the hill but Finn and Caoilte. And Caoilte rose up +and followed after them, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "do +not leave your lord and your leader through the arts and the tricks of a +woman of the Sidhe." Thirteen times he went after them, bringing them +back to the hill in that way. And with the end of the day and the fall +of night the bitterness went from Finn's tongue; and by the time Caoilte +had brought back the whole of the Fianna, his sense and his memory were +come back to him, and he would sooner have fallen on his sword and got +his death, than have stayed living. + +And that was the hardest day's work Caoilte ever did, unless the day he +brought the flock of beasts and birds to Teamhair, to ransom Finn from +the High King of Ireland. + +Another time Maer, wife of Bersa of Berramain, fell in love with Finn, +and she made nine nuts of Segair with love charms, and sent them to +Finn, and bade him eat them. "I will not," said Finn; "for they are not +nuts of knowledge, but nuts of ignorance; and it is not known what they +are, unless they might be an enchantment for drinking love." So he +buried them a foot deep in the earth. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. THE RED WOMAN + + +One time the Fianna were in Almhuin with no great work to do, and there +came a very misty morning, and Finn was in dread that sluggishness would +come on his men, and he rose up, and he said: "Make yourselves ready, +and we will go hunting to Gleann-na-Smol." + +They all said the day was too misty to go hunting; but there was no use +in talking: they had to do as Finn bade them. So they made themselves +ready and went on towards Gleann-na-Smol; and they were not gone far +when the mist lifted and the sun came shining out. + +And when they were on the edge of a little wood, they saw a strange +beast coming towards them with the quickness of the wind, and a Red +Woman on its track. Narrow feet the beast had, and a head like the head +of a boar, and long horns on it; but the rest of it was like a deer, and +there was a shining moon on each of its sides. + +Finn stopped, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "did you ever +see a beast like that one until now?" "We never did indeed," said they; +"and it would be right for us to let out the hounds after it." "Wait a +while," said Finn, "till I speak with the Red Woman; but do not let the +beast go past you," he said. They thought to keep back the beast then, +going before it; but they were hardly able to hinder it at all, and it +went away through them. + +And when the Red Woman was come up to them, Finn asked her what was the +name of the beast she was following. "I do not know that," she said, +"though I am on its track since I left the borders of Loch Dearg a month +ago, and I never lost sight of it since then; and the two moons that are +on its two sides shine through the country all around in the night time. +And I must follow it till it falls," she said, "or I will lose my own +life and the lives of my three sons that are the best fighting men in +the whole world." "We will take the beast for you if you have a mind," +said Finn. "Do not try to do that," she said, "for I myself am swifter +than you are, and I cannot come up with it." "We will not let it go till +we know what sort of a beast is it," said Finn. "If you yourself or your +share of men go after it, I will bind you hand and foot," said she. "It +is too stiff your talk is," said Finn. "And do you not know," he said, +"I am Finn, son of Cumhal; and there are fourscore fighting men along +with me that were never beaten yet." "It is little heed I give to +yourself or your share of men," said the Red Woman; "and if my three +sons were here, they would stand up against you." "Indeed it will be a +bad day," said Finn, "when the threat of a woman will put fear on myself +or on the Fianna of Ireland." With that he sounded his horn, and he +said: "Let us all follow now, men and dogs, after that beast that we +saw." + +He had no sooner said that word than the woman made a great water-worm +of herself, and made an attack on Finn, and she would have killed him +then and there but for Bran being with him. Bran took a grip of the worm +and shook it, and then it wound itself round Bran's body, and would +have crushed the life out of her, but Finn thrust his sharp sword into +its throat. "Keep back your hand," said the worm then, "and you will not +have the curse of a lonely woman upon you." "It is what I think," said +Finn, "that you would not leave me my life if you could take it from me; +but go out of my sight now," he said, "and that I may never see you +again." + +Then she made herself into a Red Woman again, and went away into the +wood. + +All the Fianna were gone on the track of the beast while Finn was +talking and fighting with the Red Woman; and he did not know in what +place they were, but he went following after them, himself and Bran. It +was late in the evening when he came up with a share of them, and they +still on the track of the beast. The darkness of the night was coming +on, but the two moons in the sides of the beast gave a bright light, and +they never lost it from sight. They followed it on always; and about +midnight they were pressing on it, and it began to scatter blood after +it, and it was not long till Finn and his men were red from head to +foot. But that did not hinder them, and they followed him on till they +saw him going in at the foot of Cnoc-na-righ at the breaking of day. + +When they came to the foot of the hill the Red Woman was standing there +before them. "You did not take the beast," she said. "We did not take +it, but we know where it is," said Finn. + +She took a Druid rod then, and she struck a blow on the side of the +hill, and on the moment a great door opened, and they heard sweet music +coming from within. "Come in now," said the Red Woman, "till you see the +wonderful beast." "Our clothing is not clean," said Finn, "and we would +not like to go in among a company the way we are," he said. + +She put a horn to her mouth and blew it, and on the moment there came +ten young men to her. "Bring water for washing," she said, "and four +times twenty suits of clothes, and a beautiful suit and a crown of +shining stones for Finn, son of Cumhal." The young men went away then, +and they came back at the end of a minute with water and with clothing. + +When the Fianna were washed and dressed, the Red Woman brought them into +a great hall, where there was the brightness of the sun and of the moon +on every side. From that she brought them into another great room; and +although Finn and his men had seen many grand things up to that time, +they had never seen any sight so grand as what they saw in this place. +There was a king sitting in a golden chair, having clothes of gold and +of green, and his chief people were sitting around him, and his +musicians were playing. And no one could know what colour were the +dresses of the musicians, for every colour of the rainbow was in them. +And there was a great table in the middle of the room, having every sort +of thing on it, one better than another. + +The king rose up and gave a welcome to Finn and to his men, and he bade +them to sit down at the table; and they ate and drank their fill, and +that was wanting to them after the hunt they had made. And then the Red +Woman rose up, and she said: "King of the Hill, if it is your will, Finn +and his men have a mind to see the wonderful beast, for they spent a +long time following after it, and that is what brought them here." + +The king struck a blow then on his golden chair, and a door opened +behind him, and the beast came through it and stood before the king. And +it stooped down before him, and it said: "I am going on towards my own +country now; and there is not in the world a runner so good as myself, +and the sea is the same to me as the land. And let whoever can come up +with me come now," it said, "for I am going." + +With that the beast went out from the hill as quick as a blast of wind, +and all the people that were in it went following after it. It was not +long till Finn and his men were before the rest, in the front of the +hunt, gaining on the beast. + +And about midday Bran made the beast turn, and then she forced it to +turn a second time, and it began to put out cries, and it was not long +until its strength began to flag; and at last, just at the setting of +the sun, it fell dead, and Bran was at its side when it fell. + +Then Finn and his men came up, but in place of a beast it was a tall man +they saw lying dead before them. And the Red Woman came up at the same +time, and she said: "High King of the Fianna, that is the King of the +Firbolgs you have killed; and his people will put great troubles on this +country in the time to come, when you yourself, Finn, and your people +will be under the sod. And I myself am going now to the Country of the +Young," she said, "and I will bring you with me if you have a mind to +come." "We give you our thanks for that," said Finn, "but we would not +give up our own country if we were to get the whole world as an estate, +and the Country of the Young along with it." "That is well," said the +Red Woman; "but you are going home empty after your hunt." "It is likely +we will find a deer in Gleann-na-Smol," said Finn. "There is a fine deer +at the foot of that tree beyond," said the Red Woman, "and I will rouse +it for you." With that she gave a cry, and the deer started out and +away, and Finn and his men after it, and it never stopped till it came +to Gleann-na-Smol, but they could not come up with it. Then the Red +Woman came to them, and she said: "I think you are tired now with +following after the deer; and call your hounds off now," she said, "and +I will let out my own little dog after it." So Finn sounded a little +horn he had at his side, and on the moment the hounds came back to him. +And then the Red Woman brought out a little hound as white as the snow +of the mountains, and put it after the deer; and it was not long till it +had come up with the deer and killed it, and then it came back and made +a leap in under the cloak of the Red Woman. There was great wonder on +Finn; but before he could ask a question of the Red Woman, she was gone +out of sight. And as to the deer, Finn knew there was enchantment on it, +and so he left it there after him. And it is tired and empty the Fianna +were, going back to Almhuin that night. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. FINN AND THE PHANTOMS + + +Finn went to a gathering one time at Aonach Clochair, and a great many +of the men of Munster crowded to it. And the horses of the Fianna were +brought there, and the horses of the men of Munster, and they ran races +against one another. + +And Fiachu, son of Eoghan, was in it; and when the games were over he +gave good presents to Finn, a lasting black horse that won the three +prizes of the gathering, and a chariot, and a horse for the +chariot-driver, and a spear, having a deadly spell, and weapons of +silver, and three comely hounds, Feirne and Derchaem and Dialath, having +collars of yellow gold and chains of white bronze. + +And Finn rose up and gave his thanks to Fiachu, son of Eoghan, and he +and his people set out to the house of Cacher at Cluain-da-loch. And +they stopped three days feasting in Cacher's house, and then Finn gave +him the price of his feast and of his ale, fifty rings, and fifty horses +and fifty cows. + +And he himself and the Fianna went on from that over Luachair to the +strand at Berramain. And Finn went trying his black horse on the strand, +and Caoilte and Oisin went racing against him; but it was only folly for +them to do that, for he gave a blow to his horse, and away with him to +Traigh Liath and over the Plain of Health to the Old Yew of the Old +Valley, and to the inver of the Flesc and the inver of the Lemain to +Loch Lein, till he came to the hill of Bairnech, and Caoilte and Oisin +after him. + +"Night is coming on us," said Finn then; "and go look for some place +where we can sleep," he said. He looked round then at the rocks on his +left hand and he saw a house, and a fire shining out from it in the +valley below. "I never knew of a house in this valley," he said. + +"It is best for us to go see it," said Caoilte, "for there are many +things we have no knowledge of." + +The three went on then to the house, and they heard screams and crying +from it; and when they came to the house, the people of it were very +fierce and rough; and a big grey man took hold of their horses and +brought them in and shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My +welcome to you, Finn of the great name," he said then; "it is a long +time you were in coming here." + +They sat down then on the hard boards of a bed, and the grey man kindled +a fire, and he threw logs of elder-wood on it, till they went near being +smothered with the smoke. They saw a hag in the house then having three +heads on her lean neck; and there was on the other side a man without a +head, having one eye, and it in his breast. "Rise up, you that are in +the house, and make music for the King of the Fianna," said the grey man +then. + +With that nine bodies rose up out of the corner nearest the Fianna, and +nine heads rose up on the other side of the bed, and they raised nine +harsh screeches together, that no one would like to be listening to. And +then the hag answered to them, and the headless man answered; and if all +of that music was harsh, there was none of it that you would not wish to +hear sooner than the music of the one-eyed man. And the music that was +sung went near to breaking the bones of their heads; and indeed it is no +sweet music that was. + +Then the big grey man rose up and took the axe that was for cutting +logs, and he began striking at the horses, flaying and destroying them. +Then there were brought fifty pointed spits of the rowan-tree, and he +put a piece of the horse's flesh on each one of the spits, and settled +them on the hearth. But when he took the spits from the fire and put +them before Finn, it is raw the flesh was on them yet. "Take your food +away," said Finn then, "for I have never eaten meat that was raw, and I +never will eat it because of being without food for one day." "If you +are come into our house to refuse our food," said the grey man, "we will +surely go against yourselves, Finn and Caoilte and Oisin." + +With that all in the house made an attack on the three; and they were +driven back into the corner, and the fire was quenched, and the fight +went on through the whole night in the darkness, and but for Finn and +the way he fought, they would have been put down. + +And when the sun rose and lighted up the house on the morrow, a mist +came into the head of each of the three, so that they fell as if dead on +the floor. + +But after awhile they rose up again, and there was nothing to be seen of +the house or of the people of the house, but they had all vanished. And +their horses were there, and they took them and went on, very weak and +tired, for a long way, till they came to the strand of Berramain. + +And those three that fought against them were the three Shapes out of +the Valley of the Yew Tree that came to avenge their sister, Cuillen of +the Wide Mouth. + +Now as to Cuillen, she was a daughter of the King of Munster, and her +husband was the King of Ulster's son. And they had a son that was called +Fear Og, the Young Man; and there was hardly in Ireland a man so good as +himself in shape and in courage and in casting a spear. And one time he +joined in a game with the Fianna, and he did better than them all, and +Finn gave him a great reward. And after that he went out to a hunt they +made, and it was by him and by none of the Fianna the first blood was +got of pig or of deer. And when they came back, a heavy sickness fell on +the young man through the eyes and the envy of the Fianna, and it left +him without life at the end of nine days. And he was buried under a +green hill, and the shining stone he used to hold in his hand, and he +doing his feats, was put over his head. + +And his mother, Cuillen, came to his grave keening him every day through +the length of a year. And one day she died there for grief after her +son, and they put her into the same green hill. + +But as to Finn, he was afraid of no earthly thing, and he killed many +great serpents in Loch Cuilinn and Loch Neathach, and at Beinn Edair; +and Shadow-Shapes at Loch Lein and Drom Cleib and Loch Liath, and a +serpent and a cat in Ath Cliath. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. THE PIGS OF ANGUS + + +Angus Og, son of the Dagda, made a feast one time at Brugh na Boinne for +Finn and the Fianna of the Gael. Ten hundred of them were in it, and +they wearing green clothing and crimson cloaks; and as to the people of +Angus' house, it is clothing of red silk they had. + +And Finn was sitting beside Angus in the beautiful house, and it is +long since the like of those two were seen in Ireland. And any stranger +would wonder to see the way the golden cups were going from hand to +hand. + +And Angus said out in a loud voice that every one could hear: "It is a +better life this is than to be hunting." There was anger on Finn then, +and he said: "It is a worse life than hunting to be here, without +hounds, without horses, without battalions, without the shouting of +armies." "Why are you talking like that, Finn?" said Angus, "for as to +the hounds you have," he said, "they would not kill so much as one pig." +"You have not yourself," said Finn, "and the whole host of the Tuatha de +Danaan have not a pig that ever went on dry land that Bran and Sceolan +would not kill." "I will send you a pig," said Angus, "that will go from +you and your hounds, and that will kill them in the end." + +The steward of the house called out then in a loud voice: "Let every one +go now to his bed, before the lightness of drunkenness comes on you." +But Finn said to his people: "Let us make ready and leave this; for we +are but a few," he said, "among the Men of Dea." So they set out and +went westward till they came to Slieve Fuad where the Fianna were at +that time. + +And through the whole length of a year after that, the Tuatha de Danaan +were boasting how they would get the better of the Fianna, and the +Fianna were thinking how they could do best in the hunt. And at the end +of that time Angus sent messengers to Finn, asking him with great +respect if he was ready to keep his word. And Finn said he was, and the +hounds were brought out, and he himself was holding Bran and Sceolan, +one in each hand, and Caoilte had Adhnuall, and Oisin had Ablach, and +merry Bran Beag had Lonn, and Diarmuid was holding Eachtach, and Osgar +was holding Mac an Truim, and Garraidh was held by Faolan, and Rith +Fada, of the Long Run, by hungry Conan. + +And they were not long there with their hounds till they saw on the +plain to the east a terrible herd of great pigs, every one of them the +height of a deer. And there was one pig out in front of the rest was +blacker than a smith's coal, and the bristles on its head were like a +thicket of thorn-trees. + +Then Caoilte let out Adhnuall, and she was the first to kill a pig of +the herd. And then Bran made away from the leash that Finn was holding, +and the pigs ran their best, but she came up with them, and took hold of +a pig of them. And at that Angus said: "O Bran, fosterling of +fair-haired Fergus, it is not a right thing you are doing, to kill my +own son." But when Bran heard that, her ways changed and it was like an +enemy she took hold of the pig, and did not let it go, and held her +breath back and kept it for the Fianna. + +And it was over Slieve Cua the hunt went, and Slieve Crot, and from Magh +Cobha to Cruachan, and to Fionnabraic and to Finnias. And at evening +when the hunt was over, there was not one pig of the whole herd without +a hurt, and there were but a hundred and ten pigs left living. But if +the hunt brought destruction on Angus, it brought losses on the Fianna +as well, for there were ten hundred of their men missing besides +serving-lads and dogs. + +"Let us go to Brugh na Boinne and get satisfaction for our people," said +Oisin then. "That is the advice of a man without sense," said Finn; "for +if we leave these pigs the way they are, they will come to life again. +And let us burn them," he said, "and throw their ashes in the sea." + +Then the seven battalions of the Fianna made seven fires to every +battalion; but for all they could do, they could not set fire to one +pig. Then Bran, that had great sense and knowledge, went away, and she +came back bringing three logs along with her, but no one knows what wood +it was they came from. And when the logs were put on the fire they lit +up like a candle, and it is with them the pigs were burned; and after +that their ashes were thrown into the sea. + +Then Oisin said again: "Let us go now to Brugh na Boinne and avenge the +death of our people." So the whole of the Fianna set out for Brugh na +Boinne, and every step they made could surely be heard through the whole +of the skies. + +And Angus sent out messengers to where Finn was, offering any one thing +to him if he would spare his people. "I will take no gift at all from +you, Angus of the slender body," said Finn, "so long as there is a room +left in your house, north or east, without being burned." But Angus +said: "Although you think bad of the loss of your fine people that you +have the sway over, yet, O Finn, father of Oisin, it is sorrowful to me +the loss of my own good son is. For as to the black pig that came before +you on the plain," he said, "it was no common pig was in it, but my own +son. And there fell along with him," he said, "the son of the King of +the Narrow Sea, and the son of the King of the Sea of Gulls, and the son +of Ilbhrec, son of Manannan, and seven score of the comely sons of kings +and queens. And it is what destroyed my strength and my respect +entirely, they to have been burned away from me in a far place. And it +is a pity for you, sweet daring Bran," he said, "fosterling of Fergus of +the thirty woods and plains, that you did not do something worth praise +before killing your own foster-brother. And I will put a curse on you, +Bran," he said, "beyond every hound in Ireland, that you will never see +with your eyes any deer you may ever kill." + +There was anger on Finn when he heard that, and he said: "If you put a +curse on Bran, Angus, there will not be a room left, east or west, in +the whole of your great house without being burned." "If you do that," +said Angus, "I will put trees and stones in front of you in every +battle; and I will know what number of men you have in your armies," he +said, "looking at them through my ring." + +Then Oisin, that was wise, said: "It is best for you to agree between +yourselves now; and let us be helpful to one another," he said, "and pay +whatever fines are due." + +So they agreed to that, and they made peace, and gave children to be +fostered by one another: a son of Finn's to Angus, and son of Angus Og +to the Fianna. + +But for all that, it is not very friendly to Finn Angus was afterwards, +at the time he was following after Diarmuid and Grania through the whole +length of Ireland. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN + + +Finn was one time out on the green of Almhuin, and he saw what had the +appearance of a grey fawn running across the plain. He called and +whistled to his hounds then, but neither hound nor man heard him or came +to him, but only Bran and Sceolan. He set them after the fawn, and near +as they kept to her, he himself kept nearer to them, till at last they +reached to Slieve Cuilinn in the province of Ulster. + +But they were no sooner at the hill than the fawn vanished from them, +and they did not know where was she gone, and Finn went looking for her +eastward, and the two hounds went towards the west. + +It was not long till Finn came to a lake, and there was sitting on the +brink of it a young girl, the most beautiful he had ever seen, having +hair of the colour of gold, and a skin as white as lime, and eyes like +the stars in time of frost; but she seemed to be some way sorrowful and +downhearted. Finn asked her did she see his hounds pass that way. "I did +not see them," she said; "and it is little I am thinking of your hounds +or your hunting, but of the cause of my own trouble." "What is it ails +you, woman of the white hands?" said Finn; "and is there any help I can +give you?" he said. "It is what I am fretting after," said she, "a ring +of red gold I lost off my finger in the lake. And I put you under bonds, +Finn of the Fianna," she said, "to bring it back to me out of the lake." + +With that Finn stripped off his clothes and went into the lake at the +bidding of the woman, and he went three times round the whole lake and +did not leave any part of it without searching, till he brought back the +ring. He handed it up to her then out of the water, and no sooner had he +done that than she gave a leap into the water and vanished. + +And when Finn came up on the bank of the lake, he could not so much as +reach to where his clothes were; for on the moment he, the head and the +leader of the Fianna of Ireland, was but a grey old man, weak and +withered. + +Bran and Sceolan came up to him then, but they did not know him, and +they went on round the lake, searching after their master. + + +In Almhuin, now, when he was missed, Caoilte began asking after him. +"Where is Finn," he said, "of the gentle rule and of the spears?" But no +one knew where was he gone, and there was grief on the Fianna when they +could not find him. But it is what Conan said: "I never heard music +pleased me better than to hear the son of Cumhal is missing. And that he +may be so through the whole year," he said, "and I myself will be king +over you all." And downhearted as they were, it is hardly they could +keep from laughing when they heard Conan saying that. + +Caoilte and the rest of the chief men of the Fianna set out then looking +for Finn, and they got word of him; and at last they came to Slieve +Cuilinn, and there they saw a withered old man sitting beside the lake, +and they thought him to be a fisherman. "Tell us, old man," said +Caoilte, "did you see a fawn go by, and two hounds after her, and a tall +fair-faced man along with them?" "I did see them," he said, "and it is +not long since they left me." "Tell us where are they now?" said +Caoilte. But Finn made no answer, for he had not the courage to say to +them that he himself was Finn their leader, being as he was an ailing, +downhearted old man, without leaping, without running, without walk, +grey and sorrowful. + +Caoilte took out his sword from the sheath then, and he said: "It is +short till you will have knowledge of death unless you will tell us what +happened those three." + +Then Finn told them the whole story; and when the seven battalions of +the Fianna heard him, and knew it was Finn that was in it, they gave +three loud sorrowful cries. And to the lake they gave the name of Loch +Doghra, the Lake of Sorrow. + +But Conan of the sharp tongue began abusing Finn and all the Fianna by +turns. "You never gave me right praise for my deeds, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "and you were always the enemy of the sons of Morna; +but we are living in spite of you," he said, "and I have but the one +fault to find with your shape, and that is, that it was not put on the +whole of the Fianna the same as on yourself." Caoilte made at him then; +"Bald, senseless Conan," he said, "I will break your mouth to the bone." +But Conan ran in then among the rest of the Fianna and asked protection +from them, and peace was made again. + +And as to Finn, they asked him was there any cure to be found for him. +"There is," he said; "for I know well the enchantment was put on me by a +woman of the Sidhe, Miluchradh, daughter of Cuilinn, through jealousy of +her sister Aine. And bring me to the hill that belongs to Cuilinn of +Cuailgne," he said, "for he is the only one can give me my shape again." + +They came around him then, and raised him up gently on their shields, +and brought him on their shoulders to the hill of the Sidhe in Cuailgne, +but no one came out to meet them. Then the seven battalions began +digging and rooting up the whole hill, and they went on digging through +the length of three nights and three days. And at the end of that time +Cuilinn of Cuailgne, that some say was Manannan, son of Lir, came out of +the hill, holding in his hand a vessel of red gold, and he gave the +vessel into Finn's hand. And no sooner did Finn drink what was in the +vessel than his own shape and his appearance came back to him. But only +his hair, that used to be so fair and so beautiful, like the hair of a +woman, never got its own colour again, for the lake that Cuilinn's +daughter had made for Finn would have turned all the men of the whole +world grey if they had gone into it. + +And when Finn had drunk all that was in the vessel it slipped from his +hand into the earth, that was loosened with the digging, and he saw it +no more. But in the place where it went into the earth, a tree grew up, +and any one that would look at the branches of that tree in the morning, +fasting, would have knowledge of all that was to happen on that day. + +That, now, is the way Finn came by his grey hair, through the jealousy +of Miluchradh of the Sidhe, because he had not given his love to her, +but to her sister Aine. + + + + +BOOK FIVE: OISIN'S CHILDREN + + +Now as to Oisin, that was so brave and so comely, and that could +overtake a deer at its greatest speed, and see a thistle thorn on the +darkest night, the wife he took was Eibhir of the plaited yellow hair, +that was the foreign sweetheart of the High King of Ireland. + +It is beyond the sea she lived, in a very sunny place; and her father's +name was lunsa, and her sunny house was thatched with the feathers of +birds, and the doorposts were of gold, and the doors of ribbed grass. +And Oisin went there looking for her, and he fought for her against the +High King and against an army of the Firbolgs he had helping him; and he +got the better of them all, and brought away Eibhir of the yellow hair +to Ireland. + +And he had a daughter that married the son of Oiliol, son of Eoghan, and +of Beara, daughter of the King of Spain. It was that Eoghan was driven +out of Ireland one time, and it is to Spain he went for safety. And +Beara, that was daughter of the King of Spain, was very shining and +beautiful, and her father had a mind to know who would be her husband, +and he sent for his Druid and asked the question of him. "I can tell you +that," said the Druid, "for the man that is to be her husband will come +to land in Spain this very night. And let your daughter go eastward to +the river Eibhear," he said, "and she will find a crimson-spotted salmon +in that river, having shining clothing on him from head to tail. And let +her strip that clothing off him," he said, "and make with it a shining +shirt for her husband." + +So Beara went to the river Eibhear, and found the golden salmon as the +Druid had said, and she stripped him of his crimson clothing and made a +shining shirt of it. + +And as to Eoghan, the waves of the shore put a welcome before him, and +he came the same night to the king's house. And the king gave him a +friendly welcome; and it is what all the people said, that there was +never seen a comelier man than Eoghan, or a woman more beautiful than +Beara, and that it was fitting for them to come together. And Eoghan's +own people said they would not be sorry for being sent away out of +Ireland, if only Eoghan could get her for his wife. + +And after a while the king sent his Druid to ask Eoghan why he did not +ask for Beara. "I will tell you that," said Eoghan; "it would not be +fitting for me to be refused a wife, and I am but an exile in this +country, and I have brought no treasures or goods with me out of Ireland +for giving to learned men and to poets. But for all that," he said, "the +king's daughter is dear to me, and I think I have the friendship of the +king." + +The Druid went back with that message. "That is the answer of a king," +said the King of Spain; "and bid my daughter to sit at Eoghan's right +hand," he said, "and I will give her to him this very night." And when +Beara, the king's daughter, heard that, she sent out her serving-maid to +bring the shirt she had made for Eoghan, and he put it on him over his +armour, and its shining was seen in every place; and it was from wearing +that shirt he got the name of Eoghan the Bright. + +And Oiliol was the first son they had; it was he that had his ear bitten +off by Aine of the Sidhe in revenge for her brother, and it was his son +married Oisin's daughter afterwards. + +And as to Osgar, that was Oisin's son, of all the young men of the +Fianna he was the best in battle. And when he was but a young child he +was made much of by the whole of the Fianna, and it is for him they used +to keep the marrow bones, and they did not like to put any hardship on +him. And he grew up tall and idle, and no one thought he would turn out +so strong as he did. And one day there was an attack made on a troop of +the Fianna, and all that were in it went out to fight, but they left +Osgar after them. And when he knew the fight was going on, he took a log +of wood that was the first thing he could find, and attacked the enemy +and made a great slaughter, and they gave way and ran before him. And +from that out there was no battle he did not go into; and he was said to +be the strongest of all the Fianna, though the people of Connacht said +that Goll was the strongest. And he and Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, +were comrades and dear friends; and it was Diarmuid taught him feats of +arms and of skill, and chess-playing. And Oisin his father took great +pride in him, and his grandfather Finn. And one time Finn was holding a +feast at Almhuin, and he asked the chief men of the Fianna that were +there what was the music they thought the best. "To be playing at +games," said Conan, "that is the best music I ever heard;" for though +Conan was a good hand against an enemy, there never was a man had less +sense. "The music I like the best is to be talking with a woman," said +Diarmuid. "My music is the outcry of my hounds, and they putting a deer +to its last stand," said Lugaidh's Son. "The music of the woods is best +to me," said Oisin; "the sound of the wind and of the cuckoo and the +blackbird, and the sweet silence of the crane." + +And then Osgar was asked, and he said: "The best music is the striking +of swords in a battle." And it is likely he took after Finn in that, for +in spite of all the sweet sounds he gave an account of the time he was +at Conan's house, at Ceann Slieve, it used to be said by the Fianna that +the music that was best with Finn was what happened. + +This now is the way Osgar met with his wife. + +One time Finn and his men came to Slieve Crot, and they saw a woman +waiting there before them, having a crimson fringed cloak, and a gold +brooch in it, and a band of yellow gold on her forehead. Finn asked her +name, and where she came from. "Etain of the Fair Hair is my name," she +said, "daughter of Aedh of the White Breast, of the hill of the Sidhe at +Beinn Edair, son of Angus Og." "What is it brought you here, girl?" said +Finn. "To ask a man of the Fianna of Ireland to run a race with me." +"What sort of a runner are you?" said Diarmuid. "I am a good runner," +said the girl; "for it is the same to me if the ground is long or short +under my feet." + +All of the Fianna that were there then set out to run with her, and they +ran to the height over Badhamair and on to Ath Cliath, and from that on +to the hill of the Sidhe at Beinn Edair. + +And there was a good welcome before them, and they were brought meat and +wine for drinking, and water for washing their feet. And after a while +they saw a nice fair-haired girl in front of the vats, and a cup of +white silver in her hand, and she giving out drink to every one. "It +seems to me that is the girl came asking the Fianna to race against her +at Slieve Crot," said Finn. "It is not," said Aedh of the White Breast, +"for that is the slowest woman there is among us." "Who was it so?" said +Finn. "It was Be-mannair, daughter of Ainceol, woman-messenger of the +Tuatha de Danaan. And it is she that changes herself into all shapes; +and she will take the shape of a fly, and of a true lover, and every one +leaves their secret with her. And it was she outran you coming from the +east," he said, "and not this other girl that was drinking and making +merry here in the hall." "What is her name?" said Finn. "Etain of the +Fair Hair," he said; "a daughter of my own, and a darling of the Tuatha +de Danaan. And it is the way with her, she has a lover of the men of the +Fianna." "That is well," said Finn; "and who is that lover?" "It is +Osgar, son of Oisin," said Aedh; "and it is she herself sent her +messenger for you," he said, "in her own shape, to Slieve Crot in the +south. And the son of the High King of Ireland has offered a great +bride-price to the Men of Dea for her," he said, "three hundreds of the +land nearest to Bregia and to Midhe, and to put himself and his weight +of gold into a balance, and to give it all to her. But we did not take +it," he said, "since she had no mind or wish for it herself, and so we +made no dealing or agreement about her." "Well," said Finn, "and what +conditions will you ask of Osgar?" "Never to leave me for anything at +all but my own fault," said the girl. "I will make that agreement with +you indeed," said Osgar. "Give me sureties for it," said she; "give me +the sureties of Goll for the sons of Morna, and of Finn, son of Cumhal, +for the Fianna of Ireland." + +So they gave those sureties, and the wedding-feast was made, and they +stopped there for twenty nights. And at the end of that time Osgar asked +Finn where would he bring his wife. "Bring her to wide Almhuin for the +first seven years," said Finn. + +But a while after that, in a great battle at Beinn Edair, Osgar got so +heavy a wound that Finn and the Fianna were as if they had lost their +wits. And when Etain of the Fair Hair came to the bed where Osgar was +lying, and saw the way he was, and that the great kinglike shape he had +was gone from him, greyness and darkness came on her, and she raised +pitiful cries, and she went to her bed and her heart broke in her like a +nut; and she died of grief for her husband and her first love. + +But it was not at that time Osgar got his death, but afterwards in the +battle of Gabhra. + + + + +BOOK SIX: DIARMUID. + +CHAPTER I. BIRTH OF DIARMUID + + +Diarmuid, now, was son of Bonn, son of Duibhne of the Fianna, and his +mother was Crochnuit, that was near in blood to Finn. And at the time he +was born, Bonn was banished from the Fianna because of some quarrel they +had with him, and Angus Og took the child from him to rear him up at +Brugh na Boinne. + +And after a while Crochnuit bore another son to Roc Diocain, that was +Head Steward to Angus. Roc Diocain went then to Donn, and asked would he +rear up his son for him, the way Angus was rearing Donn's son. But Donn +said he would not take the son of a common man into his house, and it +would be best for Angus to take him. So Angus took the child into Brugh +na Boinne, and he and Diarmuid were reared up together. + +And one day Finn was on the great Hill at Almhuin of Leinster, and no +one with him but Donn and a few of the poets and learned men of the +Fianna, and their hounds and dogs, and Bran Beag came in and asked did +he remember there were bonds on him, not to stop in Almhuin for ten +nights together. Finn asked the people about him then where would he go +and be entertained for that night, and Donn said: "I will bring you to +the house of Angus, son of the Dagda, where my young son is being +reared." + + +So they went together to the house of Angus at Brugh na Boinne, and the +child Diarmuid was there, and it is great love Angus had for him. And +the Steward's son was with him that night, and the people of the +household made as much of him as Angus made of Diarmuid; and there was +great vexation on Donn when he saw that. It chanced after a while a +great fight rose between two of Finn's hounds about some broken meat +that was thrown to them; and the women and the common people of the +place ran from them, and the others rose up to part them from one +another. And in running away, the Steward's child ran between the knees +of Donn, and Donn gave the child a strong squeeze between his two knees +that killed him on the moment, and he threw him under the feet of the +hounds. And when the Steward came after that and found his son dead, he +gave a long very pitiful cry, and he said to Finn: "There is not a man +in the house to-night has suffered more than myself from this uproar, +for I had but one son only, and he has been killed; and what +satisfaction will I get from you for that, Finn?" he said. "Try can you +find the mark of a tooth or of a nail of one of the hounds on him," said +Finn, "and if you can, I will give you satisfaction for him." + +So they looked at the child, and there was no scratch or mark of a tooth +on him at all. Then the Steward put Finn under the destroying bonds of +the Druid cave of Cruachan, to give him knowledge of who it was killed +his son. And Finn asked for a chess-board, and for water to be brought +to him, in a basin of pale gold, and he searched, and it was shown to +him truly that it was Donn had killed the Steward's son between his two +knees. When Finn knew that, he said he would take the fine on himself; +but the Steward would not consent to that, but forced him to tell who +was it had done him the wrong. And when he knew it was Donn had killed +the child, he said: "There is no man in the house it is easier to get +satisfaction from than from him, for his own son is here, and I have but +to put him between my two knees, and if I let him go from me safe, I +will forgive the death of my son." Angus was vexed at what the Steward +said, and as to Donn, he thought to strike his head off till Finn put +him back from him. Then the Steward came again, having a Druid rod with +him, and he struck his own son with the rod, and he made of him a wild +boar, without bristle or ear or tail, and he said: "I put you under +bonds to bring Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to his death; and your +own life will be no longer than his life," he said. With that the wild +boar rose up and ran out of the open door; and he was called afterwards +the Boar of Slieve Guillion, and it was by him Diarmuid came to his +death at the last. + +And when Diarmuid came to his full strength he was given a place among +the Fianna of Ireland; and all women loved him, and he did many great +deeds, fighting with the enemies of the Fianna and of Ireland; and one +time he fought a wild ox through the length of seven days and seven +nights on the top of the Mountain of Happiness. + + + + +CHAPTER II. HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT + + +Diarmuid and Conan and Goll and Osgar went one day hunting, and they +went so far they could not get home in the evening, and they spent the +first part of the night walking through the woods and pulling berries +and eating them. And when it was about midnight they saw a light, and +they went towards it, and they found a little house before them, and the +light shining from it. They went in then, and they saw an old man there, +and he bade them welcome, and he called them all by their names. And +they saw no one in the house but the old man and a young girl and a cat. +And the old man bade the girl to make food ready for the Fianna of +Ireland, for there was great hunger on them. + +And when the food was ready and put on the table, there came a great +wether that was fastened up in the back of the house, and he rose up on +the table where they were eating, and when they saw that, they looked at +one another. "Rise up, Conan," said Goll, "and fasten that wether in +the place it was before." Conan rose up and took hold of it, but the +wether gave itself a shake that threw Conan under one of its feet. The +rest were looking at that, and Goll said: "Let you rise up, Diarmuid, +and fasten up the wether." So Diarmuid rose up and took hold of it, but +it gave itself a shake the same way as before; and when Diarmuid was +down it put one of its feet on him. Goll and Osgar looked at one another +then, and shame came on them, a wether to have done so much as that. And +Osgar got up, but the wether put him down under one of his feet, so that +it had now the three men under him. Then Goll rose up and took hold of +it and threw it down; but if he did, it rose up again in spite of him, +and put Goll under his fourth foot. + +"It is a great shame," said the old man then, "the like of that to be +done to the Fianna of Ireland. And rise up now, cat," he said, "and tie +the wether in the place where he was." The cat rose up then and took +hold of the wether, and brought it over and tied it in its place at the +end of the house. + +The men rose up then, but they had no mind to go on eating, for there +was shame on them at what the wether had done to them. "You may go on +eating," said the old man; "and when you are done I will show you that +now you are the bravest men of the world." So they ate their fill then, +and the old man spoke to them, and it is what he said: "Goll," he said, +"you are the bravest of all the men of the world, for you have wrestled +with the world and you threw it down. The strength of the world is in +the wether, but death will come to the world itself; and that is death," +he said, showing them the cat. + +They were talking together then, and they had their food eaten, and the +old man said their beds were ready for them that they could go to sleep. +The four of them went then into the one room, and when they were in +their beds the young girl came to sleep in the same room with them, and +the light of her beauty was shining on the walls like as if it was the +light of a candle. + +And when Conan saw her he went over to the side of the bed where she +was. + +Now, it was Youth the young girl was, and when she saw Conan coming to +her: "Go back to your bed, Conan," she said; "I belonged to you once, +and I will never belong to you again." Conan went back to his bed then, +and Osgar had a mind to go over where she was. Then she said to him: +"Where are you going?" "I am going over to yourself for a while," said +he. + +"Go back again, Osgar," she said; "I belonged to you once, and I will +never belong to you again." + +Then Diarmuid rose up to go to her: "Where are you going, Diarmuid?" she +said. "I am going over to yourself for a while," said he. "O Diarmuid," +she said, "that cannot be; I belonged to you once, and I can never +belong to you again; but come over here to me, Diarmuid," she said, "and +I will put a love-spot on you, that no woman will ever see without +giving you her love." So Diarmuid went over to her, and she put her hand +on his forehead, and she left the love-spot there, and no woman that +ever saw him after that was able to refuse him her love. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE + + +One snowy night of winter the Fianna were come into the house after +their hunting. And about midnight they heard a knocking at the door, and +there came in a woman very wild and ugly, and her hair hanging to her +heels. She went to the place Finn was lying, and she asked him to let +her in under the border of his covering. But when he saw her so strange +and so ugly and so wild-looking he would not let her in. She gave a +great cry then, and she went to where Oisin was, and asked him to let +her shelter under the border of his covering. But Oisin refused her the +same way. Then she gave another great scream, and she went over where +Diarmuid was. "Let me in," she said, "under the border of your +covering." Diarmuid looked at her, and he said: "You are strange-looking +and wild and ugly, and your hair is down to your heels. But come in for +all that," he said. + +So she came in under the border of his covering. + +"O Diarmuid," she said then, "I have been travelling over sea and ocean +through the length of seven years, and in all that time I never got +shelter any night till this night. And let me to the warmth of the fire +now," she said. So Diarmuid brought her over to the fire, and all the +Fianna that were sitting there went away from it seeing her so ugly and +so dreadful to look at. And she was not long at the fire when she said: +"Let me go under the warmth of the covering with you now." "It is asking +too much you are," said Diarmuid; "first it was to come under the border +you asked, and then to come to the fire, and now it is under the +bed-covering with me you want to be. But for all that you may come," he +said. + +So she came in under the covering, and he turned a fold of it between +them. But it was not long till he looked at her, and what he saw was a +beautiful young woman beside him, and she asleep. He called to the +others then to come over, and he said: "Is not this the most beautiful +woman that ever was seen?" "She is that," they said, and they covered +her up and did not awaken her. + +But after a while she stirred, and she said: "Are you awake, Diarmuid?" +"I am awake," he said. "Where would you like to see the best house +built that ever was built?" she said. "Up there on the hillside, if I +had my choice," said he, and with that he fell asleep. + +And in the morning two men of the Fianna came in, and they said they +were after seeing a great house up on the hill, where there was not a +house before. "Rise up, Diarmuid," said the strange woman then; "do not +be lying there any longer, but go up to your house, and look out now and +see it," she said. So he looked out and he saw the great house that was +ready, and he said: "I will go to it, if you will come along with me." +"I will do that," she said, "if you will make me a promise not to say to +me three times what way I was when I came to you." "I will never say it +to you for ever," said Diarmuid. + +They went up then to the house, and it was ready for them, with food and +servants; and everything they could wish for they had it. They stopped +there for three days, and when the three days were ended, she said: "You +are getting to be sorrowful because you are away from your comrades of +the Fianna." "I am not sorrowful indeed," said Diarmuid. "It will be +best for you to go to them; and your food and your drink will be no +worse when you come back than they are now," said she. "Who will take +care of my greyhound bitch and her three pups if I go?" said Diarmuid. +"There is no fear for them," said she. + +So when he heard that, he took leave of her and went back to the Fianna, +and there was a great welcome before him. But for all that they were not +well pleased but were someway envious, Diarmuid to have got that grand +house and her love from the woman they themselves had turned away. + +Now as to the woman, she was outside the house for a while after +Diarmuid going away, and she saw Finn, son of Cumhal, coming towards +her, and she bade him welcome. "You are vexed with me, Queen?" he said. +"I am not indeed," she said; "and come in now and take a drink of wine +from me." "I will go in if I get my request," said Finn. "What request +is there that you would not get?" said she. "It is what I am asking, one +of the pups of Diarmuid's greyhound bitch." "That is no great thing to +ask," she said; "and whichever one you choose of them you may bring it +away." + +So he got the pup, and he brought it away with him. + +At the fall of night Diarmuid came back to the house, and the greyhound +met him at the door and gave a yell when she saw him, and he looked for +the pups, and one of them was gone. There was anger on him then, and he +said to the woman: "If you had brought to mind the way you were when I +let you in, and your hair hanging, you would not have let the pup be +brought away from me." "You ought not to say that, Diarmuid," said she. +"I ask your pardon for saying it," said Diarmuid. And they forgave one +another, and he spent the night in the house. + +On the morrow Diarmuid went back again to his comrades, and the woman +stopped at the house, and after a while she saw Oisin coming towards +her. She gave him a welcome, and asked him into the house, and he said +he would come if he would get his request. And what he asked was another +of the pups of the greyhound. + +So she gave him that, and he went away bringing the pup with him. And +when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him, and she cried +out twice. And he knew that another of the pups was gone, and he said to +the greyhound, and the woman standing there: "If she had remembered the +way she was when she came to me, she would not have let the pup be +brought away." + +The next day he went back again to the Fianna, and when he was gone, the +woman saw Caoilte coming towards her, and he would not come in to take a +drink from her till he had got the promise of one of the pups the same +as the others. + +And when Diarmuid came back that night the greyhound met him and gave +three yells, the most terrible that ever were heard. There was great +anger on him then, when he saw all the pups gone, and he said the third +time: "If this woman remembered the way she was when I found her, and +her hair down to her heels, she would not have let the pup go." "O +Diarmuid, what is it you are after saying?" she said. He asked +forgiveness of her then, and he thought to go into the house, but it was +gone and the woman was gone on the moment, and it was on the bare ground +he awoke on the morrow. There was great sorrow on him then, and he said +he would search in every place till he would find her again. + +So he set out through the lonely valleys, and the first thing he saw was +the greyhound lying dead, and he put her on his shoulder and would not +leave her because of the love he had for her. And after a while he met +with a cowherd, and he asked him did he see a woman going the way. "I +saw a woman early in the morning of yesterday, and she walking hard," +said the cowherd. "What way was she going?" said Diarmuid. "Down that +path below to the strand, and I saw her no more after that," he said. + +So he followed the path she took down to the strand till he could go no +farther, and then he saw a ship, and he leaned on the handle of his +spear and made a light leap on to the ship, and it went on till it came +to land, and then he got out and lay down on the side of a hill and fell +asleep, and when he awoke there was no ship to be seen. "It is a pity +for me to be here," he said, "for I see no way of getting from it +again." + +But after a while he saw a boat coming, and a man in the boat rowing it, +and he went down and got into the boat, and brought the greyhound with +him. And the boat went out over the sea, and then down below it; and +Diarmuid, when he went down, found himself on a plain. And he went +walking along it, and it was not long before he met with a drop of +blood. He took it up and put it in a napkin. "It is the greyhound lost +this," he said. And after a while he met with another drop of blood, and +then with a third, and he put them in the napkin. And after that again +he saw a woman, and she gathering rushes as if she had lost her wits. + +He went towards her and asked her what news had she. "I cannot tell it +till I gather the rushes," she said. "Be telling it while you are +gathering them," said Diarmuid. "There is great haste on me," she said. +"What is this place where we are?" said Diarmuid. "It is +Land-under-Wave," said she. "And what use have you for the rushes when +they are gathered?" "The daughter of King Under-Wave is come home," she +said, "and she was for seven years under enchantment, and there is +sickness on her now, and all the physicians are gathered together and +none of them can do her any good, and a bed of rushes is what she finds +the wholesomest." "Will you show me where the king's daughter is?" said +Diarmuid. "I will do that," said the woman; "I will put you in the sheaf +of rushes, and I will put the rushes under you and over you, and I will +carry you to her on my back." "That is a thing you cannot do," said +Diarmuid. But she put the rushes about him, and lifted him on her back, +and when she got to the room she let down the bundle. "O come here to +me," said the daughter of King Under-Wave, and Diarmuid went over to +her, and they took one another's hands, and were very joyful at that +meeting. "Three parts of my sickness is gone from me now," she said +then; "but I am not well yet, and I never will be, for every time I +thought of you, Diarmuid, on my journey, I lost a drop of the blood of +my heart." "I have got those three drops here in this napkin," said +Diarmuid, "and take them now in a drink and you will be healed of your +sickness." "They would do nothing for me," she said, "since I have not +the one thing in the world that I want, and that is the thing I will +never get," she said. "What thing is that?" said Diarmuid. "It is the +thing you will never get, nor any man in the world," she said, "for it +is a long time they have failed to get it." "If it is in any place on +the whole ridge of the world I will get it," said Diarmuid. "It is three +draughts from the cup of the King of Magh an Ionganaidh, the Plain of +Wonder," she said, "and no man ever got it or ever will get it." "Tell +me where that cup is to be found," said Diarmuid, "for there are not as +many men as will keep it from me on the whole ridge of the world." "That +country is not far from the boundary of my father's country," she said; +"but there is a little river between, and you would be sailing on that +river in a ship, having the wind behind it, for a year and a day before +you would reach to the Plain of Wonder." + +Diarmuid set out then, and he came to the little river, and he was a +good while walking beside it, and he saw no way to cross it. But at last +he saw a low-sized, reddish man that was standing in the middle of the +river. "You are in straits, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," he said; +"and come here and put your foot in the palm of my hand and I will bring +you through." Diarmuid did as he bade him, and put his foot in the red +man's palm, and he brought him across the river. "It is going to the +King of the Plain of Wonder you are," he said, "to bring away his cup +from him; and I myself will go with you." + +They went on then till they came to the king's dun, and Diarmuid called +out that the cup should be sent out to him, or else champions to fight +with him should be sent out. It was not the cup was sent out, but twice +eight hundred fighting men; and in three hours there was not one of them +left to stand against him. Then twice nine hundred better fighters +again were sent out against him, and within four hours there was not one +of them left to stand against him. Then the king himself came out, and +he stood in the great door, and he said: "Where did the man come from +that has brought destruction on the whole of my kingdom?" "I will tell +you that," said he; "I am Diarmuid, a man of the Fianna of Ireland." "It +is a pity you not to have sent a messenger telling me that," said the +king, "and I would not have spent my men upon you; for seven years +before you were born it was put in the prophecy that you would come to +destroy them. And what is it you are asking now?" he said. "It is the +cup of healing from your own hand I am asking," said Diarmuid. "No man +ever got that cup from me but yourself," said the king, "but it is easy +for me to give it to you, whether or not there is healing in it." + +Then the King of the Plain of Wonder gave Diarmuid the cup, and they +parted from one another; and Diarmuid went on till he came to the river, +and it was then he thought of the red man, that he had given no thought +to while he was at the king's house. But he was there before him, and +took his foot in the palm of his hand and brought him over the river. "I +know where it is you are going, Diarmuid," he said then; "it is to heal +the daughter of King Under-Wave that you have given your love to. And it +is to a well I will give you the signs of you should go," he said, "and +bring a share of the water of that well with you. And when you come +where the woman is, it is what you have to do, to put that water in the +cup, and one of the drops of blood in it, and she will drink it, and the +same with the second drop and the third, and her sickness will be gone +from her from that time. But there is another thing will be gone along +with it," he said, "and that is the love you have for her." + +"That will not go from me," said Diarmuid. "It will go from you," said +the man; "and it will be best for you make no secret of it, for she will +know, and the king will know, that you think no more of her then than of +any other woman. And King Under-Wave will come to you," he said, "and +will offer you great riches for healing his daughter. But take nothing +from him," he said, "but ask only a ship to bring you home again to +Ireland. And do you know who am I myself?" he said. "I do not know," +said Diarmuid. "I am the messenger from beyond the world," he said; "and +I came to your help because your own heart is hot to come to the help of +another." + +So Diarmuid did as he bade him, and he brought the water and the cup and +the drops of blood to the woman, and she drank them, and at the third +draught she was healed. And no sooner was she healed than the love he +had for her was gone, and he turned away from her. "O Diarmuid," she +said, "your love is gone from me." "O, it is gone indeed," said he. + +Then there was music made in the whole place, and the lamenting was +stopped, because of the healing of the king's daughter. And as to +Diarmuid, he would take no reward and he would not stop there, but he +asked for a ship to bring him home to Ireland, to Finn and the Fianna. +And when he came where they were, there was a joyful welcome before him. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE HARD SERVANT + + +The Fianna went hunting one time in the two proud provinces of Munster. +They went out from Almhuin by the nearest paths till they came to the +Brosna river in Slieve Bladhma, and from there to the twelve mountains +of Eiblinne, and on to Aine Cliach, the harp of Aine. + +They scattered themselves then and hunted through the borders of the +forest that is called Magh Breogain, through blind trackless places and +through broken lands, over beautiful level plains and the high hills of +Desmumum, under pleasant Slieve Crot and smooth Slieve na Muc, along the +level banks of the blue Siuir and over the green plain of Feman and the +rough plain of Eithne, and the dark woods of Belach Gabrain. + +And Finn was at the side of a hill, and the chief men of the Fianna +along with him, to watch the hunting; for they liked to be listening to +the outcry of the hounds and the hurried cries of the boys, and the +noise and the whistling and the shouts of the strong men. + +Finn asked then which of the men that were with him would go and keep +watch on the side of the hill where they were. And Finnbane, son of +Bresel, said he would go. And he went on to the top of the hill, where +he could see about him on all sides. And he was not long there till he +saw coming from the east a very big man, ugly and gloomy and deformed; +and it is how he was, a dark-coloured shield on his back, a wide sword +on his crooked left thigh, two spears on his shoulder, a torn loose +cloak over his limbs, that were as black as a quenched coal. A sulky +horse he had with him that had no good appearance, bony and thin as to +body, and weak in the legs, and he leading it with a rough iron halter; +and it was a great wonder the head was not pulled from the horse's body, +or the arms pulled out of his owner, with the sudden stands and stops +and the jerks it made. And the big man was striking blows on the horse +with an iron cudgel to try and knock some going out of him, and the +sound of the blows was like the breaking of strong waves. + +And when Finnbane saw all that, he thought to himself it would not be +right to let the like of that stranger go up unknown to Finn and the +Fianna, and he ran back in haste to where they were and told them all he +had seen. + +And when he had told his story, they saw the big man coming towards +them; but as short as he was from them he was long in coming, from the +badness of his walk and his going. + +And when he came into Finn's presence he saluted him, and bowed his head +and bent his knee, making signs of humility. + +Finn raised his hand over his head then, and asked news of him, and if +he was of the noble or of the mean blood of the great world. He answered +that he had no knowledge who he came from, but only that he was a man of +the Fomor, travelling in search of wages to the kings of the earth, "and +I heard," he said, "that Finn never refused wages to any man." "I never +did indeed," said Finn, "and I will not refuse you. But why is it," he +said, "you are without a boy to mind your horse?" "I have a good reason +for that," said the big man; "there is nothing in the world is worse to +me than a boy to be with me; for it is a hundred men's share of food," +he said, "that serves me for one day, and it is little enough I think +it, and I would begrudge a boy to be sharing it with me." "What is the +name you have?" said Finn. "The name I have is the Gilla Decair, the +Hard Servant," said he. "Why did you get that name?" said Finn. "There +is a good reason for that," said the big man, "for there is nothing in +the world is harder to me than to do anything at all for my master, or +whatever person I am with. And tell me this, Conan, son of Morna," he +said, "who gets the best wages, a horseman or a man afoot?" "A horseman +gets twice as much," said Conan. "Then I call you to witness, Conan," he +said, "that I am a horseman, and that it was as a horseman I came to the +Fianna. And give me your guarantee now, Finn, son of Cumhal, and the +guarantee of the Fianna, and I will turn out my horse with your horses." +"Let him out then," said Finn. + +The big man pulled off the iron halter then from his horse, and it made +off as hard as it could go, till it came where the horses of the Fianna +were; and it began to tear and to kick and to bite at them, killing and +maiming. "Take your horse out of that, big man," said Conan; "and by the +earth and the sky," he said, "only it was on the guarantee of Finn and +the Fianna you took the halter off him, I would let out his brains +through the windows of his head; and many as is the bad prize Finn has +found in Ireland," he said, "he never got one as bad as yourself." "And +I swear by earth and sky as well as yourself," said the big man, "I will +never bring him out of that; for I have no serving-boy to do it for me, +and it is not work for me to be leading my horse by the hand." + +Conan, son of Morna, rose up then and took the halter and put it on the +horse, and led it back to where Finn was, and held it with his hand. +"You would never have done a horse-boy's service, Conan," said Finn, "to +any one of the Fianna, however far he might be beyond this Fomor. And if +you will do what I advise," he said, "you will get up on the horse now, +and search out with him all the hills and hollows and flowery plains of +Ireland, till his heart is broken in his body in payment for the way he +destroyed the horses of the Fianna." + +Conan made a leap then on to the horse, and struck his heels hard into +him, but with all that the horse would not stir. "I know what ails him," +said Finn, "he will not stir till he has the same weight of horsemen on +him as the weight of the big man." + +On that thirteen men of the Fianna went up behind Conan, and the horse +lay down with them and rose up again. "I think that you are mocking at +my horse and at myself," said the big man; "and it is a pity for me to +be spending the rest of the year with you, after all the humbugging I +saw in you to-day, Finn. And I know well," he said, "that all I heard +about you was nothing but lies, and there was no cause for the great +name you have through the world. And I will quit you now, Finn," he +said. + +With that he went from them, slow and weak, dragging himself along till +he had put a little hill between himself and the Fianna. And as soon as +he was on the other side of it, he tucked up his cloak to his waist, and +away with him, as if with the quickness of a swallow or a deer, and the +rush of his going was like a blast of loud wind going over plains and +mountains in spring-time. + +When the horse saw his master going from him, he could not bear with it, +but great as his load was he set out at full gallop following after him. +And when Finn and the Fianna saw the thirteen men behind Conan, son of +Morna, on the horse, and he starting off, they shouted with mocking +laughter. + +And when Conan found that he was not able to come down off the horse, he +screeched and shouted to them not to let him be brought away with the +big man they knew nothing of, and he began abusing and reproaching them. +"A cloud of death over water on you, Finn," he said, "and that some son +of a slave or a robber of the bad blood, one that is a worse son of a +father and mother even than yourself, may take all that might protect +your life, and your head along with that, unless you follow us to +whatever place or island the big man will carry us to, and unless you +bring us back to Ireland again." + +Finn and the Fianna rose up then, and they followed the Gilla Decair +over every bald hill, and through every valley and every river, on to +pleasant Slieve Luachra, into the borders of Corca Duibhne; and the big +man, that was up on the horse then along with Conan and the rest, faced +towards the deep sea. And Liagan Luath of Luachar took hold of the +horse's tail with his two hands, thinking to drag him back by the hair +of it; but the horse gave a great tug, and away with him over the sea, +and Liagan along with him, holding on to his tail. + +It was a heavy care to Finn, those fourteen men of his people to be +brought away from him, and he himself under bonds to bring them back. +"What can we do now?" Oisin asked him. "What should we do, but to follow +our people to whatever place or island the big man has brought them, +and, whatever way we do it, to bring them back to Ireland again." "What +can we do, having neither a ship or any kind of boat?" said Oisin. "We +have this," said Finn, "the Tuatha de Danaan left as a gift to the +children of the Gael, that whoever might have to leave Ireland for a +while, had but to go to Beinn Edair, and however many would go along +with him, they would find a ship that would hold them all." Finn looked +towards the sea then, and he saw two strong armed men coming towards +him. The first one had on his back a shield ribbed and of many colours, +having shapes of strange, wonderful beasts engraved on it, and a heavy +sword at his side, and two thick spears on his shoulders; a cloak of +lasting crimson about him, with a gold brooch on the breast; a band of +white bronze on his head, gold under each of his feet; and the other was +dressed in the same way. They made no delay till they came to where Finn +was, and they bowed their heads and bent their knees before him, and +Finn raised his hand over their heads, and bade them to give an account +of themselves. "We are sons of the King of the Eastern World," they +said, "and we are come to Ireland asking to be taken into the service of +Finn; for we heard there was not a man in all Ireland," they said, +"would be better than yourself to judge of the skill we have." "What is +your name, and what skill is that?" said Finn. "My name is Feradach, +the Very Brave," he said; "and I have a carpenter's axe and a sling, and +if there were so many as thirty hundred of the men of Ireland along with +me in one spot, with three blows of the axe on the sling-stick I could +get a ship that would hold them all. And I would ask no more help of +them," he said, "than to bow down their heads while I was striking those +three blows." "That is a good art," said Finn. "And tell me now," he +said, "what can the other man do?" "I can do this," he said, "I can +follow the track of the teal over nine ridges and nine furrows until I +come on her in her bed; and it is the same to me to do it on sea as on +land," he said. "That is a good art," said Finn; "and it would be a good +help to us if you would come following a track with us now." "What is +gone from you?" said one of the men. Finn told them then the whole story +of the Hard Servant. + +Then Feradach, the Very Brave, struck three blows on his sling-stick +with the axe that he had, and the whole of the Fianna bowed their heads, +and on the moment the whole of the bay and of the harbour was filled +with ships and with fast boats. "What will we do with that many ships?" +said Finn. "We will do away with all you make no use of," he said. + +Caoilte rose up then and let out three great shouts, and all the Fianna +of Ireland, in whatever places they were, heard them, and they thought +Finn and his people to be in some kind of danger from men from beyond +the sea. + +They came then in small companies as they chanced to be, till they came +to the stepping-stones of the Cat's Head in the western part of Corca +Duibhne. And they asked news of Finn, what had happened that he called +them away from their hunting, and Finn told them all that had happened. +Then Finn and Oisin went into council together, and it is what they +agreed; that as but fifteen of his people were brought away from Finn, +he himself with fifteen others would go on their track; Oisin to be left +at the head of the Fianna to guard Ireland. + +And they said farewell to one another, and a grand ship was made ready +for Finn and his people, and there was food put in it for using and gold +for giving away. The young men and the heroes took to their seats then, +and took hold of the oars, and they set out over the restless hills and +the dark valleys of the great sea. + +And the sea rose up and bellowed, and there was madness on the broken +green waters; but to Finn and his people it was a call in the morning +and a sleepy time at night to be listening to the roaring and the +crooning that was ever and always about the sides of the ship. + +They went on like that for three days and three nights, and saw no +country or island. But at the end of that time a man of them went up +into the head of the ship, and he saw out before them a great, rough +grey cliff. They went on towards it then, and they saw on the edge of +the cliff a high rock, round-shaped, having sides more slippery than an +eel's back. And they found the track of the Hard Servant as far as to +the foot of the rock. + +Fergus of the True Lips said then to Diarmuid: "It is no brave thing you +are doing, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, to hold back like this, for it +was with Manannan the Powerful, son of Lir, you were reared and got your +learning, in the Land of Promise and in the coasts of the harbours, and +with Angus Og, the Dagda's son. And are you without any share of their +skill and their daring now," he said, "that would bring Finn and his +people up this rock?" + +Diarmuid's face reddened when he heard those words, and he took hold of +Manannan's staves of power that were with him, and he reddened again, +and he rose on the staves and gave a leap, and got a standing-place for +his two feet on the overhanging rock. He looked down from that on Finn +and his people, but whatever wish he had to bring them up to where he +was, he was not able to do it. + +He left the rock behind him then, and he was not gone far when he saw a +wild tangled place before him, with thick woods that were of all he had +ever walked the most leafy and the fullest of the sounds of wind and +streams and birds, and of the humming of bees. + +He went on walking the plain, and as he was looking about him, he saw a +great tree with many twigs and branches, and a rock beside it, and a +smooth-pointed drinking-horn on it, and a beautiful fresh well at its +foot. And there was a great drouth on Diarmuid after the sea-journey, +and he had a mind to drink a hornful of the water. But when he stooped +to it he heard a great noise coming towards him, and he knew then there +was enchantment in the water. + +"I will drink my fill of it for all that," he said. And it was not long +after that till he saw a Man of Enchantments coming towards him armed, +having no friendly look. And it was in no friendly way he spoke to +Diarmuid when he came up to him, but he gave him great abuse. "It is no +right thing," he said, "to be walking through my thickets and to be +drinking up my share of water." With that they faced one another +angrily, and they fought till the end of the day. + +The Enchanter thought it well to leave off fighting then, and he made a +leap into the bottom of the well away from him, but there was vexation +on Diarmuid to be left like that. + +He looked around him then, and he saw a herd of deer coming through the +scrub, and he went towards them, and threw a spear that went through the +nearest stag and drove the bowels out of him. He kindled a fire then, +and he cut thin bits of the flesh and put them on spits of white hazel, +and that night he had his fill of meat and of the water of the well. + +He rose up early on the morrow, and he found the Enchanter at the well +before him. "It seems to me, Grandson of Duibhne," he said, "that it is +not enough for you to be walking my scrub and my woods without killing +my deer as well." With that they started again, giving one another blow +for blow, thrust for thrust, and wound for wound till the end of the day +came on them. And Diarmuid killed another great deer that night, and in +the morning the fight began again. But in the evening, when the +Enchanter was making his leap into the well, Diarmuid threw his arms +about his neck, thinking to stop him, but it is what happened, he fell +in himself. And when he was at the bottom of the well the Enchanter left +him. + +Diarmuid went then following after the Enchanter, and he found before +him a beautiful wide flowery plain, and a comely royal city in the +plain, and on the green before the dun he saw a great army; and when +they saw Diarmuid following after the Enchanter, they left a way and a +royal road for the Enchanter to pass through till he got inside the dun. +And then they shut the gates, and the whole army turned on Diarmuid. + +But that put no fear or cowardice on him, but he went through them and +over them like a hawk would go through little birds, or a wild dog +through a flock of sheep, killing all before him, till some of them made +away to the woods and wastes, and another share of them through the +gates of the dun, and they shut them, and the gates of the city after +them. And Diarmuid, all full of hurts and wounds after the hard fight, +lay down on the plain. A very strong daring champion came then and +kicked at him from behind, and at that Diarmuid roused himself up, and +put out his brave ready hand for his weapons. + +"Wait a while, Grandson of Duibhne," the champion said then; "it is not +to do you any hurt or harm I am come, but to say to you it is a bad +sleeping-place for you to have, and it on your ill-wisher's lawn. And +come now with me," he said, "and I will give you a better +resting-place." + +Diarmuid followed him then, and they went a long, long way from that, +till they came to a high-topped city, and three times fifty brave +champions in it, three times fifty modest women, and another young woman +on a bench, with blushes in her cheeks, and delicate hands, and having a +silken cloak about her, and a dress sewed with gold threads, and on her +head the flowing veil of a queen. + +There was a good welcome before Diarmuid for his own sake and the sake +of his people, and he was put in a house of healing that was in the +city, and good herbs were put to his hurts till he was smooth and sound +again. + +And a feast was made then, and the tables and the benches were set, and +no high person was put in the place of the mean, or mean in the place of +the high, but every one in his own place, according to his nobility, or +his descent, or his art. Plenty of good food was brought to them then, +and well-tasting strong drinks, and they spent the first part of the +night in drinking, and the second part with music and delight and +rejoicing of the mind, and the third part in sound sleep that lasted +till the sun rose over the heavy sodded earth on the morrow. + +Three days and three nights Diarmuid stopped in that city, and the best +feast he ever found was given to him all through. And at the end of that +time he asked what was the place he was in, and who was head of it. And +the champion that brought him there told him it was Land-Under-Wave, and +that the man that had fought with him was its king. "And he is an enemy +of the Red Hand to me," he said. "And as to myself," he said, "I was +one time getting wages from Finn, son of Cumhal, in Ireland, and I never +put a year over me that pleased me better. And tell me now," he said, +"what is the journey or the work that is before you?" + +And Diarmuid told him the story of the Hard Servant then from beginning +to end. + +Now, as to Finn and his people, when they thought Diarmuid was too long +away from them, they made ladders of the cords of the ship and put them +against the rock, looking for him. + +And after a while they found the leavings of the meat he had eaten, for +Diarmuid never ate meat without leaving some after him. + +Finn looked then on every side, and he saw a rider coming towards him +over the plain on a dark-coloured beautiful horse, having a bridle of +red gold. Finn saluted him when he came up, and the rider stooped his +head and gave Finn three kisses, and asked him to go with him. They went +on a long way till they came to a wide, large dwelling-place full of +arms, and a great troop of armed men on the green before the fort. Three +nights and three days Finn and his people stopped in the dun, and the +best feast they ever got was served out to them. + +At the end of that time Finn asked what country was he in, and the man +that brought him there told him it was the land of Sorcha, and that he +himself was its king. "And I was with yourself one time, Finn, son of +Cumhal," he said, "taking your wages through the length of a year in +Ireland." + +Then Finn and the King of Sorcha called a great gathering of the people +and a great meeting. And when it was going on they saw a woman-messenger +coming to them through the crowd, and the king asked news of her. "I +have news indeed," she said; "the whole of the bay and the harbour is +full of ships and of boats, and there are armies all through the country +robbing all before them." "I know well," said the king, "it is the High +King of Greece is in it, for he has a mind to put the entire world under +him, and to get hold of this country like every other." The King of +Sorcha looked at Finn then, and Finn understood it was help from him he +was asking, and it is what he said: "I take the protection of this +country on myself so long as I am in it." He and his people rose up +then, and the King of Sorcha along with them, and they went looking for +the strange army. And when they came up with it they made great +slaughter of its champions, and those they did not kill ran before them, +and made no better stand than a flock of frightened birds, till there +were hardly enough of them left to tell the story. + +The High King spoke then, and it is what he said: "Who is it has done +this great slaughter of my people? And I never heard before," he said, +"any talk of the courage or of the doings of the men of Ireland either +at this time or in the old times. But from this out," he said, "I will +banish the Sons of the Gael for ever to the very ends of the earth." + +But Finn and the King of Sorcha raised a green tent in view of the ships +of the Greeks. + +The King of the Greeks called then for help against Finn and the King of +Sorcha, to get satisfaction for the shame that was put on his people. +And the sons of kings of the eastern and southern world came to his +help, but they could make no stand against Finn and Osgar and Oisin and +Goll, son of Morna. And at the last the King of Greece brought all his +people back home, the way no more of them would be put an end to. + +And then Finn and the King of Sorcha called another great gathering. And +while it was going on, they saw coming towards them a great troop of +champions, bearing flags of many-coloured silk, and grey swords at +their sides and high spears reared up over their heads. And in the front +of them was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne. + +When Finn saw him, he sent Fergus of the True Lips to ask news of him, +and they told one another all that had happened. + +And it would take too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +Finn made the Hard Servant bring home his fifteen men that he had +brought away. And when he had brought them back to Ireland, the whole of +the Fianna were watching to see him ride away again, himself and his +long-legged horse. But while they were watching him, he vanished from +them, and all they could see was a mist, and it stretching out towards +the sea. + +And that is the story of the Hard Servant, and of Diarmuid's adventures +on the island Under-Wave. + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES + + +And it is often the Fianna would have been badly off without the help of +Diarmuid. It was he came to their help the time Miodac, the son of the +King of Lochlann, brought them into the enchanted House of the Quicken +Trees. + +It was by treachery he brought them in, giving himself out to be a poet, +and making poems for Finn to make out the meaning of. A verse he made +about a great army that he saw riding over the plains to victory, and +robbing all before it, and the riders of it having no horses but plants +and branches. "I understand that," said Finn, "it was an army of bees +you saw, that was gathering riches from the flowers as it went." And +another verse Miodac made was about a woman in Ireland that was swifter +than the swiftest horse. "I know that," said Finn, "that woman is the +River Boinn; and if she goes slow itself, she is swifter in the end than +the swiftest horse, for her going never stops." And other verses he made +about Angus' house at Brugh na Boinn, but Finn made them all out. + +And after that he said he had a feast ready for them, and he bade them +go into his House of the Quicken Trees till he would bring it. And they +did that, and went in, and it was a beautiful house, having walls of +every colour, and foreign coverings of every colour on the floor, and a +fire that gave out a very pleasant smoke. And they sat down there, and +after a while Finn said: "It is a wonder such a beautiful house to be +here." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Goll; "that fire that +was so pleasant when we came in is giving out now the worst stench in +the world." "There is a greater wonder than that," said Glas; "the walls +that were of all colours are now but rough boards joined together." +"There is a greater wonder than that," said Fiacha; "where there were +seven high doors to the house there is now but one little door, and it +shut." "Indeed, there is a more wonderful thing than that," said Conan; +"for we sat down on beautiful coverings, and now there is nothing +between us and the bare ground, and it as cold as the snow of one +night." And he tried to rise up, but he could not stir, or any of the +rest of them, for there was enchantment that kept them where they were. + +And it was the treachery of Miodac, and the spells of the Three Kings of +the Island of the Floods that had brought them into that danger. And +Finn knew by his divination that their enemies were gathering to make an +end of them, and he said to his people there was no use in making +complaints, but to sound the music of the Dord Fiann. + +And some of the Fianna that were waiting for him not far off heard that +sorrowful music, and came fighting against Miodac and his armies, and +they fought well, but they could not stand against them. And at the last +it was Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, that made an end of Miodac that +was so treacherous, and of the Three Kings of the Island of the Floods, +and took the enchantment off the floor of the House of the Rowan Trees +with their blood. + +And when he was freeing the Fianna, Conan called out, asking him to +bring him a share of the feast Miodac had made ready for his own +friends, for there was hunger on him. And when Diarmuid took no heed of +him, he said: "If it was a comely woman was speaking to you, Diarmuid, +you would not refuse to listen." + +For if many women loved Diarmuid, there were many he himself gave his +love to; and if he was often called Diarmuid the brave, or the hardy, or +the comely, or the Hawk of Ess Ruadh, it is often he was called as well +the friend and the coaxer of women, Diarmuid-na-man. + + + + +BOOK SEVEN: DIARMUID AND GRANIA. + +CHAPTER I. THE FLIGHT FROM TEAMHAIR + + +Finn rose up one morning early in Almhuin of Leinster, and he sat out +alone on the green lawn without a boy or a servant being with him. And +Oisin followed him there, and Diorraing the Druid. "What is the cause of +your early rising, Finn?" said Oisin. "It is not without cause, indeed, +I rise early," said Finn, "for I am without a wife or a companion since +Maighneis, daughter of Black Garraidh, died from me; for quiet sleep is +not used to come to a man that is without a fitting wife." "Why would +you be like that?" said Oisin, "for there is not a woman in all green +Ireland you would throw a look on but we would bring her to you, willing +or unwilling." "I myself could find a wife would be fitting for you," +said Diorraing. "Who is that?" said Finn. "It is Grania, daughter of the +High King of Ireland," said Diorraing; "and she is the woman of the best +make and shape and the best speech of the women of the whole world." "By +my word, Diorraing," said Finn, "there is strife and disagreement +between the High King and myself this long time, and it would not be +pleasing to me to get a refusal from him. And it is best for you two to +go together," he said, "and to ask his daughter for me in marriage; the +way that if he gives a refusal, it will be to you and not to myself he +will give it." "We will go," said Oisin, "even if it is little profit we +will get by it. And let no one at all know of our going," he said, +"until such time as we are come back again." + +After that the two bade farewell to Finn, and set out, and it is not +told what they did till they came to Teamhair. The King of Ireland was +holding a gathering at that time on the green of Teamhair, and the chief +nobles of his people were with him. And there was a friendly welcome +given to Oisin and to Diorraing, and the king put off the gathering +till the next day, for he was sure it was some pressing thing had +brought these two men of the Fianna to Teamhair. And Oisin went aside +with him, and told him it was to ask his daughter Grania in marriage +they were come from Finn, Head of the Fianna of Ireland. + +The king spoke, and it is what he said: "There is not a son of a king or +of a great prince, there is not a champion in Ireland my daughter has +not given a refusal to, and it is on me they all lay the blame of that. +And I will give you no answer at all," he said, "till you go to herself; +for it is better for you to get her own answer, than to be displeased +with me." + +So they went together to the sunny house of the women, and the king sat +down at the head of the high seat beside Grania, and he said: "Here, +Grania, are two of the people of Finn, son of Cumhal, come to ask you as +a wife for him, and what answer have you a mind to give them?" And it is +what Grania said: "If he is a fitting son-in-law for you, why would he +not be a fitting husband for me?" + +They were satisfied then, and there was a feast made for them that night +in Grania's sunny house, and the king settled for a meeting a fortnight +from that time between himself and Finn at Teamhair. + +So Oisin and Diorraing went back again to Almhuin, and told Finn their +story from beginning to end. And as everything wears away, so did that +time of delay. + +And then Finn gathered together the seven battalions of the Fianna from +every part where they were to Almhuin. And they set out in great bands +and troops till they came to Teamhair. + +The king was out on the green before them, and the great people of the +men of Ireland, and there was a great welcome before Finn and the +Fianna. + +But when Grania saw grey-haired Finn, she said: "It is a great wonder +it was not for Oisin Finn asked me, for he would be more fitting for me +than a man that is older than my father." + +But they talked together for a while, and Finn was putting questions to +Grania, for she had the name of being very quick with answers. "What is +whiter than snow?" he said. "The truth," said Grania. "What is the best +colour?" said Finn. "The colour of childhood," said she. "What is hotter +than fire?" "The face of a hospitable man when he sees a stranger coming +in, and the house empty." "What has a taste more bitter than poison?" +"The reproach of an enemy." "What is best for a champion?" "His doings +to be high, and his pride to be low." "What is the best of jewels?" "A +knife." "What is sharper than a sword?" "The wit of a woman between two +men." "What is quicker than the wind?" said Finn then. "A woman's mind," +said Grania. And indeed she was telling no lie when she said that. And +for all their talk together she had no liking for Finn, and she felt the +blood in her heart to be rising against him. + +And the wedding-feast was made ready then, and they all went into the +king's feasting-house in the Middle Court. And the king sat down to take +his share of drinking and pleasure, and his wife at his left side, and +Grania beside her again; and Finn, son of Cumhal, at the right hand of +the king, and Oisin at the other side, and every other one according to +his nobility and his birth. + +Then Daire of the poems stood up before Grania, and sang the songs and +good poems of her fathers to her. And there was sitting near to Grania a +knowledgeable man, a Druid of Finn's people, and it was not long until +they began to talk together. "Tell me now," said Grania, "who is that +man on the right hand of Oisin?" "That is Goll, son of Morna," said the +Druid, "the ready fighter." "Who is that beside Goll?" said Grania. +"Osgar, son of Oisin," said the Druid. "And who is that thin-legged man +beside Osgar?" "That is Caoilte, son of Ronan." "Who is that proud, +hasty man beside Caoilte?" "Lugaidh's Son of the Strong Hand." "Who is +that sweet-worded man," she said then, "with the dark hair, and cheeks +like the rowan berry, on the left side of Oisin, son of Finn?" "That is +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said the Druid, "that is the best lover +of women in the whole world." "That is a good company," said Grania. + +And after the feast had gone on a while, their own feast was made for +the dogs outside. And the dogs began to fight with one another, and the +noise was heard in the hall, and the chief men of the Fianna went to +drive them away from one another. + +Now Diarmuid was used to keep his cap always over the love-spot the +woman had left on his forehead, for no woman could see that spot but she +would give him her love. And it chanced, while he was driving the dogs +apart, the cap fell from him, and Grania was looking cut at him as it +fell, and great love for him came on her there and then. And she called +her serving-maid to her, and bade her bring the great golden cup that +held drink for nine times nine men from the sunny house. And when the +serving-maid brought the cup, she filled it with wine that had +enchantment in it, and she said: "Give the cup first to Finn, and bid +him take a drink from it, and tell him it is I myself sent it to him." +So the serving-maid did that, and Finn took the cup and drank out of it, +and no sooner did he drink than he fell into a deep sleep. And then the +cup was given to the king, and the queen, and the sons of kings, and the +whole company, but only Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diarmuid, and +Diorraing the Druid. And all that drank of it fell into the same heavy +sleep. + +And when they were all in their sleep, Grania rose up softly from the +seat where she was, and she turned her face to Diarmuid, and she said: +"Will you take my love, Diarmuid, son of Duibhne, and will you bring me +away out of this house to-night?" + +"I will not," said Diarmuid; "I will not meddle with the woman that is +promised to Finn." "If that is so," said Grania, "I put you under Druid +bonds, to bring me out of this house to-night before the awaking of Finn +and of the King of Ireland from their sleep." + +"It is under bad bonds you are putting me, Grania," said Diarmuid. "And +why is it," he said, "that you put them on me more than on the great men +and sons of kings that are in the Middle Court to-night? for there is +not one of them all but is as well worthy of a woman's love as myself." +"By my hand, Diarmuid, it is not without cause I laid those bonds on +you," said Grania; "for I was at the door a while ago when you were +parting the dogs," she said, "and my eyes fell on you, and I gave you +the love there and then that I never gave to any other, and never will +give for ever." + +"It is a wonder you to give that love to me, and not to Finn," said +Diarmuid, "for there is not in Ireland a man is a better lover of a +woman than himself. And do you know this, Grania," he said, "the night +Finn is in Teamhair it is he himself is the keeper of its gates. And as +that is so, we cannot leave the town." "There is a side door of escape +at my sunny house," said Grania, "and we will go out by it." "It is a +thing I will never do," said Diarmuid, "to go out by any side door of +escape at all." "That may be so," said Grania, "but I heard it said that +every fighting man has leave to pass over the walls of any dun and of +any strong place at all by the shafts of his spears. And I will go out +through the door," she said, "and let you follow me like that." + +With that she went out, and Diarmuid spoke to his people, and it is what +he said, "O Oisin, son of Finn, what must I do with these bonds that +are laid on me?" "You are not guilty if the bonds were laid on you," +said Oisin; "and I tell you to follow Grania, and to keep yourself well +out of the hands of Finn." "Osgar, son of Oisin," he said then, "what +must I do with these bonds that are put on me?" "I tell you to follow +Grania," said Osgar, "for it is a pitiful man that would break his +bonds." "What advice do you give me, Caoilte?" said Diarmuid. "It is +what I say," said Caoilte, "that I myself have a fitting wife; and that +it would be better to me than all the riches of the world Grania to have +given me that love." "What advice do you give me, Diorraing?" "I tell +you to follow Grania," said Diorraing, "although you will get your death +by it, and that is bad to me." "Is that the advice you all give me?" +said Diarmuid. "It is," said Oisin, and all the rest with him. With that +Diarmuid stood up and stretched out his hand for his weapons, and he +said farewell to Oisin and the others, and every tear he shed was of the +size of a mountain berry. He went out then to the wall of the dun, and +he put the shafts of his two spears under him, and he rose with a light +leap and he came down on the grassy earth outside, and Grania met him +there. Then Diarmuid said: "It is a bad journey you are come on, Grania. +For it would be better for you to have Finn, son of Cumhal, as a lover +than myself, for I do not know any part or any western corner of Ireland +that will hide you. And if I do bring you with me," he said, "it is not +as a wife I will bring you, but I will keep my faith to Finn. And turn +back now to the town," he said, "and Finn will never get news of what +you are after doing." "It is certain I will not turn back," said Grania, +"and I will never part with you till death parts us." "If that is so, +let us go on, Grania," said Diarmuid. + +They went on then, and they were not gone far out from the town when +Grania said: "I am getting tired, indeed." "It is a good time to be +tired," said Diarmuid, "and go now back again to your own house. For I +swear by the word of a true champion," he said, "I will never carry +yourself or any other woman to the end of life and time." "That is not +what you have to do," said Grania, "for my father's horses are in a +grass field by themselves, and chariots with them; and turn back now, +and bring two horses of them, and I will wait in this place till you +come to me again." + +Diarmuid went back then for the horses, and we have no knowledge of +their journey till they reached to the ford on the Sionnan, that is +called now Ath-luain. + +And Diarmuid said then to Grania: "It is easier to Finn to follow our +track, the horses being with us." "If that is so," said Grania: "leave +the horses here, and I will go on foot from this out." + +Diarmuid went down to the river then, and he brought a horse with him +over the ford, and left the other horse the far side of the river. And +he himself and Grania went a good way with the stream westward, and they +went to land at the side of the province of Connacht. And wherever they +went, Diarmuid left unbroken bread after him, as a sign to Finn he had +kept his faith with him. + +And from that they went on to Doire-da-Bhoth, the Wood of the Two Huts. +And Diarmuid cut down the wood round about them, and he made a fence +having seven doors of woven twigs, and he set out a bed of soft rushes +and of the tops of the birch-tree for Grania in the very middle of the +wood. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE PURSUIT + + +And as to Finn, son of Cumhal, I will tell out his story now. + +All that were in Teamhair rose up early in the morning of the morrow, +and they found Diarmuid and Grania were wanting from them, and there +came a scorching jealousy and a weakness on Finn. He sent out his +trackers then on the plain, and bade them to follow Diarmuid and Grania. +And they followed the track as far as the ford on the Sionnan, and Finn +and the Fianna followed after them, but they were not able to carry the +track across the ford. And Finn gave them his word that unless they +would find the track again without delay, he would hang them on each +side of the ford. + +Then the sons of Neamhuin went up against the stream, and they found a +horse on each side of it, and then they went on with the stream +westward, and they found the track going along the side of the Province +of Connacht, and Finn and the Fianna of Ireland followed it on. And Finn +said: "I know well where we will find Diarmuid and Grania now; it is in +Doire-da-Bhoth they are." Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diorraing were +listening when Finn said those words. And Osgar spoke to the others, and +it is what he said: "There is danger they might be there, and it would +be right for us to give them some warning; and look now, Osgar, where is +Bran the hound, for Finn himself is no dearer to him than Diarmuid, and +bid him go now with a warning to him." + +So Osgar told Bran, and Bran understood him well, and she went to the +rear of the whole troop the way Finn would not see her, and she followed +on the track of Diarmuid and Grania till she came to Doire-da-Bhoth, and +she put her head into Diarmuid's bosom, and he in his sleep. + +Diarmuid started up out of his sleep then, and he awoke Grania, and said +to her: "Here is Bran, Finn's hound, and she is come with a warning to +tell us Finn himself is coming." "Let us take that warning, then," said +Grania, "and make your escape." "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, +"for if I cannot escape Finn, I would as soon he took me now as at any +other time." When Grania heard that, great fear came on her. + +Bran went away from them then, and when Oisin saw her coming back, he +said: "I am in dread Bran found no chance to get to Diarmuid, and we +should send him some other warning. And look where is Fearghoin," he +said, "Caoilte's serving-man." Now it was the way with Fearghoin, every +shout he would give would be heard in the three nearest hundreds to him. +So they made him give out three shouts the way Diarmuid would hear him. +And Diarmuid heard him, and he said to Grania: "I hear Caoilte's +serving-man, and it is with Caoilte he is, and it is along with Finn +Caoilte is, and those shouts were sent as a warning to me." "Take that +warning," said Grania. "I will not take it," said Diarmuid, "for Finn +and the Fianna will come up with us before we leave the wood." And fear +and great dread came on Grania when she heard him say that. + +As for Finn, he did not leave off following the track till he came to +Doire-da-Bhoth, and he sent the sons of Neamhuin to search through the +wood, and they saw Diarmuid, and the woman along with him. They came +back then where Finn was, and he asked them were Diarmuid and Grania in +the wood? "Diarmuid is in it," they said, "and there is some woman with +him, but we knew Diarmuid, and we do not know Grania." "May no good come +to the friends of Diarmuid for his sake," said Finn, "and he will not +quit that wood till he has given me satisfaction for everything he has +done to me." + +"It is jealousy has put you astray, Finn," said Oisin; "you to think +Diarmuid would stop here on the plain of Maen Mhagh, and no close place +in it but Doire-da-Bhoth, and you following after him." "Saying that +will do you no good," said Finn, "for I knew well when I heard the three +shouts Caoilte's serving-man gave out, it was you sent them to Diarmuid +as a warning. And another thing," he said, "it was you sent my own +hound Bran to him. But none of those things you have done will serve +you, for he will not leave Doire-da-Bhoth till he gives me satisfaction +for everything he has done to me, and every disgrace he has put on me." +"It is great foolishness for you, Finn," said Osgar then, "to be +thinking Diarmuid would stop in the middle of this plain and you waiting +here to strike the head off him." "Who but himself cut the wood this +way," said Finn, "and made this close sheltered place with seven woven +narrow doors to it. And O Diarmuid," he said out then, "which of us is +the truth with, myself or Oisin?" "You never failed from your good +judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid, "and indeed I myself and Grania are +here." Then Finn called to his men to go around Diarmuid and Grania, and +to take them. + +Now it was shown at this time to Angus Og, at Brugh na Boinne, the great +danger Diarmuid was in, that was his pupil at one time, and his dear +foster-son. He set out then with the clear cold wind, and did not stop +in any place till he came to Doire-da-Bhoth. And he went unknown to Finn +or the Fianna into the place where Diarmuid and Grania were, and he +spoke kind words to Diarmuid, and he said: "What is the thing you have +done, grandson of Duibhne?" "It is," said Diarmuid, "the daughter of the +King of Ireland that has made her escape with me from her father and +from Finn, and it is not by my will she came." "Let each of you come +under a border of my cloak, so," said Angus, "and I will bring you out +of the place where you are without knowledge of Finn or his people." +"Bring Grania with you," said Diarmuid, "but I will never go with you; +but if I am alive I will follow you before long. And if I do not," he +said, "give Grania to her father, and he will do well or ill to her." + +With that Angus put Grania under the border of his cloak, and brought +her out unknown to Finn or the Fianna, and there is no news told of them +till they came to Ros-da-Shoileach, the Headland of the Two Sallows. + +And as to Diarmuid, after Angus and Grania going from him, he stood up +as straight as a pillar and put on his armour and his arms, and after +that he went to a door of the seven doors he had made, and he asked who +was at it. "There is no enemy to you here," they said, "for there are +here Oisin and Osgar and the best men of the sons of Baiscne along with +us. And come out to us now, and no one will have the daring to do any +harm or hurt on you." "I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "till I +see at what door Finn himself is." He went then to another door of the +seven and asked who was at it. "Caoilte, son of Ronan, and the rest of +the sons of Ronan along with him; and come out to us now, and we will +give ourselves for your sake." "I will not go out to you," said +Diarmuid, "for I will not put you under Finn's anger for any well-doing +to myself." He went on to another door then and asked who was at it. +"There is Conan, son of Morna, and the rest of the sons of Morna along +with him; and it is enemies to Finn we are, and you are a great deal +more to us than he is, and you may come out and no one will dare lay a +hand on you." "I will not indeed," said Diarmuid, "for Finn would be +better pleased to see the death of every one of you than to let me +escape." He went then to another door and asked who was at it. "A friend +and a comrade of your own, Fionn, son of Cuadan, head of the Fianna of +Munster, and his men along with him; and we are of the one country and +the one soil, and we will give our bodies and our lives for your sake." +"I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "for I would not like Finn to +have a grudge against you for any good you did to me." He went then to +another door and asked who was at it. "It is Fionn, son of Glor, head +of the Fianna of Ulster, and his men along him; and come out now to us +and there is no one will dare hurt or harm you." "I will not go out to +you," said Diarmuid, "for you are a friend to me, and your father along +with you, and I would not like the unfriendliness of Finn to be put on +you for my sake." He went then to another door, and he asked who was at +it. "There is no friend of yours here," they said, "for there is here +Aodh Beag the Little from Eamhuin, and Aodh Fada the Long from Eamhuin, +and Caol Crodha the Fierce, and Goineach the Wounder, and Gothan the +White-fingered, and Aoife his daughter, and Cuadan the Tracker from +Eamhuin; and we are unfriendly people to you, and if you come out to us +we will not spare you at all, but will make an end of you." "It is a bad +troop is in it," said Diarmuid; "you of the lies and of the tracking and +of the one shoe, and it is not fear of your hands is upon me, but +because I am your enemy I will not go out." + +He went then to the last of the seven doors and asked who was at it. "No +friend of yours," they said, "but it is Finn, son of Cumhal, and four +hundred paid fighting men along with him; and if you will come out to us +we will make opened marrow of you." "I give you my word, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "that the door you are at yourself is the first door I will +pass out of." + +When Finn heard that, he warned his battalions on pain of lasting death +not to let Diarmuid past them unknown. But when Diarmuid heard what he +said, he rose on the staves of his spears and he went with a very high, +light leap on far beyond Finn and his people, without their knowledge. +He looked back at them then, and called out that he had gone past them, +and he put his shield on his back and went straight on towards the west, +and it was not long before he was out of sight of Finn and the Fianna. +Then when he did not see any one coming after him, he turned back to +where he saw Angus and Grania going out of the wood, and he followed on +their track till he came to Ros-da-Shoileach. + +He found Angus and Grania there in a sheltered, well-lighted cabin, and +a great blazing fire kindled in it, and the half of a wild boar on +spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the life of Grania all to went out of +her with joy before him. + +Diarmuid told them his news from beginning to end, and they ate their +share that night, and they went to sleep till the coming of the day and +of the full light on the morrow. And Angus rose up early, and he said to +Diarmuid: "I am going from you now, grandson of Duibhne; and I leave +this advice with you," he said, "not to go into a tree with one trunk, +and you flying before Finn, and not to be going into a cave of the earth +that has but one door, and not to be going to an island of the sea that +has but one harbour. And in whatever place you cook your share of food," +he said, "do not eat it there; and in whatever place you eat it, do not +lie down there; and in whatever place you lie down, do not rise up there +on the morrow." He said farewell to them after that, and went his way. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE GREEN CHAMPIONS + +Then Diarmuid and Grania went along the right bank of the Sionnan +westward till they came to Garbh-abha-na-Fiann, the rough river of the +Fianna. And Diarmuid killed a salmon on the brink of the river, and put +it to the fire on a spit. Then he himself and Grania went across the +stream to eat it, as Angus bade them; and then they went westward to +sleep. + +They rose up early on the morrow, and they travelled straight westward +till they came to the marsh of Finnliath. + +And on the marsh they met with a young man, having a good shape and +appearance, but without fitting dress or arms. Diarmuid greeted the +young man, and asked news of him. "A fighting lad I am, looking for a +master," he said, "and Muadhan is my name." "What would you do for me, +young man?" said Diarmuid. "I would be a servant to you in the day, and +watch for you in the night," he said. "I tell you to keep that young +man," said Grania, "for you cannot be always without people." + +Then they made an agreement with him, and bound one another, and they +went on together westward till they reached the Carrthach river. And +then Muadhan bade Diarmuid and Grania to go up on his back till he would +carry them over the stream. + +"That would be a big load for you," said Grania. But he put them upon +his back and carried them over. Then they went on till they came to the +Beith, and Muadhan brought them over on his back the same way. And they +went into a cave at the side of Currach Cinn Adhmuid, the Woody Headland +of the Bog, over Tonn Toime, and Muadhan made ready beds of soft rushes +and tops of the birch for them in the far end of the cave. And he went +himself into the scrub that was near, and took a straight long rod of a +quicken-tree, and he put a hair and a hook on the rod, and a holly berry +on the hook, and he went up the stream, and he took a salmon with the +first cast. Then he put on a second berry and killed another fish, and +he put on a third berry and killed the third fish. Then he put the hook +and the hair under his belt, and struck the rod into the earth, and he +brought the three salmon where Diarmuid and Grania were, and put them on +spits. When they were done, Muadhan said: "I give the dividing of the +fish to you, Diarmuid." "I would sooner you to divide it than myself," +said Diarmuid. "I will give the dividing of the fish to you, so, +Grania," said he. "I am better satisfied you to divide it," said Grania. +"If it was you that divided the fish, Diarmuid," said Muadhan, "you +would have given the best share to Grania; and if it was Grania divided +it, she would have given you the best share; and as it is myself is +dividing it, let you have the biggest fish, Diarmuid, and let Grania +have the second biggest, and I myself will have the one is smallest." + +They spent the night there, and Diarmuid and Grania slept in the far +part of the cave, and Muadhan kept watch for them until the rising of +the day and the full light of the morrow. + +Diarmuid rose up early, and he bade Grania keep watch for Muadhan, and +that he himself would go and take a walk around the country. He went out +then, and he went up on a hill that was near, and he was looking about +him, east and west, north and south. He was not long there till he saw a +great fleet of ships coming from the west, straight to the bottom of the +hill where he was. And when they were come to land, nine times nine of +the chief men of the ships came on shore, and Diarmuid went down and +greeted them, and asked news of them, and to what country they belonged. + +"Three kings we are of the Green Champions of Muir-na-locht," said they; +"and Finn, son of Cumhal, sent looking for us by cause of a thief of the +woods, and an enemy of his own that has gone hiding from him; and it is +to hinder him we are come. And we are twenty hundred good fighting men, +and every one of us is a match for a hundred, and besides that," he +said, "we have three deadly hounds with us; fire will not burn them, and +water will not drown them, and arms will not redden on them, and we will +lay them on his track, and it will be short till we get news of him. +And tell us who you are yourself?" they said, "and have you any word of +the grandson of Duibhne?" "I saw him yesterday," said Diarmuid; "and I +myself," he said, "am but a fighting man, walking the world by the +strength of my hand and by the hardness of my sword. And by my word," he +said, "you will know Diarmuid's hand when you will meet it." "Well, we +found no one up to this," said they. "What are your own names?" said +Diarmuid. "Dubh-chosach, the Black-footed, Fionn-chosach, the +Fair-footed, and Treun-chosach, the Strong-footed," they said. + +"Is there wine in your ships?" said Diarmuid. "There is," said they. "If +you have a mind to bring out a tun of wine," said Diarmuid, "I will do a +trick for you." They sent men to get the tun, and when it came Diarmuid +took it between his two hands and drank a drink out of it, and the +others drank what was left of it. Diarmuid took up the tun after that, +and brought it to the top of the hill, and he went up himself on the +tun, and let it go down the steep of the hill till it was at the bottom. +And then he brought the tun up the hill again, and he himself on it +coming and going, and he did that trick three times before the +strangers. But they said he was a man had never seen a good trick when +he called that a trick; and with that a man of them went up on the tun, +but Diarmuid gave a stroke of his foot at it and the young man fell from +it before it began to move, and it rolled over him and crushed him, that +he died. And another man went on it, and another after him again, till +fifty of them were killed trying to do Diarmuid's trick, and as many of +them as were not killed went back to their ships that night. + +Diarmuid went back then to where he left Grania; and Muadhan put the +hair and the hook on the rod till he killed three salmon; and they ate +their meal that night, and he kept watch for them the same way he did +before. + +Diarmuid went out early the next day again to the hill, and it was not +long till he saw the three strangers coming towards him, and he asked +them would they like to see any more tricks. They said they would sooner +get news of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him +yesterday," said Diarmuid. And with that he put off his arms and his +clothes, all but the shirt that was next his skin, and he struck the +Crann Buidhe, the spear of Manannan, into the earth with the point +upwards. And then he rose with a leap and lit on the point of the spear +as light as a bird, and came down off it again without a wound on him. +Then a young man of the Green Champions said: "It is a man has never +seen feats that would call that a feat"; and he put off his clothing and +made a leap, and if he did he came down heavily on the point of the +spear, and it went through his heart, and he fell to the ground. The +next day Diarmuid came again, and he brought two forked poles out of the +wood and put them standing upright on the hill, and he put the sword of +Angus Og, the Mor-alltach, the Big-fierce one, between the two forks on +its edge. Then he raised himself lightly over it, and walked on the +sword three times from the hilt to the point, and he came down and asked +was there a man of them could do that feat. + +"That is a foolish question," said a man of them then, "for there was +never any feat done in Ireland but a man of our own would do it." And +with that he rose up to walk on the sword; but it is what happened, he +came down heavily on it the way he was cut in two halves. + +The rest of the champions bade him take away his sword then, before any +more of their people would fall by it; and they asked him had he any +word of the grandson of Duibhne. "I saw a man that saw him to-day," said +Diarmuid, "and I will go ask news of him to-night." + +He went back then to where Grania was, and Muadhan killed three salmon +for their supper, and kept a watch for them through the night. And +Diarmuid rose up at the early break of day, and he put his battle +clothes on him, that no weapon could go through, and he took the sword +of Angus, that left no leavings after it, at his left side, and his two +thick-handled spears, the Gae Buidhe and the Gae Dearg, the Yellow and +the Red, that gave wounds there was no healing for. And then he wakened +Grania, and he bade her to keep watch for Muadhan, and he himself would +go out and take a look around. + +When Grania saw him looking so brave, and dressed in his clothes of +anger and of battle, great fear took hold of her, and she asked what was +he going to do. "It is for fear of meeting my enemies I am like this," +said he. That quieted Grania, and then Diarmuid went out to meet the +Green Champions. + +They came to land then, and they asked had he news of the grandson of +Duibhne. "I saw him not long ago," said Diarmuid. "If that is so, let us +know where is he," said they, "till we bring his head to Finn, son of +Cumhal." "I would be keeping bad watch for him if I did that," said +Diarmuid, "for his life and his body are under the protection of my +valour, and by reason of that I will do no treachery on him." "Is that +true?" said they. "It is true indeed," said Diarmuid. "Let you yourself +quit this place, so," they said, "or we will bring your head to Finn +since you are an enemy to him." "It is in bonds I would be," said +Diarmuid, "the time I would leave my head with you." And with that he +drew his sword the Mor-alltach out of its sheath, and he made a fierce +blow at the head nearest him that put it in two halves. Then he made an +attack on the whole host of the Green Champions, and began to destroy +them, cutting through the beautiful shining armour of the men of +Muir-na-locht till there was hardly a man but got shortening of life and +the sorrow of death, or that could go back to give news of the fight, +but only the three kings and a few of their people that made their +escape back to their ships. Diarmuid turned back then without wound or +hurt on him, and he went to where Crania and Muadhan were. They bade him +welcome, and Grania asked him did he hear any news of Finn and the +Fianna of Ireland, and he said he did not, and they ate their food and +spent the night there. + +He rose up again with the early light of the morrow and went back to the +hill, and when he got there he struck a great blow on his shield that +set the strand shaking with the sound. And Dubh-chosach heard it, and he +said he himself would go fight with Diarmuid, and he went on shore there +and then. + +And he and Diarmuid threw the arms out of their hands and rushed on one +another like wrestlers, straining their arms and their sinews, knotting +their hands on one another's backs, fighting like bulls in madness, or +like two daring hawks on the edge of a cliff. But at the last Diarmuid +raised up Dubh-chosach on his shoulder and threw his body to the ground, +and bound him fast and firm on the spot. And Fionn-chosach and +Treun-chosach came one after the other to fight with him then, and he +put the same binding on them; and he said he would strike the heads off +them, only he thought it a worse punishment to leave them in those +bonds. "For there is no one can free you," he said. And he left them +there, worn out and sorrowful. + +The next morning after that, Diarmuid told Grania the whole story of the +strangers from beginning to end, and of all he had done to them, and how +on the fifth day he had put their kings in bonds. "And they have three +fierce hounds in a chain ready to hunt me," he said. "Did you take the +heads off those three kings?" said Grania, "I did not," said Diarmuid, +"for there is no man of the heroes of Ireland can loosen those bonds but +four only, Oisin, son of Finn, and Osgar, son of Oisin, and Lugaidh's +Son of the Strong Hand, and Conan, son of Morna; and I know well," he +said, "none of those four will do it. But all the same, it is short till +Finn will get news of them, and it is best for us to be going from this +cave, or Finn and the three hounds might come on us." + +After that they left the cave, and they went on till they came to the +bog of Finnliath. Grania began to fall behind them, and Muadhan put her +on his back and carried her till they came to the great Slieve Luachra. +Then Diarmuid sat down on the brink of the stream that was flowing +through the heart of the mountain, and Grania was washing her hands, and +she asked his knife from him to cut her nails with. + +As to the strangers, as many of them as were alive yet, they came to the +hill where their three leaders were bound, and they thought to loose +them; but it is the way those bonds were, all they did by meddling with +them was to draw them tighter. + +And they were not long there till they saw a woman coming towards them +with the quickness of a swallow or a weasel or a blast of wind over bare +mountain-tops. And she asked them who was it had done that great +slaughter on them. "Who are you that is asking that?" said they. "I am +the Woman of the Black Mountain, the woman-messenger of Finn, son of +Cumhal," she said; "and it is looking for you Finn sent me." "Indeed we +do not know who it was did this slaughter," they said, "but we will tell +you his appearance. A young man he was, having dark curling hair and +ruddy cheeks. And it is worse again to us," they said, "our three +leaders to be bound this way, and we not able to loose them." "What way +did that young man go from you?" said the woman. "It was late last +night he left us," they said, "and we do not know where is he gone." "I +give you my word," she said, "it was Diarmuid himself that was in it; +and take your hounds now and lay them on his track, and I will send Finn +and the Fianna of Ireland to you." + +They left a woman-Druid then attending on the three champions that were +bound, and they brought their three hounds out of the ship and laid them +on Diarmuid's track, and followed them till they came to the opening of +the cave, and they went into the far part of it and found the beds where +Diarmuid and Crania had slept. Then they went on westward till they came +to the Carrthach river, and to the bog of Finnliath, and so on to the +great Slieve Luachra. + +But Diarmuid did not know they were after him till he got sight of them +with their banners of soft silk and their three wicked hounds in the +front of the troop and three strong champions holding them in chains. +And when he saw them coming like that he was filled with great hatred of +them. + +There was one of them had a well-coloured green cloak on him, and he +came out far beyond the others, and Grania gave the knife back to +Diarmuid. "I think you have not much love for that young man of the +green cloak, Grania," said Diarmuid. "I have not indeed," said Grania; +"and it would be better if I had never given love to any man at all to +this day." Diarmuid put the knife in the sheath then, and went on; and +Muadhan put Grania on his back and carried her on into the mountain. + +It was not long till a hound of the three hounds was loosed after +Diarmuid, and Muadhan said to him to follow Grania, and he himself would +check the hound. Then Muadhan turned back, and he took a whelp out of +his belt, and put it on the flat of his hand. And when the whelp saw the +hound rushing towards him, and its jaws open, he rose up and made a leap +from Muadhan's hand into the throat of the hound, and came out of its +side, bringing the heart with it, and he leaped back again to Muadhan's +hand, and left the hound dead after him. + +Muadhan went on then after Diarmuid and Grania, and he took up Grania +again and carried her a bit of the way into the mountain. Then another +hound was loosened after them, and Diarmuid said to Muadhan: "I often +heard there is nothing can stand against weapons of Druid wounding, and +the throat of no beast can be made safe from them. And will you stand +now," he said, "till I put the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, through that +hound." + +Then Muadhan and Grania stopped to see the cast. And Diarmuid made a +cast at the hound, and the spear went through its body and brought out +its bowels; and he took up the spear again, and they went forward. + +It was not long after that the third hound was loosed. And Grania said +then: "This is the one is fiercest of them, and there is great fear on +me, and mind yourself now, Diarmuid." + +It was not long till the hound overtook them, and the place he overtook +them was Lic Dhubhain, the flag-stone of Dubhan, on Slieve Luachra. He +rose with a light leap over Diarmuid, as if he had a mind to seize on +Grania, but Diarmuid took him by the two hind legs, and struck a blow of +his carcase against the side of the rock was nearest, till he had let +out his brains through the openings of his head and of his ears. And +then Diarmuid took up his arms and his battle clothes, and put his +narrow-topped finger into the silken string of the Gae Dearg, and he +made a good cast at the young man of the green cloak that was at the +head of the troop that killed him. Then he made another cast at the +second man and killed him, and the third man in the same way. And as it +is not the custom to stand after leaders are fallen, the strangers when +they saw what had happened took to flight. + +And Diarmuid followed after them, killing and scattering, so that unless +any man of them got away over the forests, or into the green earth, or +under the waters, there was not a man or messenger of them left to tell +the news, but only the Woman-messenger of the Black Mountain, that kept +moving around about when Diarmuid was putting down the strangers. + +And it was not long till Finn saw her coming towards him where he was, +her legs failing, and her tongue muttering, and her eyes drooping, and +he asked news of her. "It is very bad news I have to tell you," she +said; "and it is what I think, that it is a person without a lord I am." +Then she told Finn the whole story from beginning to end, of the +destruction Diarmuid had done, and how the three deadly hounds had +fallen by him. "And it is hardly I myself got away," she said. "What +place did the grandson of Duibhne go to?" said Finn. "I do not know +that," she said. + +And when Finn heard of the Kings of the Green Champions that were bound +by Diarmuid, he called his men to him, and they went by every short way +and every straight path till they reached the hill, and it was torment +to the heart of Finn to see the way they were. Then he said: "Oisin," he +said, "loosen those three kings for me." "I will not loosen them," said +Oisin, "for Diarmuid put bonds on me not to loosen any man he would +bind." "Loosen them, Osgar," said Finn then. "I give my word," said +Osgar, "it is more bonds I would wish to put on them sooner than to +loosen them." Neither would Conan help them, or Lugaidh's Son. And any +way, they were not long talking about it till the three kings died under +the hardness of the bonds that were on them. + +Then Finn made three wide-sodded graves for them, and a flag-stone was +put over them, and another stone raised over that again, and their names +were written in branching Ogham, and it is tired and heavy-hearted Finn +was after that; and he and his people went back to Almhuin of Leinster. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. THE WOOD OF DUBHROS + + +And as to Diarmuid and Grania and Muadhan, they went on through Ui +Chonaill Gabhra, and left-hand ways to Ros-da-Shoileach, and Diarmuid +killed a wild deer that night, and they had their fill of meat and of +pure water, and they slept till the morning of the morrow. And Muadhan +rose up early, and spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what he said, that he +himself was going away. "It is not right for you to do that," said +Diarmuid, "for everything I promised you I fulfilled it, without any +dispute." + +But he could not hinder him, and Muadhan said farewell to them and left +them there and then, and it is sorrowful and downhearted Diarmuid and +Grania were after him. + +After that they travelled on straight to the north, to Slieve Echtge, +and from that to the hundred of Ui Fiachrach; and when they got there +Grania was tired out, but she took courage and went on walking beside +Diarmuid till they came to the wood of Dubhros. + +Now, there was a wonderful quicken-tree in that wood, and the way it +came to be there is this: + +There rose a dispute one time between two women of the Tuatha de Danaan, +Aine and Aoife, daughters of Manannan, son of Lir, for Aoife had given +her love to Lugaidh's Son, and Aine had given her love to a man of her +own race, and each of them said her own man was a better hurler than the +other. And it came from that dispute that there was a great hurling +match settled between the Men of Dea and the Fianna of Ireland, and the +place it was to be played was on a beautiful plain near Loch Lein. + +They all came together there, and the highest men and the most daring of +the Tuatha de Danaan were there, the three Garbhs of Slieve Mis, and the +three Mases of Slieve Luachra, and the three yellow-haired Murchadhs, +and the three Eochaidhs of Aine, and the three Fionns of the White +House, and the three Sgals of Brugh na Boinne, and the three Ronans of +Ath na Riogh, and the Suirgheach Suairc, the Pleasant Wooer from Lionan, +and the Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn, and Ilbrec, the +Many-Coloured, son of Manannan, and Neamhanach, son of Angus Og, and +Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and Manannan, son of Lir. + +They themselves and the Fianna were playing the match through the length +of three days and three nights, from Leamhain to the valley of the +Fleisg, that is called the Crooked Valley of the Fianna, and neither of +them winning a goal. And when the Tuatha de Danaan that were watching +the game on each side of Leamhain saw it was so hard for their hurlers +to win a goal against the Fianna, they thought it as well to go away +again without playing out the game. + +Now the provision the Men of Dea had brought with them from the Land of +Promise was crimson nuts, and apples, and sweet-smelling rowan berries. +And as they were passing through the district of Ui Fiachrach by the +Muaidh, a berry of the rowan berries fell from them, and a tree grew up +from it. And there was virtue in its berries, and no sickness or disease +would ever come on any person that would eat them, and those that would +eat them would feel the liveliness of wine and the satisfaction of mead +in them, and any old person of a hundred years that would eat them would +go back to be young again, and any young girl that would eat them would +grow to be a flower of beauty. + +And it happened one time after the tree was grown, there were messengers +of the Tuatha de Danaan going through the wood of Dubhros. And they +heard a great noise of birds and of bees, and they went where the noise +was, and they saw the beautiful Druid tree. They went back then and told +what they had seen, and all the chief men of the Tuatha de Danaan when +they heard it knew the tree must have grown from a berry of the Land of +the Ever-Living Living Ones. And they enquired among all their people, +till they knew it was a young man of them, that was a musician, had +dropped the berry. + +And it is what they agreed, to send him in search of a man of Lochlann +that would guard the tree by day and sleep in it by night. And the women +of the Sidhe were very downhearted to see him going from them, for there +was no harper could play half so sweetly on his harp as he could play on +an ivy leaf. + +He went on then till he came to Lochlann, and he sat down on a bank and +sleep came on him. And he slept till the rising of the sun on the +morrow; and when he awoke he saw a very big man coming towards him, that +asked him who was he. "I am a messenger from the Men of Dea," he said; +"and I am come looking for some very strong man that would be willing to +guard a Druid tree that is in the wood of Dubhros. And here are some of +the berries he will be eating from morning to night," he said. + +And when the big man had tasted the berries, he said: "I will go and +guard all the trees of the wood to get those berries." + +And his name was the Searbhan Lochlannach, the Surly One of Lochlann. +Very black and ugly he was, having crooked teeth, and one eye only in +the middle of his forehead. And he had a thick collar of iron around his +body, and it was in the prophecy that he would never die till there +would be three strokes of the iron club he had, struck upon himself. And +he slept in the tree by night and stopped near it in the daytime, and he +made a wilderness of the whole district about him, and none of the +Fianna dared go hunt there because of the dread of him that was on them. + +But when Diarmuid came to the wood of Dubhros, he went into it to where +the Surly One was, and he made bonds of agreement with him, and got +leave from him to go hunting in the wood, so long as he would not touch +the berries of the tree. And he made a cabin then for himself and for +Grania in the wood. + +As for Finn and his people, they were not long at Almhuin till they saw +fifty armed men coming towards them, and two that were taller and +handsomer than the rest in the front of them. Finn asked did any of his +people know them. "We do not know them," they said, "but maybe you +yourself know them, Finn." "I do not," he said; "but it seems to be they +are enemies to myself." The troop of armed men came up to them then and +they greeted him, and Finn asked news of them, and from what country +they came. "I am Aonghus, son of Art Og of the children of Morna," one +of them said, "and this is Aodh, son of Andela; and we are enemies of +your own, and our fathers were at the killing of your father, and they +themselves died for that deed. And it is to ask peace we are come now to +you," they said. "Where were you the time my father was killed?" "In our +mothers' wombs," said they; "and our mothers were two women of the +Tuatha de Danaan, and it is time for us now to get our father's place +among the Fianna." "I will give you that," said Finn, "but I must put a +fine on you first in satisfaction for my father's death." "We have +neither gold or silver or goods or cattle to give you, Finn," said they. +"Do not put a fine on them, Finn," said Oisin, "beyond the death of +their fathers for your father." "It is what I think," said Finn, "if any +one killed myself, Oisin, it would be easy to pay the fine you would +ask. And there will no one come among the Fianna," he said, "without +giving what I ask in satisfaction for my father's death." "What is it +you are asking of us?" said Aonghus, son of Art Og. "I am asking but the +head of a champion, or the full of a fist of the berries of the +quicken-tree at Dubhros." "I will give you a good advice, children of +Morna," said Oisin, "to go back to the place you were reared, and not to +ask peace of Finn through the length of your lives. For it is not an +easy thing Finn is asking of you; and do you know whose head he is +asking you to bring him?" "We do not," said they. "The head of Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne, is the head he is asking of you. And if you were +twenty hundred men in their full strength, Diarmuid would not let you +take that head." "And what are the berries Finn is asking of us?" they +said then. "There is nothing is harder for you to get than those +berries," said Oisin. + +He told them then the whole story of the tree, and of the Searbhan, the +Surly One of Lochlann, that was put to mind it by the Tuatha de Danaan. +But Aodh, son of Andela, spoke then, and it is what he said, that he +would sooner get his death looking for those berries than to go home +again to his mother's country. And he said to Oisin to care his people +till he would come back again, and if anything should happen himself and +his brother in their journey, to send them back again to the Land of +Promise. And the two said farewell then to Oisin and to the chief men of +the Fianna, and they went forward till they reached Dubhros. And they +went along the wood till they found a track, and they followed it to +the door of the hunting-cabin where Diarmuid and Grania were. + +Diarmuid heard them coming, and he put his hand on his weapons and asked +who was at the door. "We are of the children of Morna," they said, +"Aodh, son of Andela, and Aonghus, son of Art Og." "What brings you to +this wood?" said Diarmuid. "Finn, son of Cumhal, that put us looking for +your head, if you are Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said they. "I am +indeed," said Diarmuid. "If that is so," they said, "Finn will take +nothing from us but your head, or a fistful of the berries of the +quicken-tree of Dubhros as satisfaction for the death of his father." +"It is not easy for you to get either of those things," said Diarmuid, +"and it is a pity for any one to be under the power of that man. And +besides that," he said, "I know it was he himself made an end of your +fathers, and that was enough satisfaction for him to get; and if you do +bring him what he asks, it is likely he will not make peace with you in +the end." "Is it not enough for you," said Aodh, "to have brought his +wife away from Finn without speaking ill of him?" "It is not for the +sake of speaking ill of him I said that," said Diarmuid, "but to save +yourselves from the danger he has sent you into." + +"What are those berries Finn is asking?" said Grania, "that they cannot +be got for him?" + +Diarmuid told her then the whole story of the berry the Tuatha de Danaan +had lost, and of the tree that had sprung up from it, and of the man of +Lochlann that was keeping the tree. "And at the time Finn sent me hiding +here and became my enemy," he said, "I got leave from the Surly One to +hunt, but he bade me never to meddle with the berries. And now, sons of +Morna," he said, "there is your choice, to fight with me for my head, or +to go asking the berries of the Surly One." "I swear by the blood of my +people," said each of them, "I will fight with yourself first." + +With that the two young men made ready for the fight. And it is what +they chose, to fight with the strength of their hands alone. And +Diarmuid put them down and bound the two of them there and then. "That +is a good fight you made," said Grania. "But, by my word," she said, +"although the children of Morna do not go looking for those berries, I +will not lie in a bed for ever till I get a share of them; and I will +not live if I do not get them," she said. "Do not make me break my peace +with the Surly One," said Diarmuid, "for he will not let me take them." +"Loose these tyings from us," said the two young men, "and we will go +with you, and we will give ourselves for your sake." "You must not come +with me," said Diarmuid; "for if you got the full of your eyes of that +terrible one, you would be more likely to die than to live." "Well, do +us this kindness," they said then; "loosen these bonds on us, and give +us time to go by ourselves and see the fight before you strike off our +heads." So Diarmuid did that for them. + +Then Diarmuid went to the Surly One, and he chanced to be asleep before +him, and he gave him a stroke of his foot the way he lifted his head and +looked up at him, and he said: "Have you a mind to break our peace, +Grandson of Duibhne?" "That is not what I want," said Diarmuid; "but it +is Grania, daughter of the High King," he said, "has a desire to taste +those berries, and it is to ask a handful of them I am come." "I give my +word," said he, "if she is to die for it, she will never taste a berry +of those berries." "I would not do treachery on you," said Diarmuid; +"and so I tell you, willing or unwilling, I will take those berries from +you." + +When the Surly One heard that, he rose up on his feet and lifted his +club and struck three great blows on Diarmuid, that gave him some +little hurt in spite of his shield. But when Diarmuid saw him not +minding himself, he threw down his weapons, and made a great leap and +took hold of the club with his two hands. And when he had a hold of the +club he struck three great blows on him that put his brains out through +his head. And the two young men of the sons of Morna were looking at the +whole fight; and when they saw the Surly One was killed they came out. +And Diarmuid sat down, for he was spent with the dint of the fight, and +he bid the young men to bury the body under the thickets of the wood, +the way Grania would not see it. "And after that," he said, "let you go +back to her and bring her here." So they dragged away the body and +buried it, and they went then for Grania and brought her to Diarmuid. + +"There are the berries you were asking, Grania," he said, "and you may +take what you like of them now." "I give my word," said Grania, "I will +not taste a berry of those berries but the one your own hand will pluck, +Diarmuid." Diarmuid rose up then and plucked the berries for Grania, and +for the children of Morna, and they ate their fill of them. And he said +then to the young men: "Take all you can of these berries, and bring +them with you to Finn, and tell him it was yourselves made an end of the +Surly One of Lochlann." "We give you our word," said they, "we begrudge +giving any of them to Finn." + +But Diarmuid plucked a load of the berries for them, and they gave him +great thanks for all he had done; and they went back to where Finn was +with the Fianna. And Diarmuid and Grania went up into the top of the +tree where the bed of the Surly One was. And the berries below were but +bitter berries beside the ones above in the tree. And when the two young +men came to Finn, he asked news of them. "We have killed the Surly One +of Lochlann," they said; "and we have brought you berries from the +quicken-tree of Dubhros, in satisfaction for your father, that we may +get peace from you." They gave the berries then into Finn's hand, and he +knew them, and he said to the young men: "I give you my word," he said, +"it was Diarmuid himself plucked those berries, for I know the smell of +his hand on them; and I know well it was he killed the Surly One, and I +will go now and see is he himself alive at the quicken-tree." + +After that he called for the seven battalions of the Fianna, and he set +out and went forward to Dubhros. And they followed the track of Diarmuid +to the foot of the quicken-tree, and they found the berries without +protection, so they ate their fill of them. And the great heat of the +day came on them, and Finn said they would stop where they were till the +heat would be past; "for I know well," he said, "Diarmuid is up in the +quicken-tree." "It is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said +Oisin, "to think that Diarmuid would stop there up in the quicken-tree +and he knowing you are wanting to kill him." + +Finn asked for a chess-board after that, and he said to Oisin: "I will +play a game with you now on this." They sat down then, Oisin and Osgar +and Lugaidh's Son and Diorraing on the one side of the board, and Finn +on the other side. + +And they were playing that game with great skill and knowledge, and Finn +pressed Oisin so hard that he had no move to make but the one, and Finn +said: "There is one move would win the game for you, Oisin, and I defy +all that are with you to show you that move." Then Diarmuid said up in +the tree where he was, and no one heard him but Grania: "It is a pity +you be in straits, and without myself to show you that move." "It is +worse off you are yourself," said Grania, "to be in the bed of the +Surly One of Lochlann in the top of the quicken-tree, and the seven +battalions of the Fianna round about it to take your life." + +But Diarmuid took a berry of the tree, and aimed at the one of the +chessmen that ought to be moved, and Oisin moved it and turned the game +against Finn by that move. It was not long before the game was going +against Oisin the second time, and when Diarmuid saw that he threw +another berry at the chessman it was right to move, and Oisin moved it +and turned the game against Finn in the same way. And the third time +Finn was getting the game from Oisin, and Diarmuid threw the third berry +on the man that would give the game to Oisin, and the Fianna gave a +great shout when the game was won. Finn spoke then, and it is what he +said: "It is no wonder you to win the game, Oisin, and you having the +help of Osgar, and the watchfulness of Diorraing, and the skill of +Lugaidh's Son, and the teaching of the grandson of Duibhne with you." +"That is a great sign of jealousy in you, Finn," said Osgar, "to think +Diarmuid would stop in this tree, and you so near him." "Which of us has +the truth, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," Finn said out then, "myself +or Osgar?" "You never lost your good judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid +then; "and I myself and Grania are here, in the bed of the Surly One of +Lochlann." Then Diarmuid rose up and gave three kisses to Grania in the +sight of Finn and the Fianna. And a scorching jealousy and a weakness +came on Finn when he saw that, and he said: "It was worse to me, +Diarmuid, the seven battalions of the Fianna to see what you did at +Teamhair, taking away Grania the night you were yourself my guard. But +for all that," he said, "you will give your head for the sake of those +three kisses." + +With that Finn called to the four hundred paid fighting men that were +with him that they might make an end of Diarmuid; and he put their +hands into one another's hands around that quicken-tree, and bade them, +if they would not lose their lives, not to let Diarmuid pass out through +them. And he said that to whatever man would take Diarmuid, he would +give his arms and his armour, and a place among the Fianna of Ireland. + +Then one of the Fianna, Garbh of Slieve Cua, said it was Diarmuid had +killed his own father, and he would avenge him now, and he went up the +quicken-tree to make an end of him. + +Now, about that time it was made known to Angus Og, in Brugh na Boinne, +the danger Diarmuid was in, and he came to his help, unknown to the +Fianna. And when Garbh of Slieve Cua was coming up the tree, Diarmuid +gave him a kick of his foot, and he fell down among the hired men, and +they struck off his head, for Angus Og had put the appearance of +Diarmuid on him. But after he was killed, his own shape came on him +again, and the Fianna knew that it was Garbh was killed. + +Then Garbh of Slieve Crot said it was Diarmuid had killed his father, +and he went up to avenge him, and the same thing happened. And in the +end all the nine Garbhs, of Slieve Guaire, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve +Mor, and Slieve Lugha, and Ath Fraoch, and Slieve Mis and Drom-mor, went +trying to take Diarmuid's life and lost their own lives, every one of +them having the shape and appearance of Diarmuid when he died. And Finn +was very sorry and discouraged when he saw that these nine men had come +to their death. + +Then Angus said he would bring away Grania with him. "Do so," said +Diarmuid; "and if I am living at evening I will follow you." Then Angus +said farewell to Diarmuid, and he put his Druid cloak about Grania and +about himself, and they went away in the safety of the cloak, unknown to +Finn and the Fianna, till they came to Brugh na Boinne. + +Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what he said: "I +will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna. And I will do death and +destruction on you and on your people, for I am certain your mind is +made up to give me no rest, but to bring me to my death in some place. +And I have nowhere to go from this danger," he said, "for I have no +friend or comrade under whose protection I could go in any far part of +the great world, for it is often I fought against the men of the great +world for love of you. For there never came battle or fight, danger or +trouble on you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the +Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after you. +And I give my word, Finn," he said, "you will pay hard for me, and you +will not get me as a free gift." "It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking," +said Osgar, "and give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do +that," said Finn, "to the end of life and time; and he will not get +peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from him for every +reproach he has put on me." "It is a great shame and a great sign of +jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I give the word of a true +champion," he said, "that unless the skies come down upon me, or the +earth opens under my feet, I will not let you or any one of the Fianna +of Ireland give him cut or wound; and I take his body and his life under +the protection of my valour, and I will keep him safe against all the +men of Ireland." "Those are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then, +"to say you would bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland." +"It is not you will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for +none of them would mind what you would say." "If that is what you are +saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now what +you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight you have taken +on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud voice. And Osgar +answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten your bones, and your +father's bones along with them. And come down now, Diarmuid," he said, +"since Finn has no mind to leave you in peace, and I promise on my body +and my life there will no harm be done to you to-day." + +Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the tree, and he +rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit on the grass +far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and Osgar went towards +one another, in spite of the Fianna that went between them, and Diarmuid +struck down those that were in his way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of +his spears as he scattered the Fianna was like the sound of the wind +going through a valley, or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan, +that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one +another." But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them +put their weapons up, and turn back again to Almhuin. + +And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of healing, +and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were killed, he put +into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful +he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till +he would have avenged on Diarmuid all that he had done. + + + + + +CHAPTER V. THE QUARREL + + +And as to Osgar and Diarmuid, they went on, and no cut or wound on them, +to where Angus and Grania were at Brugh na Boinne; and there was a good +welcome before them, and Diarmuid told them the whole story from +beginning to end, and it is much that Grania did not die then and there, +hearing all he had gone through. + +And then she and Diarmuid set out again, and they went and stopped for +a while in a cave that was near the sea. + +And one night while they were there a great storm came on, so that they +went into the far part of the cave. But bad as the night was, a man of +the Fomor, Ciach, the Fierce One, his name was, came over the western +ocean in a currach, with two oars, and he drew it into the cave for +shelter. And Diarmuid bade him welcome, and they sat down to play chess +together. And he got the best of the game, and what he asked as his +winnings was Grania to be his wife, and he put his arms about her as if +to bring her away. And Grania said: "I am this long time going with the +third best man of the Fianna, and he never came as near as that to me." + +And Diarmuid took his sword to kill Ciach, and there was anger on Grania +when she saw that, and she had a knife in her hand and she struck it +into Diarmuid's thigh. And Diarmuid made an end of the Fomor, and he +said no word to Grania, but ran out and away through the storm. + +And Grania went following after him, and calling to him, but there was +great anger on him and he would not answer her. And at last at the break +of day she overtook him, and after a while they heard the cry of a +heron, and she asked him what was it made the heron cry out. + +"Tell me that," she said, "Grandson of Duibhne, to whom I gave my love." +And Diarmuid said: "O Grania, daughter of the High King, woman who never +took a step aright, it is because she was frozen to the rocks she gave +that cry." And Grania was asking forgiveness of him, and he was +reproaching her, and it is what he said: "O Grania of the beautiful +hair, though you are more beautiful than the green tree under blossom, +your love passes away as quickly as the cold cloud at break of day. And +you are asking a hard thing of me now," he said, "and it is a pity what +you said to me, Grania, for it was you brought me away from the house of +my lord, that I am banished from it to this day; and now I am troubled +through the night, fretting after its delight in every place. + +"I am like a wild deer, or a beast that is astray, going ever and always +through the long valleys; there is great longing on me to see one of my +kindred from the host. + +"I left my own people that were brighter than lime or snow; their heart +was full of generosity to me, like the sun that is high above us; but +now they follow me angrily, to every harbour and every strand. + +"I lost my people by you, and my lord, and my large bright ships on +every sea; I lost my treasure and my gold; it is hunger you gave me +through your love. + +"I lost my country and my kindred; my men that were used to serve me; I +lost quietness and affection; I lost the men of Ireland and the Fianna +entirely. + +"I lost delight and music; I lost my own right doing and my honour; I +lost the Fianna of Ireland, my great kinsmen, for the sake of the love +you gave me. + +"O Grania, white as snow, it would have been a better choice for you to +have given hatred to me, or gentleness to the Head of the Fianna." + +And Grania said: "O Diarmuid of the face like snow, or like the down of +the mountains, the sound of your voice was dearer to me than all the +riches of the leader of the Fianna. + +"Your blue eye is dearer to me than his strength, and his gold and his +great hall; the love-spot on your forehead is better to me than honey in +streams; the time I first looked on it, it was more to me than the whole +host of the King of Ireland. + +"My heart fell down there and then before your high beauty; when you +came beside me, it was like the whole of life in one day. + +"O Diarmuid of the beautiful hands, take me now the same as before; it +was with me the fault was entirely; give me your promise not to leave +me." + +But Diarmuid said: "How can I take you again, you are a woman too fond +of words; one day you give up the Head of the Fianna, and the next day +myself, and no lie in it. + +"It is you parted me from Finn, the way I fell under sorrow and grief; +and then you left me yourself, the time I was full of affection." + +And Grania said: "Do not leave me now this way, and my love for you ever +growing like the fresh branches of the tree with the kind long heat of +the day." + +But Diarmuid would not give in to her, and he said: "You are a woman +full of words, and it is you have put me under sorrow. I took you with +myself, and you struck at me for the sake of the man of the Fomor." + +They came then to a place where there was a cave, and water running by +it, and they stopped to rest; and Grania said: "Have you a mind to eat +bread and meat now, Diarmuid?" + +"I would eat it indeed if I had it," said Diarmuid. + +"Give me a knife, so," she said, "till I cut it." "Look for the knife in +the sheath where you put it yourself," said Diarmuid. + +She saw then that the knife was in his thigh where she had struck it, +for he would not draw it out himself. So she drew it out then; and that +was the greatest shame that ever came upon her. + +They stopped then in the cave. And the next day when they went on again, +Diarmuid did not leave unbroken bread like he had left every other day +as a sign to Finn that he had kept his faith with him, but it was broken +bread he left after him. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE WANDERERS + + +And they went on wandering after that, all through Ireland, hiding from +Finn in every place, sleeping under the cromlechs, or with no shelter at +all, and there was no place they would dare to stop long in. And +wherever they went Finn would follow them, for he knew by his divination +where they went. But one time he made out they were on a mountain, for +he saw them with heather under them; and it was beside the sea they +were, asleep on heather that Diarmuid had brought down from the hills +for their bed; and so he went searching the hills and did not find them. + +And Grania would be watching over Diarmuid while he slept, and she would +make a sleepy song for him, and it is what she would be saying: + +"Sleep a little, a little little, for there is nothing at all to fear, +Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne; sleep here soundly, soundly, Diarmuid, to +whom I have given my love. + +"It is I will keep watch for you, grandchild of shapely Duibhne; sleep a +little, a blessing on you, beside the well of the strong field; my lamb +from above the lake, from the banks of the strong streams. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the South, of Dedidach of the high +poets, the time he took away old Morann's daughter, for all Conall could +do against him. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the North, of fair comely +Fionnchadh of Ess Ruadh, the time he took Slaine with bravery as we +think, in spite of Failbhe of the Hard Head. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the West, of Aine, daughter of +Gailian, the time she went on a journey in the night with Dubhthach from +Doirinis, by the light of torches. + +"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the East, of Deaghadh the proud, +the brave fighter, the time he took Coincheann, daughter of Binn, in +spite of fierce Decheall of Duibhreann. + +"O heart of the valour of the lands to the west of Greece, my heart +will go near to breaking if I do not see you every day. The parting of +us two will be the parting of two children of the one house; it will be +the parting of life from the body, Diarmuid, hero of the bright lake of +Carman." + +And then to rouse him she would make another song, and it is what she +would say: "Caoinche will be loosed on your track; it is not slow the +running of Caoilte will be; do not let death reach to you, do not give +yourself to sleep for ever. + +"The stag to the east is not asleep, he does not cease from bellowing; +though he is in the woods of the blackbirds, sleep is not in his mind; +the hornless doe is not asleep, crying after her speckled fawn; she is +going over the bushes, she does not sleep in her home. + +"The cuckoo is not asleep, the thrush is not asleep, the tops of the +trees are a noisy place; the duck is not asleep, she is made ready for +good swimming; the bog lark is not asleep to-night on the high stormy +bogs; the sound of her clear voice is sweet; she is not sleeping between +the streams." + +One time they were in a cave of Beinn Edair, and there was an old woman +befriending them and helping them to keep a watch. And one day she +chanced to go up to the top of Beinn Edair, and she saw an armed man +coming towards her, and she did now know him to be Finn; and when he was +come near she asked what was he looking for. "It is looking for a woman +I am come," he said, "and for a woman's love. And will you do all I will +ask you?" he said. + +"I will do that," she said; for she thought it was her own love he was +asking. + +"Tell me then," he said, "where is Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne?" + +So she told him where he was hiding, and he bade her to keep him in the +cave till such time as he would come back with his men. + +The old woman went back then, and it is what she did, she dipped her +cloak in the sea-water before she went into the cave; and Diarmuid asked +her why was her cloak so wet. "It is," she said, "that I never saw or +never heard of the like of this day for cold and for storms. There is +frost on every hillside," she said, "and there is not a smooth plain in +all Elga where there is not a long rushing river between every two +ridges. And there is not a deer or a crow in the whole of Ireland can +find a shelter in any place." And she was shaking the wet off her cloak, +and she was making a complaint against the cold, and it is what she +said: + +"Cold, cold, cold to-night is the wide plain of Lurg; the snow is higher +than the mountains, the deer cannot get at their share of food. + +"Cold for ever; the storm is spread over all; every furrow on the +hillside is a river, every ford is a full pool, every full loch is a +great sea; every pool is a full loch; horses cannot go through the ford +of Ross any more than a man on his two feet. + +"The fishes of Inisfail are going astray; there is no strand or no pen +against the waves; there are no dwellings in the country, there is no +bell heard, no crane is calling. + +"The hounds of the wood of Cuan find no rest or no sleep in their +dwelling-place; the little wren cannot find shelter in her nest on the +slope of Lon. + +"A sharp wind and cold ice have come on the little company of birds; the +blackbird cannot get a ridge to her liking or shelter for her side in +the woods of Cuan. + +"It is steady our great pot hangs from its hook; it is broken the cabin +is on the slope of Lon; the snow has made the woods smooth, it is hard +to climb to the ridge of Bennait Bo. + +"The ancient bird of Glen Ride gets grief from the bitter wind; it is +great is her misery and her pain, the ice will be in her mouth. + +"Mind well not to rise up from coverings and from down, mind this well; +there would be no good sense in it. Ice is heaped up in every ford; it +is for that I am saying and ever saying 'Cold.'" + +The old woman went out after that, and when she was gone, Grania took +hold of the cloak she had left there and she put her tongue to it, and +found the taste of salt water on it. "My grief, Diarmuid," she said +then, "the old woman has betrayed us. And rise up now," she said, "and +put your fighting suit upon you." + +So Diarmuid did that, and he went out, and Grania along with him. And no +sooner were they outside than they saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland +coming towards them. Then Diarmuid looked around him and he saw a little +boat at hand in the shelter of the harbour, and he himself and Grania +went into it. And there was a man before them in the boat having +beautiful clothes on him, and a wide embroidered golden-yellow cloak +over his shoulders behind. And they knew it was Angus was in it, that +had come again to help them to escape from Finn, and they went back with +him for a while to Brugh na Boinne, and Osgar came to them there. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. FIGHTING AND PEACE + + +And after a while Finn bade his people to make his ship ready, and to +put a store of food and of drink in it. They did that, and he himself +and a thousand of his men went into the ship; and they were nine days +between sailing and rowing till they came to harbour in the north of +Alban. + +They bound the ship to the posts of the harbour then, and Finn with five +of his people went to the dun of the King of Alban, and Finn struck a +blow with the hand-wood on the door, and the door-keeper asked who was +in it, and they told him it was Finn, son of Cumhal. "Let him in," said +the king. + +Then Finn and his people went in, and the king made them welcome, and he +bade Finn to sit down in his own place, and they were given strong +pleasant drinks, and the king sent for the rest of Finn's people and +bade them welcome to the dun. + +Then Finn told what it was brought him there, and that it was to ask +help and advice against the grandson of Duibhne he was come. + +"And you have a right to give me your help," he said, "for it was he +that killed your father and your two brothers, and many of your best men +along with them." + +"That is true," said the king; "and I will give you my own two sons and +a thousand men with each of them." Finn was glad when he heard that, and +he and his men took leave of the king and of his household, and left +wishes for life and health with them, and the king did the same by them. + +And it was near Brugh na Boinne Finn and his people came to land, and +Finn sent messengers to the house of Angus to give out a challenge of +battle against Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne. + +"What should I do about this, Osgar?" said Diarmuid. + +"We will both go out and make a stand against them, and we will not let +a serving-man of them escape, but we will make an end of them all," said +Osgar. + +So they rose up on the morning of the morrow and they put their suits of +battle on their comely bodies; and it would be a pity for those, be they +many or few, that would meet those two men, and their anger on them. And +they bound the rims of their shields together the way they would not be +parted from one another in the right. And the sons of the King of Alban +said that they themselves and their people would go first to meet them. +So they came to shore, and made a rush to meet Diarmuid and Osgar. But +the two fought so well that they beat them back and scattered them, and +made a great slaughter, and put great terror on them, so that at the +last there was not a man left to stand against them. + +And after that, Finn went out again on the sea, and his people with him, +and there is no word of them till they came to the Land of Promise where +Finn's nurse was. And when she saw Finn coming she was very joyful +before him. And Finn told her the whole story from beginning to end, and +the cause of his quarrel with Diarmuid; and he said it was to ask an +advice from her he was come, and that it was not possible to put him +down by any strength of an army, unless enchantment would put him down. +"I will go with you," said the old woman, "and I will do enchantment on +him." Finn was very glad when he heard that, and he stopped there that +night, and they set out for Ireland on the morrow. + +And when they came to Brugh na Boinne, the nurse put a Druid mist around +Finn and the Fianna, the way no one could know they were there. Now the +day before that, Osgar had parted from Diarmuid, and Diarmuid was out +hunting by himself. That was shown to the hag, and she took a drowned +leaf having a hole in it, like the quern of a mill, and she rose with +that by her enchantments on a blast of Druid wind over Diarmuid, and +began to aim at him through the hole with deadly spears, till she had +done him great harm, for all his arms and his clothing, and he could not +make away he was so hard pressed. And every danger he was ever in was +little beside that danger. And it is what he thought, that unless he +could strike the old woman through the hole that was in the leaf, she +would give him his death there and then. And he lay down on his back, +and the Gae Dearg, the Red Spear, in his hand, and he made a great cast +of the spear, that it went through the hole, and the hag fell dead on +the spot. And he struck off her head and brought it back with him to +Angus Og. + +And the next morning early, Angus rose up, and he went where Finn was, +and he asked would he make peace with Diarmuid, and Finn said he would. +And then he went to the King of Ireland to ask peace for Diarmuid, and +he said he would agree to it. + +And then he went back to where Diarmuid and Grania were, and asked him +would he make peace with the High King and with Finn. "I am willing," +said Diarmuid, "if they will give the conditions I will ask." "What +conditions are those?" said Angus. + +"The district my father had," said Diarmuid, "that is, the district of +Ui Duibhne, without right of hunting to Finn, and without rent or +tribute to the King of Ireland, and with that the district of Dumhais in +Leinster, for they are the best in Ireland, and the district of Ceis +Corainn from the King of Ireland as a marriage portion with his +daughter; and those are the conditions on which I will make peace with +them." "Would you be peaceable if you got those conditions?" said Angus. +"It would go easier with me to make peace if I got them," said Diarmuid. + +Then Angus went with that news to where the King of Ireland was with +Finn. And they gave him all those conditions, and they forgave him all +he had done through the whole of the time he had been in his hiding, +that was sixteen years. + +And the place Diarmuid and Grania settled in was Rath Grania, in the +district of Ceis Corainn, far away from Finn and from Teamhair. And +Grania bore him children there, four sons and one daughter. And they +lived there in peace, and the people used to be saying there was not a +man living at the same time was richer as to gold and to silver, as to +cattle and to sheep, than Diarmuid. + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. THE BOAR OF BEINN GULBAIN + + +But at last one day Grania spoke to Diarmuid, and it is what she said, +that it was a shame on them, with all the people and the household they +had, and all their riches, the two best men in Ireland never to have +come to the house, the High King, her father, and Finn, son of Cumhal. +"Why do you say that, Grania," said Diarmuid, "and they being enemies to +me?" + +"It is what I would wish," said Grania, "to give them a feast, the way +you would get their affection." "I give leave for that," said Diarmuid. + +So Grania was making ready a great feast through the length of a year, +and messengers were sent for the High King of Ireland, and for Finn and +the seven battalions of the Fianna; and they came, and they were using +the feast from day to day through the length of a year. + +And on the last night of the year, Diarmuid was in his sleep at Rath +Grania; and in the night he heard the voice of hounds through his sleep, +and he started up, and Grania caught him and put her two arms about him, +and asked what had startled him. "The voice of a hound I heard," said +he; "and it is a wonder to me to hear that in the night." "Safe keeping +on you," said Grania, "for it is the Tuatha de Danaan are doing that on +you, on account of Angus of Brugh na Boinn, and lie down on the bed +again." But for all that no sleep came to him, and he heard the voice of +the hound again, and he started up a second time to follow after it. But +Grania caught hold of him the second time and bade him to lie down, and +she said it was no fitting thing to go after the voice of a hound in the +night. So he lay down again, and he fell asleep, but the voice of the +hound awakened him the third time. And the day was come with its full +light that time, and he said: "I will go after the voice of the hound +now, since the day is here." "If that is so," said Grania, "bring the +Mor-alltach, the Great Fierce One, the sword of Manannan, with you, and +the Gae Dearg." "I will not," he said; "but I will take the +Beag-alltach, the Little Fierce One, and the Gae Buidhe in the one hand, +and the hound Mac an Chuill, the Son of the Hazel, in the other hand." + +Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to +the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without +any one at all in his company. Diarmuid gave him no greeting, but asked +him was it he was making that hunt. Finn said it was not a hunt he was +making, but that he and some of the Fianna had gone out after midnight; +"and one of our hounds that was loose beside us, came on the track of a +wild boar," he said, "and they were not able to bring him back yet. And +there is no use following that boar he is after," he said, "for it is +many a time the Fianna hunted him, and he went away from them every time +till now, and he has killed thirty of them this morning. And he is +coming up the mountain towards us," he said, "and let us leave this hill +to him now." + +"I will not leave the hill through fear of him," said Diarmuid. "It +would be best for you, Diarmuid," said Finn, "for it is the earless +Green Boar of Beinn Gulbain is in it, and it is by him you will come to +your death, and Angus knew that well when he put bonds on you not to go +hunting pigs." "I never knew of those bonds," said Diarmuid; "but +however it is, I will not quit this through fear of him. And let you +leave Bran with me now," he said, "along with Mac an Chuill." "I will +not," said Finn, "for it is often he met this boar before and could do +nothing against him." He went away then and left Diarmuid alone on the +top of the hill. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "you made this hunt +for my death, Finn; and if it is here I am to find my death," he said, +"I have no use in going aside from it now." + +The boar came up the face of the mountain then, and the Fianna after +him. Diarmuid loosed Mac an Chuill from his leash then, but that did not +serve him, for he did not wait for the boar, but ran from him. "It is a +pity not to follow the advice of a good woman," said Diarmuid, "for +Grania bade me this morning to bring the Mor-alltach and the Gae Dearg +with me." Then he put his finger into the silken string of the Gae +Buidhe, and took a straight aim at the boar and hit him full in the +face; but if he did, the spear did not so much as give him a scratch. +Diarmuid was discouraged by that, but he drew the Beag-alltach, and made +a full stroke at the back of the boar, but neither did that make a wound +on him, but it made two halves of the sword. Then the boar made a brave +charge at Diarmuid, that cut the sod from under his feet and brought him +down; but Diarmuid caught hold of the boar on rising, and held on to +him, having one of his legs on each side of him, and his face to his +hinder parts. And the boar made away headlong down the hill, but he +could not rid himself of Diarmuid; and he went on after that to Ess +Ruadh, and when he came to the red stream he gave three high leaps over +it, backwards and forwards, but he could not put him from his back, and +he went back by the same path till he went up the height of the +mountain again. And at last on the top of the mountain he freed himself, +and Diarmuid fell on the ground. And then the boar made a rush at him, +and ripped him open, that his bowels came out about his feet. But if he +did, Diarmuid made a cast at him with the hilt of his sword that was in +his hand yet, and dashed out his brains, so that he fell dead there and +then. And Rath na h-Amhrann, the Rath of the Sword Hilt, is the name of +that place to this day. + +It was not long till Finn and the Fianna of Ireland came to the place, +and the pains of death were coming on Diarmuid at that time. "It is well +pleased I am to see you that way, Diarmuid," said Finn; "and it is a +pity all the women of Ireland not to be looking at you now, for your +great beauty is turned to ugliness, and your comely shape to +uncomeliness." "For all that, you have power to heal me, Finn," said +Diarmuid, "if you had a mind to do it." "What way could I heal you?" +said Finn. "Easy enough," said Diarmuid, "for the time you were given +the great gift of knowledge at the Boinn, you got this gift with it, +that any one you would give a drink to out of the palms of your hands +would be young and well again from any sickness after it." "You are not +deserving of that drink from me," said Finn. "That is not true," said +Diarmuid; "it is well I deserve it from you; for the time you went to +the house of Dearc, son of Donnarthadh, and your chief men with you for +a feast, your enemies came round the house, and gave out three great +shouts against you, and threw fire and firebrands into it. And you rose +up and would have gone out, but I bade you to stop there at drinking and +pleasure, for that I myself would go out and put them down. And I went +out, and put out the flames, and made three red rushes round the house, +and I killed fifty in every rush, and I came in again without a wound. +And it is glad and merry and in good courage you were that night, +Finn," he said, "and if it was that night I had asked a drink of you, +you would have given it; and it would be right for you to give it to me +now." "That is not so," said Finn; "it is badly you have earned a drink +or any good thing from me; for the night you went to Teamhair with me, +you took Grania away from me in the presence of all the men of Ireland, +and you being my own guard over her that night." + +"Do not blame me for that, Finn," said Diarmuid, "for what did I ever do +against you, east or west, but that one thing; and you know well Grania +put bonds on me, and I would not fail in my bonds for the gold of the +whole world. And you will know it is well I have earned a drink from +you, if you bring to mind the night the feast was made in the House of +the Quicken Tree, and how you and all your men were bound there till I +heard of it, and came fighting and joyful, and loosed you with my own +blood, and with the blood of the Three Kings of the Island of the +Floods; and if I had asked a drink of you that night, Finn, you would +not have refused it. And I was with you in the smiting of Lon, son of +Liobhan, and you are the man that should not forsake me beyond any other +man. And many is the strait has overtaken yourself and the Fianna of +Ireland since I came among you, and I was ready every time to put my +body and my life in danger for your sake, and you ought not to do this +unkindness on me now. And besides that," he said, "there has many a good +champion fallen through the things you yourself have done, and there is +not an end of them yet; and there will soon come great misfortunes on +the Fianna, and it is few of their seed will be left after them. And it +is not for yourself I am fretting, Finn," he said, "but for Oisin and +Osgar, and the rest of my dear comrades, and as for you, Oisin, you will +be left lamenting after the Fianna. And it is greatly you will feel the +want of me yet, Finn," he said; "and if the women of the Fianna knew I +was lying in my wounds on this ridge, it is sorrowful their faces would +be at this time." + +And Osgar said then: "Although I am nearer in blood to you, Finn, than +to Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, I will not let you refuse him this +drink; and by my word," he said, "if any prince in the world would do +the same unkindness to Diarmuid that you have done, it is only the one +of us that has the strongest hand would escape alive. And give him a +drink now without delay," he said. + +"I do not know of any well at all on this mountain," said Finn. "That is +not so," said Diarmuid, "for there is not nine footsteps from you the +well that has the best fresh water that can be found in the world." + +Then Finn went to the well, and he took the full of his two hands of the +water. But when he was no more than half-way back, the thought of Grania +came on him, and he let the water slip through his hands, and he said he +was not able to bring it. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "it was of +your own will you let it from you." Then Finn went back the second time +to get the water, but coming back he let it through his hands again at +the thought of Grania. And Diarmuid gave a pitiful sigh of anguish when +he saw that. "I swear by my sword and by my spear," said Osgar, "that if +you do not bring the water without any more delay, Finn, there will not +leave this hill but yourself or myself." Finn went back the third time +to the well after what Osgar said, and he brought the water to Diarmuid, +but as he reached him the life went out of his body. Then the whole +company of the Fianna that were there gave three great heavy shouts, +keening for Diarmuid. + +And Osgar looked very fiercely at Finn, and it is what he said, that it +was a greater pity Diarmuid to be dead than if he himself had died. And +the Fianna of Ireland had lost their yoke of battle by him, he said. +"Let us leave this hill," said Finn then, "before Angus and the Tuatha +de Danaan come upon us, for although we have no share in the death of +Diarmuid, he would not believe the truth from us." "I give my word," +said Osgar, "if I had thought it was against Diarmuid you made the hunt +of Beinn Gulbain, you would never have made it" + +Then Finn and the Fianna went away from the hill, and Finn leading +Diarmuid's hound Mac an Chuill. But Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and +Lugaidh's Son turned back again and put their four cloaks over Diarmuid, +and then they went after the rest of the Fianna. + +And when they came to the Rath, Grania was out on the wall looking for +news of Diarmuid; and she saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland coming +towards her. Then she said: "If Diarmuid was living, it is not led by +Finn that Mac an Chuill would be coming home." And she was at that time +heavy with child, and her strength went from her and she fell down from +the wall. And when Oisin saw the way she was he bade Finn and the others +to go on from her, but she lifted up her head and she asked Finn to +leave Mac an Chuill with her. And he said he would not, and that he did +not think it too much for him to inherit from Diarmuid, grandson of +Duibhne. + +When Oisin heard that, he snatched the hound out of Finn's hand and gave +it to Grania, and then he followed after his people. + +Then when Grania was certain of Diarmuid's death she gave out a long +very pitiful cry that was heard through the whole place, and her women +and her people came to her, and asked what ailed her to give a cry like +that. And she told them how Diarmuid had come to his death by the Boar +of Beinn Gulbain in the hunt Finn had made. "And there is grief in my +very heart," she said, "I not to be able to fight myself with Finn, and +I would not have let him go safe out of this place." + +When her people heard of the death of Diarmuid they gave three great +heavy cries in the same way, that were heard in the clouds and the waste +places of the sky. And then Grania bade the five hundred that she had +for household to go to Beinn Gulbain for the body of Diarmuid. + +And when they were bringing it back, she went out to meet them, and they +put down the body of Diarmuid, and it is what she said: + +"I am your wife, beautiful Diarmuid, the man I would do no hurt to; it +is sorrowful I am after you to-night. + +"I am looking at the hawk and the hound my secret love used to be +hunting with; she that loved the three, let her be put in the grave with +Diarmuid. + +"Let us be glad to-night, let us make all welcome to-night, let us be +open-handed to-night, since we are sitting by the body of a king. + +"And O Diarmuid," she said, "it is a hard bed Finn has given you, to be +lying on the stones and to be wet with the rain. Ochone!" she said, +"your blue eyes to be without sight, you that were friendly and generous +and pursuing. O love! O Diarmuid! it is a pity it is he sent you to your +death. + +"You were a champion of the men of Ireland, their prop in the middle of +the fight; you were the head of every battle; your ways were glad and +pleasant. + +"It is sorrowful I am, without mirth, without light, but only sadness +and grief and long dying; your harp used to be sweet to me, it wakened +my heart to gladness. Now my courage is fallen down, I not to hear you +but to be always remembering your ways. Och! my grief is going through +me. + +"A thousand curses on the day when Grania gave you her love, that put +Finn of the princes from his wits; it is a sorrowful story your death is +to-day. + +"Many heroes were great and strong about me in the beautiful plain; +their hands were good at wrestling and at battle; Ochone! that I did not +follow them. + +"You were the man was best of the Fianna, beautiful Diarmuid, that +women loved. It is dark your dwelling-place is under the sod, it is +mournful and cold your bed is; it is pleasant your laugh was to-day; you +were my happiness, Diarmuid." + +And she went back then into the Rath, and bade her people to bring the +body to her there. + +Now just at this time, it was showed to Angus at Brugh na Boinne that +Diarmuid was dead on Beinn Gulbain, for he had kept no watch over him +the night before. + +And he went on the cold wind towards Beinn Gulbain, and his people with +him, and on the way they met with Grania's people that were bringing the +body to the Rath. + +And when they saw him they held out the wrong sides of their shields as +a sign of peace, and Angus knew them; and he and his people gave three +great terrible cries over the body of Diarmuid. + +And Angus spoke then, and it is what he said: "I was never one night +since the time I brought you to Brugh na Boinne, being nine months old, +without keeping watch and protection over you till last night, Diarmuid, +grandson of Duibhne; and now your blood has been shed and you have been +cut off sharply, and the Boar of Beinn Gulbain has put you down, +Diarmuid of the bright face and the bright sword. And it is a pity Finn +to have done this treachery," he said, "and you at peace with him. + +"And lift up his body now," he said, "and bring it to the Brugh in the +lasting rocks. And if I cannot bring him back to life," he said, "I will +put life into him the way he can be talking with me every day." + +Then they put his body on a golden bier, and his spears over it pointed +upwards, and they went on till they came to Brugh na Boinne. + +And Grania's people went to her and told her how Angus would not let +them bring the body into the Rath, but brought it away himself to Brugh +na Boinne. And Grania said she had no power over him. + +And she sent out then for her four sons that were being reared in the +district of Corca Ui Duibhne. And when they came she gave them a loving +welcome, and they came into the Rath and sat down there according to +their age. And Grania spoke to them with a very loud, clear voice, and +it is what she said: "My dear children, your father has been killed by +Finn, son of Cumhal, against his own bond and agreement of peace, and +let you avenge it well upon him. And here is your share of the +inheritance of your father," she said, "his arms and his armour, and his +feats of valour and power; and I will share these arms among you +myself," she said, "and that they may bring you victory in every battle. +Here is the sword for Donnchadh," she said, "the best son Diarmuid had; +and the Gae Dearg for Eochaidh; and here is the armour for Ollann, for +it will keep the body it is put on in safety; and the shield for Connla. +And make no delay now," she said, "but go and learn every sort of skill +in fighting, till such time as you will come to your full strength to +avenge your father." + +So they took leave of her then, and of their household. + +And some of their people said: "What must we do now, since our lords +will be going into danger against Finn and the Fianna of Ireland?" And +Donnchadh, son of Diarmuid, bade them stop in their own places; "for if +we make peace with Finn," he said, "there need be no fear on you, and if +not, you can make your choice between ourselves and him." And with that +they set out on their journey. + +But after a while Finn went secretly and unknown to the Fianna to the +place where Grania was, and he got to see her in spite of all her high +talk, and he spoke gently to her. And she would not listen to him, but +bade him to get out of her sight, and whatever hard thing her tongue +could say, she said it. But all the same, he went on giving her gentle +talk and loving words, till in the end he brought her to his own will. + +And there is no news told of them, until such time as they came to where +the seven battalions of the Fianna were waiting for Finn. And when they +saw him coming, and Grania with him, like any new wife with her husband, +they gave a great shout of laughter and of mockery, and Grania bowed +down her head with shame, "By my word, Finn," said Oisin, "you will keep +a good watch on Grania from this out." + +And some said the change had come on her because the mind of a woman +changes like the water of a running stream; but some said it was Finn +that had put enchantment on her. + +And as to the sons of Diarmuid, they came back at the end of seven +years, after learning all that was to be learned of valour in the far +countries of the world. And when they came back to Rath Grania they were +told their mother was gone away with Finn, son of Cumhal, without +leaving any word for themselves or for the King of Ireland. And they +said if that was so, there was nothing for them to do. But after that +they said they would make an attack on Finn, and they went forward to +Almhuin, and they would take no offers, but made a great slaughter of +every troop that came out against them. + +But at last Grania made an agreement of peace between themselves and +Finn, and they got their father's place among the Fianna; and that was +little good to them, for they lost their lives with the rest in the +battle of Gabhra. And as to Finn and Grania, they stopped with one +another to the end. + + + + +BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR. + +CHAPTER I. TAILC, SON OF TREON + + +One time the Fianna were all gathered together doing feats and casting +stones. And after a while the Druid of Teamhair that was with them said: +"I am in dread, Finn of the Fianna, that there is some trouble near at +hand; and look now at those dark clouds of blood," he said, "that are +threatening us side by side overhead. And there is fear on me," he said, +"that there is some destruction coming on the Fianna." + +Finn looked up then, and he saw the great cloud of blood, and he called +Osgar to look at it. "That need not knock a start from you," said Osgar, +"with all the strength there is in your arms, and in the men that are +with you." Then all the Fianna looked up at the cloud, and some of them +were glad and cheerful and some were downhearted. + +Then the Druid bade Finn to call all his battalions together and to +divide them into two halves, that they could be watching for the coming +of the enemy. + +So Finn sounded the Dord Fiann, and they answered with a shout, every +one hurrying to be the first. And Finn bade Osgar and Goll and Faolan to +keep watch through the night, and he bade Conan the Bald to stop in the +darkness of the cave of Liath Ard. "For it is you can shout loudest," he +said, "to warn us if you see the enemy coming." "That I may be pierced +through the middle of my body," said Conan, "if I will go watching for +troubles or for armies alone, without some more of the Fianna being with +me." "It is not fitting for you to refuse Finn," said Lugaidh's Son; +"and it is you can shout the loudest," he said, "if the enemies come +near the height." "Do not be speaking to me any more," said Conan, "for +I will not go there alone, through the length of my days, for Finn and +the whole of the Fianna." "Go then, Conan," said Osgar, "and Aodh Beag +will go with you, and you can bring dogs with you, Bran and Sceolan and +Fuaim and Fearagan; and let you go now without begrudging it," he said. + +So Conan went then to Liath Ard, and Aodh Beag and Finn's hounds along +with him. And as to Finn, he lay down to sleep, and it was not long till +he saw through his sleep Aodh Beag his son, and he without his head. And +after that he saw Goll fighting with a very strong man. And he awoke +from his sleep, and called the Druid of the Fianna to him, and asked him +the meaning of what he saw. "I am in dread there is some destruction +coming on the Fianna," said the Druid; "but Aodh Beag will not be +wounded in the fight, or Goll," he said. + +And it was not long till Finn heard a great shout, and he sounded the +Dord Fiann, and then he saw Conan running, and the hounds after him. And +Finn sounded the Dord Fiann again before Conan came up, and when he +came, Osgar asked him where was Aodh Beag. "He was at the door of the +cave when I left it," said Conan, "but I did not look behind me since +then," he said; "and it was not Aodh Beag was troubling me." "What was +troubling you then?" said Osgar. "Nothing troubles me but myself," said +Conan; "although I am well pleased at any good that comes to you," he +said. + +Osgar went then running hard, till he came to the cave, and there he +found Aodh Beag with no fear or trouble on him at all, stopping there +till he would hear the noise of the shields. And Osgar brought him back +to where the Fianna were, and they saw a great army coming as if in +search of them. + +And a beautiful woman, having a crimson cloak, came to them over the +plain, and she spoke to Finn, and her voice was as sweet as music. And +Finn asked her who was she, and who did she come looking for. "I am the +daughter of Garraidh, son of Dolar Dian, the Fierce," she said; "and my +curse upon the King of Greece that bound me to the man that is +following after me, and that I am going from, Tailc, son of Treon." +"Tell me why are you shunning him, and I will protect you in spite of +him," said Finn. "It is not without reason I hate him," said she, "for +he has no good appearance, and his skin is of the colour of coal, and he +has the head and the tail of a cat. And I have walked the world three +times," she said, "and I did not leave a king or a great man without +asking help from him, and I never got it yet." "I will give you +protection," said Finn, "or the seven battalions of the Fianna will fall +for your sake." + +With that they saw the big strange man, Tailc, son of Treon, coming +towards them, and he said no word at all of greeting to Finn, but he +called for a battle on account of his wife. + +So a thousand of the Fianna went out to meet him and his men; and if +they did they all fell, and not one of them came back again. And then +another thousand of the best men of the Fianna, having blue and green +shields, went out under Caoilte, son of Ronan, and they were worsted by +Tailc and his people. And then Osgar asked leave of Finn to go out and +fight the big man. "I will give you leave," said Finn, "although I am +sure you will fall by him." So Osgar went out, and he himself and Tailc, +son of Treon, were fighting through the length of five days and five +nights without food or drink or sleep. And at the end of that time, +Osgar made an end of Tailc, and struck his head off. And when the Fianna +saw that, they gave a shout of lamentation for those they had lost of +the Fianna, and two shouts of joy for the death of Tailc. + +And as to the young woman, when she saw all the slaughter that had been +done on account of her, shame reddened her face, and she fell dead there +and then. And to see her die like that, after all she had gone through, +preyed more on the Fianna than any other thing. + + + + +CHAPTER II. MEARGACH'S WIFE + + +And while the Fianna were gathered yet on the hill where Tailc, son of +Treon, had been put down, they saw a very great champion coming towards +them, having an army behind him. He took no notice of any one more than +another, but he asked in a very rough voice where was Finn, the Head of +the Fianna. And Aodh Beag, that had a quiet heart, asked him who was he, +and what was he come for. "I will tell you nothing at all, child," said +the big man, "for it is short your years are, and I will tell nothing at +all to any one but Finn." So Aodh Beag brought him to where Finn was, +and Finn asked him his name. "Meargach of the Green Spears is my name," +he said; "and arms were never reddened yet on my body, and no one ever +boasted of driving me backwards. And was it you, Finn," he said, "put +down Tailc, son of Treon?" "It was not by me he fell," said Finn, "but +by Osgar of the strong hand." "Was it not a great shame for you, Finn," +said Meargach then, "to let the queen-woman that had such a great name +come to her death by the Fianna?" "It was not by myself or by any of the +Fianna she got her death," said Finn; "it was seeing the army lost that +brought her to her death. But if it is satisfaction for her death or the +death of Tailc you want," he said, "You can get it from a man of the +Fianna, or you can go quietly from this place." Then Meargach said he +would fight with any man they would bring against him, to avenge Tailc, +son of Treon. + +And it was Osgar stood up against him, and they fought a very hard fight +through the length of three days, and at one time the Fianna thought it +was Osgar was worsted, and they gave a great sorrowful shout. But in the +end Osgar put down Meargach and struck his head off, and at that the +seven battalions of the Fianna gave a shout of victory, and the army of +Meargach keened him very sorrowfully. And after that, the two sons of +Meargach, Ciardan the Swift and Liagan the Nimble, came up and asked +who would come against them, hand to hand, that they might get +satisfaction for their father. + +And it was Goll stood up against Ciardan, and it was not long till he +put him down; and Conan came out against Liagan, and Liagan mocked at +him and said: "It is foolishness your coming is, bald man!" But Conan +made a quick blow and struck his head off before the fight was begun at +all. + +And Faolan said that was a shameful thing to do, not to stand his ground +and make a fair fight. But Conan said: "If I could make an end of the +whole army by one blow, I would do it, and I would not be ashamed, and +the whole of the Fianna could not shelter them from me." + +Then the two armies came towards each other, and they were making ready +for the attack. And they saw a beautiful golden-haired woman coming +towards them, and she crying and ever crying, and the battle was given +up on both sides, waiting for her to come; and the army of Meargach knew +it was their queen, Ailne of the Bright Face, and they raised a great +cry of grief; and the Fianna were looking at her, and said no word. + +And she asked where was her husband, and where were her two sons. "High +Queen," said Finn then, "for all they were so complete and quick and +strong, the three you are asking for fell in fight." + +And when the queen-woman heard that, she cried out aloud, and she went +to the place where her husband and her two sons were lying, and she +stood over their bodies, and her golden hair hanging, and she keened +them there. And her own people raised a sharp lamentation listening to +her, and the Fianna themselves were under grief. + +And it is what she said: "O Meargach," she said, "of the sharp green +spears, it is many a fight and many a heavy battle your hard hand fought +in the gathering of the armies or alone. + +"I never knew any wound to be on your body after them; and it is full +sure I am, it was not strength but treachery got the upper hand of you +now. + +"It is long your journey was from far off, from your own kind country to +Inisfail, to come to Finn and the Fianna, that put my three to death +through treachery. + +"My grief! to have lost my husband, my head, by the treachery of the +Fianna; my two sons, my two men that were rough in the fight. + +"My grief! my food and my drink; my grief! my teaching everywhere; my +grief! my journey from far off, and I to have lost my high heroes. + +"My grief! my house thrown down; my grief! my shelter and my shield; my +grief! Meargach and Ciardan; my grief! Liagan of the wide chest. + +"My grief! my protection and my shelter; my grief! my strength and my +power; my grief! there is darkness come from this thing; my grief +to-night you to be in your weakness. + +"My grief! my gladness and my pleasure; my grief! my desire in every +place; my grief! my courage is gone and my strength; my grief from this +night out for ever. + +"My grief! my guide and my going; my grief! my desire to the day of my +death; my grief! my store and my sway; my grief! my heroes that were +open-handed. + +"My grief! my bed and my sleep; my grief! my journey and my coming; my +grief! my teacher and my share; my sorrowful grief! my three men. + +"My grief! my beauty and my ornaments; my grief! my jewels and my +riches; my grief! my treasures and my goods; my grief! my three Candles +of Valour. + +"My grief! my friends and my kindred; my grief! my people and my +friends. My grief! my father and my mother; my grief and my trouble! you +to be dead. + +"My grief my portion and my welcome; my grief! my health at every time; +my grief! my increase and my light; my sore trouble, you to be without +strength. + +"My grief! your spear and your sword; my grief! your gentleness and your +love; my grief! your country and your home; my grief! you to be parted +from my reach. + +"My grief! my coasts and my harbours; my grief! my wealth and my +prosperity; my grief! my greatness and my kingdom; my grief and my +crying are until death. + +"My grief! my luck altogether; my grief for you in time of battle; my +grief! my gathering of armies; my grief! my three proud lions. + +"My grief! my games and my drinking; my grief! my music and my delight; +my grief! my sunny house and my women; my crying grief, you to be under +defeat. + +"My grief! my lands and my hunting; my grief! my three sure fighters; +Och! my grief! they are my sorrow, to fall far off by the Fianna. + +"I knew by the great host of the Sidhe that were fighting over the dun, +giving battle to one another in the valleys of the air, that destruction +would put down my three. + +"I knew by the noise of the voices of the Sidhe coming into my ears, +that a story of new sorrow was not far from me; it is your death it was +foretelling. + +"I knew at the beginning of the day when my three good men went from me, +when I saw tears of blood on their cheeks, that they would not come back +to me as winners. + +"I knew by the voice of the battle-crow over your dun every evening, +since you went from me comely and terrible, that misfortune and grief +were at hand. + +"It is well I remember, my three strong ones, how often I used to be +telling you that if you would go to Ireland, I would not see the joy of +victory on your faces. + +"I knew by the voice of the raven every morning since you went from me, +that your fall was sure and certain; that you would never come back to +your own country. + +"I knew, my three great ones, by your forgetting the thongs of your +hounds, that you would not gain the day or escape from the treachery of +the Fianna. + +"I knew, Candles of Valour, by the stream near the dun turning to blood +when you set out, that there would be treachery in Finn. + +"I knew by the eagle coming every evening over the dun, that it would +not be long till I would hear a story of bad news of my three. + +"I knew by the withering of the tree before the dun, that you would +never come back as conquerors from the treachery of Finn, son of +Cumhal." + +When Grania, now, heard what the woman was saying, there was anger on +her, and she said: "Do not be speaking against Finn or the Fianna, +Queen, for it was not by any treachery or any deceit your three men were +brought to their end." + +But Ailne made her no answer and gave no heed to her, but she went on +with her complaint, and she crying and ever crying. + +"I knew, looking after you the day you went out from the dun, by the +flight of the raven before you, there was no good sign of your coming +back again. + +"I knew by Ciardan's hounds that were howling mournfully every evening, +that it would not be long till I would have bad news of you. + +"I knew by my sleep that went from me, by my tears through every lasting +night, that there was no luck before you. + +"I knew by the sorrowful vision that showed myself in danger, my head +and my hands cut off, that it was yourselves were without sway. + +"I knew by the voice of Uaithnin, the hound that is dearest to Liagan, +howling early every morning, that death was certain for my three. + +"I knew when I saw in a vision a lake of blood in the place of the dun, +that my three were put down by the deceit that was always with Finn." + +"Do not be faulting Finn," said Grania then, "however vexed your heart +may be. And leave off now," she said, "speaking against the Fianna and +against himself; for if your men had stopped in their own country," she +said, "without coming to avenge the son of Treon, there would no harm +have happened them." "I would not put any reproach on the Fianna, +Grania," said Ailne, "if my three men had been put down in fair battle, +but they are not living to bear witness to me," she said; "and it is +likely they were put under Druid spells at the first, or they would +never have given in." "If they were living, Queen," said Grania, "they +would not be running down the Fianna, but they would tell you it was by +bravery and the strong hand they fell." "I do not believe you or the +Fianna when you say that," said Ailne; "for no one that came to meet +them ever got the sway over them by the right of the sword." "If you do +not believe what I am saying, beautiful Ailne," said Grania, "I tell +you more of your great army will fall by the Fianna, and that not by +treachery." "That is not so," said Ailne, "but I have good hopes that my +own army will do destruction on the Fianna, for the sake of the men that +are dead." "Well, Ailne," said Grania, "I know it is a far journey you +have come. And come now and eat and drink," she said, "with myself and +with the Fianna." + +But Ailne would not do that, but she said it would not be fitting for +her to take food from people that did such deeds, and what she wanted +was satisfaction for the death of her husband and her two sons. + +And first it was settled for two men of each side to go out against one +another; and then Ailne said that there should be thirty men on each +side, and then she said she would not be satisfied to go back to her own +country till she brought the head of Finn with her, or till the last of +his men had fallen. And there was a great battle fought in the end, and +it is seldom the Fianna fought so hard a battle as that. + +And it would be too long to tell, and it would tire the hearers, how +many good men were killed on each side. But in the end Ailne of the +Bright Face was worsted, and she went back with what were left of her +men to their own country, and no one knew where they went. + +And the hill in the west those battles were fought on got the name of +Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter. + + + + +CHAPTER III. AILNE'S REVENGE + + +One day Finn and his people were hunting on Slieve Fuad, and a stag +stood against them for a while and fought with his great rough horns, +and then he turned and ran, and the Fianna followed after him till they +came to the green hill of Liadhas, and from that to rocky Cairgin. And +there they lost him again for a while, till Sceolan started him again, +and he went back towards Slieve Fuad, and the Fianna after him. + +But Finn and Daire of the Songs, that were together, went astray and +lost the rest of their people, and they did not know was it east or west +they were going. + +Finn sounded the Dord Fiann then, and Daire played some sorrowful music +to let their people know where they were. But when the Fianna heard the +music, it seemed to be a long way off; and sometimes they thought it was +in the north it was, and sometimes in the east, and then it changed to +the west, the way they did not know in the wide world where was it +coming from. + +And as to Finn and Daire, a Druid mist came about them, and they did not +know what way they were going. + +And after a while they met with a young woman, comely and pleasant, and +they asked who was she, and what brought her there. "Glanluadh is my +name," she said, "and my husband is Lobharan; and we were travelling +over the plain together a while ago, and we heard the cry of hounds, and +he left me and went after the hunt, and I do not know where is he, or +what way did he go." "Come on then with us," said Finn, "and we will +take care of you, for we ourselves do not know what way the hunt is +gone, east or west." So they went on, and before long they came to a +hill, and they heard sleepy music of the Sidhe beside them. And after +that there came shouts and noises, and then the music began again, and +heavy sleep came on Finn and Daire. And when they awoke from their sleep +they saw a very large lighted house before them, and a stormy blue sea +around it. Then they saw a very big grey man coming through the waves, +and he took hold of Finn and of Daire, and all their strength went from +them, and he brought them across the waves and into the house, and he +shut the door of the house with iron hooks. "My welcome to you, Finn of +the great name," he said then in a very harsh voice; "it is long we are +waiting here for you." + +They sat down then on the hard side of a bed, and the woman of the house +came to them, and they knew her to be Ailne, wife of Meargach. "It is +long I am looking for you, Finn," she said, "to get satisfaction for the +treachery you did on Meargach and on my two comely young sons, and on +Tailc, son of Treon, and all his people. And do you remember that, +Finn?" she said. "I remember well," said Finn, "that they fell by the +swords of the Fianna, not by treachery but in fighting." "It was by +treachery they fell," said the Grey Man then; "and it is our witness to +it, pleasant Ailne to be the way she is, and many a strong army under +grief on account of her." "What is Ailne to you, man of the rough +voice?" said Finn. "I am her own brother," said the man. + +With that he put bonds on the three, Finn and Daire and Glanluadh, and +he put them down into some deep shut place. + +They were very sorrowful then, and they stopped there to the end of five +days and five nights, without food, without drink, without music. + +And Ailne went to see them then, and Finn said to her: "O Ailne," he +said, "bring to mind the time you come to Cnoc-an-Air, and the way the +Fianna treated you with generosity; and it is not fitting for you," he +said, "to keep us now under shame and weakness and in danger of death." +"I know well I got kind treatment from Grania," said Ailne in a +sorrowful voice; "but for all that, Finn," she said, "if all the Fianna +were in that prison along with you under hard bonds, it would please me +well, and I would not pity their case. And what is it set you following +after Finn," she said then to Glanluadh, "for that is not a fitting +thing for you to do, and his own kind wife living yet." + +Then Glanluadh told her the whole story, and how she was walking the +plain with Lobharan her husband, and he followed the hunt, and the mist +came about her that she did not know east from west, and how she met +then with Finn that she never saw before that time. "If that is so," +said Ailne, "it is not right for you to be under punishment without +cause." + +She called then to her brother the Grey Man, and bade him take the +spells off Glanluadh. And when she was set free it is sorry she was to +leave Daire in bonds, and Finn. And when she had bidden them farewell +she went out with Ailne, and there was food brought to her, but a cloud +of weakness came on her of a sudden, that it was a pity to see the way +she was. + +And when Ailne saw that, she brought out an enchanted cup of the Sidhe +and gave her a drink from it. And no sooner did Glanluadh drink from the +cup than her strength and her own appearance came back to her again; but +for all that, she was fretting after Finn and Daire in their bonds. "It +seems to me, Glanluadh, you are fretting after those two men," said +Ailne. "I am sorry indeed," said Glanluadh, "the like of those men to be +shut up without food or drink." "If it is pleasing to you to give them +food you may give it," said Ailne, "for I will not make an end of them +till I see can I get the rest of the Fianna into bonds along with them." +The two women brought food and drink then to Finn, and to Daire; and +Glanluadh gave her blessing to Finn, and she cried when she saw the way +he was; but as to Ailne, she had no pity at all for the King of the +Fianna. + +Now as to the Grey Man, he heard them talking of the Fianna, and they +were saying that Daire had a great name for the sweetness of his music. +"I have a mind to hear that sweet music," said he. So he went to the +place where they were, and he bade Daire to let him hear what sort of +music he could make. "My music pleased the Fianna well," said Daire; +"but I think it likely it would not please you." "Play it for me now, +till I know if the report I heard of you is true," said the Grey Man. +"Indeed, I have no mind for music," said Daire, "being weak and +downhearted the way I am, through your spells that put down my courage." +"I will take my spells off you for so long as you play for me," said the +Grey Man. "I could never make music seeing Finn in bonds the way he is," +said Daire; "for it is worse to me, he to be under trouble than myself." +"I will take the power of my spells off Finn till you play for me," said +the Grey Man. + +He weakened the spells then, and gave them food and drink, and it +pleased him greatly the way Daire played the music, and he called to +Glanluadh and to Ailne to come and to listen to the sweetness of it. And +they were well pleased with it, and it is glad Glanluadh was, seeing +them not so discouraged as they were. + +Now as to the Fianna, they were searching for Finn and for Daire in +every place they had ever stopped in. And when they came to this place +they could hear Daire's sweet music; and at first they were glad when +they heard it, and then when they knew the way he himself and Finn were, +they made an attack on Ailne's dun to release them. + +But the Grey Man heard their shouts, and he put the full power of his +spells again on Finn and on Daire. And the Fianna heard the music as if +stammering, and then they heard a great noise like the loud roaring of +waves, and when they heard that, there was not one of them but fell into +a sleep and clouds of death, under those sorrowful spells. + +And then the Grey Man and Ailne came out quietly from where they were, +and they brought the whole of the men of the Fianna that were there into +the dun. And they put hard bonds on them, and put them where Finn and +Daire were. And there was great grief on Finn and Daire when they saw +them, and they were all left there together for a while. + +Then Glanluadh said to the Grey Man: "If Daire's music is pleasing to +you, let him play it to us now." "If you have a mind for music," said +the Grey Man, "Daire must play it for us, and for Finn and his army as +well." + +They went then to where they were, and bade Daire to play. "I could +never play sweet music," said Daire, "the time the Fianna are in any +trouble; for when they are in trouble, I myself am in trouble, and I +could not sound any sweet string," he said, "while there is trouble on +any man of them." The Grey Man weakened the spells then on them all, and +Daire played first the strings of sweetness, and of the noise of +shouting, and then he sang his own grief and the grief of all the +Fianna. And at that the Grey Man said it would not be long before he +would put the whole of the Fianna to death; and then Daire played a tune +of heavy shouts of lamentation. And then at Finn's bidding he played the +music of sweet strings for the Fianna. + +They were kept, now, a long time in that prison, and they got very hard +treatment; and sometimes Ailne's brother would come in and strike the +heads off some of them, for none of them could rise up from the seats +they were sitting on through his enchantments. But one time he was going +to strike the bald head off Conan, and Conan made a great leap from the +seat; but if he did, he left strips of his skin hanging to it, that his +back was left bare. And then he came round the Grey Man with his pitiful +words: "Stop your hand now," he said, "for that is enough for this time; +and do not send me to my death yet awhile, and heal me of my wounds +first," he said, "before you make an end of me." And the reason he said +that was because he knew Ailne to have an enchanted cup in the dun, that +had cured Glanluadh. + +And the Grey Man took pity on his case, and he brought him out and bade +Ailne to bring the cup to him and to cure his wounds. "I will not bring +it," said Ailne, "for it would be best give no time at all to him or to +the Fianna, but to make an end of them." "It is not to be saved from +death I am asking, bright-faced Ailne," said Conan, "but only not to go +to my death stripped bare the way I am." When Ailne heard that, she +brought a sheepskin and she put it on Conan's back, and it fitted and +grew to him, and covered his wounds. "I will not put you to death, +Conan," said the Grey Man then, "but you can stop with myself to the end +of your life." "You will never be without grief and danger and the fear +of treachery if you keep him with you," said Ailne; "for there is +treachery in his heart the same as there is in the rest of them." "There +is no fear of that," said her brother, "or I will make no delay until I +put the whole of the Fianna to death." And with that he brought Conan to +where the enchanted cup was, and he put it in his hand. And just at that +moment they heard Daire playing very sweet sorrowful music, and the Grey +Man went to listen to it, very quick and proud. And Conan followed him +there, and after a while the Grey Man asked him what did he do with the +enchanted cup. "I left it where I found it, full of power," said Conan. + +The Grey Man hurried back then to the place where the treasures of the +dun were. But no sooner was he gone than Conan took out the cup that he +had hidden, and he gave a drink from it to Finn and to Osgar and to the +rest of the Fianna. And they that were withered and shaking, without +strength, without courage, got back their own appearance and their +strength again on the moment. + +And when the Grey Man came back from looking for the cup, and saw what +had happened, he took his sword and made a stroke at Conan. But Conan +called to Osgar to defend him, and Osgar attacked the Grey Man, and it +was not long till he made him acquainted with death. + +And when Ailne saw that, with the grief and the dread that came on her, +she fell dead then and there. + +Then all the Fianna made a feast with what they found of food and of +drink, and they were very joyful and merry. But when they rose up in the +morning, there was no trace or tidings of the dun, but it was on the +bare grass they were lying. + +But as to Conan, the sheepskin never left him; and the wool used to grow +on it every year, the same as it would on any other skin. + + + + +BOOK NINE: THE WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA. + +CHAPTER I. THE QUARREL WITH THE SONS OF MORNA + + +One time when the Fianna were gone here and there hunting, Black +Garraidh and Caoilte were sitting beside Finn, and they were talking of +the battle where Finn's father was killed. And Finn said then to +Garraidh: "Tell me now, since you were there yourself, what way was it +you brought my father Cumhal to his death?" "I will tell you that since +you ask me," said Garraidh; "it was my own hand and the hands of the +rest of the sons of Morna that made an end of him." "That is cold +friendship from my followers the sons of Morna," said Finn. "If it is +cold friendship," said Garraidh, "put away the liking you are letting on +to have for us, and show us the hatred you have for us all the while." +"If I were to lift my hand against you now, sons of Morna," said Finn, +"I would be well able for you all without the help of any man." "It was +by his arts Cumhal got the upper hand of us," said Garraidh; "and when +he got power over us," he said, "he banished us to every far country; a +share of us he sent to Alban, and a share of us to dark Lochlann, and a +share of us to bright Greece, parting us from one another; and for +sixteen years we were away from Ireland, and it was no small thing to us +to be without seeing one another through that time. And the first day we +came back to Ireland," he said, "we killed sixteen hundred men, and no +lie in it, and not a man of them but would be keened by a hundred. And +we took their duns after that," he said, "and we went on till we were +all around one house in Munster of the red walls. But so great was the +bravery of the man in that house, that was your father, that it was +easier to find him than to kill him. And we killed all that were of his +race out on the hill, and then we made a quick rush at the house where +Cumhal was, and every man of us made a wound on his body with his spear. +And I myself was in it, and it was I gave him the first wound. And +avenge it on me now, Finn, if you have a mind to," he said. + + * * * * * + +It was not long after that, Finn gave a feast at Almhuin for all his +chief men, and there came to it two sons of the King of Alban, and sons +of the kings of the great world. And when they were all sitting at the +feast, the serving-men rose up and took drinking-horns worked by skilled +men, and having shining stones in them, and they poured out strong drink +for the champions; and it is then mirth rose up in their young men, and +courage in their fighting men, and kindness and gentleness in their +women, and knowledge and foreknowledge in their poets. + +And then a crier rose up and shook a rough iron chain to silence the +clowns and the common lads and idlers, and then he shook a chain of old +silver to silence the high lords and chief men of the Fianna, and the +learned men, and they all listened and were silent. + +And Fergus of the True Lips rose up and sang before Finn the songs and +the good poems of his forefathers; and Finn and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son +rewarded him with every good thing. And then he went on to Goll, son of +Morna, and told the fights and the destructions and the cattle-drivings +and the courtings of his fathers; and it is well-pleased and high-minded +the sons of Morna were, listening to that. + +And Goll said then: "Where is my woman-messenger?" "I am here, King of +the Fianna," said she. "Have you brought me my hand-tribute from the men +of Lochlann?" "I have brought it surely," said she. And with that she +rose up and laid on the floor of the hall before Goll a load of pure +gold, the size of a good pig, and that would be a heavy load for a +strong man. And Goll loosened the covering that was about it, and he +gave Fergus a good reward from it as he was used to do; for there never +was a wise, sharp-worded poet, or a sweet harp-player, or any learned +man of Ireland or of Alban, but Goll would give him gold or silver or +some good thing. + +And when Finn saw that, he said: "How long is it, Goll, you have this +rent on the men of Lochlann, and my own rent being on them always with +it, and one of my own men, Ciaran son of Latharne, and ten hundred men +of his household, guarding it and guarding my right of hunting?" And +Goll saw there was anger on Finn, and he said: "It is a long time, Finn, +I have that rent on the men of Lochlann, from the time your father put +war and quarrels on me, and the King of Ireland joined with him, and I +was made to quit Ireland by them. And I went into Britain," he said, +"and I took the country and killed the king himself and did destruction +on his people, but Cumhal put me out of it; and from that I went to +Fionnlochlann, and the king fell by me, and his household, and Cumhal +put me out of it; and I went from that to the country of the Saxons, and +the king and his household fell by me, and Cumhal put me out of it. But +I came back then to Ireland, and I fought a battle against your father, +and he fell by me there. And it was at that time I put this rent upon +the men of Lochlann. And, Finn," he said, "it is not a rent of the +strong hand you have put on them, but it is a tribute for having the +protection of the Fianna of Ireland, and I do not lessen that. And you +need not begrudge that tribute to me," he said, "for if I had more than +that again, it is to you and to the men of Ireland I would give it." + +There was great anger on Finn then, and he said: "You tell me, Goll," he +said, "by your own story, that you came from the city of Beirbhe to +fight against my father, and that you killed him in the battle; and it +is a bold thing you to tell that to me." "By your own hand," said Goll, +"if you were to give me the same treatment your father gave me, I would +pay you the same way as I paid him." "It would be hard for you to do +that," said Finn, "for there are a hundred men in my household against +every man there is in your household." "That was the same with your +father," said Goll, "and I avenged my disgrace on him; and I would do +the same on yourself if you earned it," he said. + +Then Cairell of the White Skin, son of Finn, said: "It is many a man of +Finn's household you have put down, Goll!" And Bald Conan when he heard +that said: "I swear by my arms, Goll was never without having a hundred +men in his household, every one of them able to get the better of +yourself." "And is it to them you belong, crooked-speaking, bare-headed +Conan?" said Cairell. "It is to them I belong, you black, feeble, +nail-scratching, rough-skinned Cairell; and I will make you know it was +Finn was in the wrong," said Conan. + +With that Cairell rose up and gave a furious blow of his fist to Conan, +and Conan took it with no great patience, but gave him back a blow in +his teeth, and from that they went on to worse blows again. And the two +sons of Goll rose up to help Conan, and Osgar went to the help of +Cairell, and it was not long till many of the chief men of the Fianna +were fighting on the one side or the other, on the side of Finn or on +the side of the sons of Morna. + +But then Fergus of the True Lips rose up, and the rest of the poets of +the Fianna along with him, and they sang their songs and their poems to +check and to quiet them. And they left off their fighting at the sound +of the poets' songs, and they let their weapons fall on the floor, and +the poets took them up, and made peace between the fighters; and they +put bonds on Finn and on Goll to keep the peace for a while, till they +could ask for a judgment from the High King of Ireland. And that was the +end for that time of the little quarrel at Almhuin. + +But it broke out again, one time there was a falling out between Finn +and Goll as to the dividing of a pig of the pigs of Manannan. And at +Daire Tardha, the Oak Wood of Bulls, in the province of Connacht, there +was a great fight between Finn's men and the sons of Morna. And the sons +of Morna were worsted, and fifteen of their men were killed; and they +made their mind up that from that time they would set themselves against +any friends of Finn or of his people. And it was Conan the Bald gave +them that advice, for he was always bitter, and a maker of quarrels and +of mischief in every place. + +And they kept to their word, and spared no one. There was a +yellow-haired queen that Finn loved, Berach Brec her name was, and she +was wise and comely and worthy of any good man, and she had her house +full of treasures, and never refused the asking of any. And any one that +came to her house at Samhain time might stay till Beltaine, and have his +choice then to go or to stay. And the sons of Morna had fostered her, +and they went where she was and bade her to give up Finn and she need be +in no dread of them. But she said she would not give up her kind lover +to please them; and she was going away from them to her ship, and Art, +son of Morna, made a cast of his spear that went through her body, that +she died, and her people brought her up from the strand and buried her. + +And as to Goll, he took a little hound that Finn thought a great deal +of, Conbeg its name was, and he drowned it in the sea; and its body was +brought up to shore by a wave afterwards, and it was buried under a +little green hill by the Fianna. And Caoilte made a complaint over it, +and he said how swift the little hound was after deer, or wild pigs, and +how good at killing them, and that it was a pity it to have died, out on +the cold green waves. And about that time, nine women of the Tuatha de +Danaan came to meet with nine men of the Fianna, and the sons of Morna +saw them coming and made an end of them. + +And when Caoilte met with Goll, he made a cast of his spear at him that +struck the golden helmet off his head and a piece of his flesh along +with it. But Goll took it very proudly, and put on the helmet again and +took up his weapons, and called out to his brothers that he was no way +ashamed. + +And Finn went looking for the sons of Morna in every place to do +vengeance on them. They were doing robbery and destruction one time in +Slieve Echtge, that got its name from Echtge, daughter of Nuada of the +Silver Hand, and Finn and the Fianna were to the west, at Slieve Cairn +in the district of Corcomruadh. And Finn was in doubt if the sons of +Morna were gone southward into Munster or north into Connacht. So he +sent Aedan and Cahal, two sons of the King of Ulster, and two hundred +righting men with them, into the beautiful pleasant province of +Connacht, and every day they used to go looking for the sons of Morna +from place to place. But after a while the three battalions of the +Fianna that were in Corcomruadh saw the track of a troop of men, and +they thought it to be the track of the sons of Morna; and they closed +round them at night, and made an end of them all. But when the full +light came on the morrow, they knew them to be their own people, that +were with the King of Ulster's sons, and they gave three great heavy +cries, keening the friends they had killed in mistake. + +And Caoilte and Oisin went to Rath Medba and brought a great stone and +put it over the king's sons, and it was called Lia an Imracail, the +Stone of the Mistake. And the place where Goll brought his men the time +he parted from Finn in anger got the name of Druimscarha, the Parting +Hill of Heroes. + + + + +CHAPTER II. DEATH OF GOLL + + +And at last it chanced that Goll and Cairell, son of Finn, met with one +another, and said sharp words, and they fought in the sea near the +strand, and Cairell got his death by Goll. And there was great anger and +great grief on Finn, seeing his son, that was so strong and comely, +lying dead and grey, like a blighted branch. + +And as to Goll, he went away to a cave that was in a point stretching +out into the sea; and he thought to stop there till Finn's anger would +have passed. + +And Osgar knew where he was, and he went to see him, that had been his +comrade in so many battles. But Goll thought it was as an enemy he came, +and he made a cast of his spear at him, and though Osgar got no wound by +it, it struck his shield and crushed it. And Finn took notice of the way +the shield was, and when he knew that Goll had made a cast at Osgar +there was greater anger again on him. And he sent out his men and bade +them to watch every path and every gap that led to the cave where Goll +was, the way they would make an end of him. + +And when Goll knew Finn to be watching for his life that way, he made no +attempt to escape, but stopped where he was, without food, without +drink, and he blinded with the sand that was blowing into his eyes. + +And his wife came to a rock where she could speak with him, and she +called to him to come to her. "Come over to me," she said; "and it is a +pity you to be blinded where you are, on the rocks of the waste sea, +with no drink but the salt water, a man that was first in every fight. +And come now to be sleeping beside me," she said; "and in place of the +hard sea-water I will nourish you from my own breast, and it is I will +do your healing. And the gold of your hair is my desire for ever," she +said, "and do not stop withering there like an herb in the winter-time, +and my heart black with grief within me." + +But Goll would not leave the spot where he was for all she could say. +"It is best as it is," he said, "and I never took the advice of a woman +east or west, and I never will take it. And O sweet-voiced queen," he +said, "what ails you to be fretting after me; and remember now your +silver and your gold, and your silks and stuffs, and remember the seven +hounds I gave you at Cruadh Ceirrge, and every one of them without +slackness till he has killed the deer. And do not be crying tears after +me, queen with the white hands," he said; "but remember your constant +lover, Aodh, the son of the best woman of the world, that came out from +Spain asking for you, and that I fought at Corcar-an-Deirg; and go to +him now," he said, "for it is bad when a woman is in want of a good +man." + +And he lay down on the rocks, and at the end of twelve days he died. And +his wife keened him there, and made a great lamentation for her husband +that had such a great name, and that was the second best of the Fianna +of Ireland. + +And when Conan heard of the death of Goll his brother, there was great +anger on him, and he went to Garraidh, and asked him to go with him to +Finn to ask satisfaction for Goll. "I am not willing to go," said +Garraidh, "since we could get no satisfaction for the great son of +Morna." "Whether you have a mind to go or not, I will go," said Conan; +"and I will make an end of every man I meet with, for the sake of +yellow-haired Goll; I will have the life of Oisin, Finn's great son, and +of Osgar and of Caoilte and of Daire of the Songs; I will have no +forgiveness for them; we must show no respect for Finn, although we may +die in the fight, having no help from Goll. And let us take that work in +hand, and make no delay," he said; "for if Finn is there, his strength +will be there, until we put him under his flag-stone." + +But it is not likely Garraidh went with him, and he after speaking such +foolish words. + +And what happened Conan in the end is not known. But there is a cairn of +stones on a hill of Burren, near to Corcomruadh, and the people of +Connacht say it is there he is buried, and that there was a stone found +there one time, having on it in the old writing: "Conan the +swift-footed, the bare-footed." But the Munster people say it is on +their own side of Burren he is buried. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF GABHRA + + +Now, with one thing and another, the High King of Ireland had got to be +someway bitter against Finn and the Fianna; and one time that he had a +gathering of his people he spoke out to them, and he bade them to +remember all the harm that had been done them through the Fianna, and +all their pride, and the tribute they asked. "And as to myself," he +said, "I would sooner die fighting the Fianna, if I could bring them +down along with me, than live with Ireland under them the way it is +now." + +All his people were of the same mind, and they said they would make no +delay, but would attack the Fianna and make an end of them. "And we will +have good days of joy and of feasting," they said, "when once Almhuin is +clear of them." + +And the High King began to make plans against Finn; and he sent to all +the men of Ireland to come and help him. And when all was ready, he sent +and bade Osgar to come to a feast he was making at Teamhair. + +And Osgar, that never was afraid before any enemy, set out for Teamhair, +and three hundred of his men with him. And on the way they saw a woman +of the Sidhe washing clothes at a river, and there was the colour of +blood on the water where she was washing them. And Osgar said to her: +"There is red on the clothes you are washing; and it is for the dead you +are washing them." And the woman answered him, and it is what she said: +"It is not long till the ravens will be croaking over your own head +after the battle." "Is there any weakness in our eyes," said Osgar, +"that a little story like that would set us crying? And do another +foretelling for us now," he said, "and tell us will any man of our +enemies fall by us before we ourselves are made an end of?" + +"There will nine hundred fall by yourself," she said; "and the High +King himself will get his death-wound from you." + +Osgar and his men went on then to the king's house at Teamhair, and they +got good treatment, and the feast was made ready, and they were three +days at pleasure and at drinking. + +And on the last day of the drinking, the High King called out with a +loud voice, and he asked Osgar would he make an exchange of spears with +him. "Why do you ask that exchange," said Osgar, "when I myself and my +spear were often with yourself in time of battle? And you would not ask +it of me," he said, "if Finn and the Fianna were with me now." "I would +ask it from any fighting man among you," said the king, "and for rent +and tribute along with it." "Any gold or any treasure you might ask of +us, we would give it to you," said Osgar, "but it is not right for you +to ask my spear." There were very high words between them then, and they +threatened one another, and at the last the High King said: "I will put +my spear of the seven spells out through your body." "And I give my word +against that," said Osgar, "I will put my spear of the nine spells +between the meeting of your hair and your beard." + +With that he and his men rose up and went out of Teamhair, and they +stopped to rest beside a river, and there they heard the sound of a very +sorrowful tune, that was like keening, played on a harp. And there was +great anger on Osgar when he heard that, and he rose up and took his +arms and roused his people, and they went on again to where Finn was. +And there came after them a messenger from the High King, and the +message he brought was this, that he never would pay tribute to the +Fianna or bear with them at all from that time. + +And when Finn heard that, he sent a challenge of battle, and he gathered +together all the Fianna that were left to him. But as to the sons of +Morna, it was to the High King of Ireland they gathered. + +And it was at the hill of Gabhra the two armies met, and there were +twenty men with the King of Ireland for every man that was with Finn. + +And it is a very hard battle was fought that day, and there were great +deeds done on both sides; and there never was a greater battle fought in +Ireland than that one. + +And as to Osgar, it would be hard to tell all he killed on that day; +five score of the Sons of the Gael, and five score fighting men from the +Country of Snow, and seven score of the Men of Green Swords that never +went a step backward, and four hundred from the Country of the Lion, and +five score of the sons of kings; and the shame was for the King of +Ireland. + +But as to Osgar himself, that began the day so swift and so strong, at +the last he was like leaves on a strong wind, or like an aspen-tree that +is falling. But when he saw the High King near him, he made for him like +a wave breaking on the strand; and the king saw him coming, and shook +his greedy spear, and made a cast of it, and it went through his body +and brought him down on his right knee, and that was the first grief of +the Fianna. But Osgar himself was no way daunted, but he made a cast of +his spear of the nine spells that went into the High King at the meeting +of the hair and the beard, and gave him his death. And when the men +nearest to the High King saw that, they put the king's helmet up on a +pillar, the way his people would think he was living yet. But Osgar saw +it, and he lifted a thin bit of a slab-stone that was on the ground +beside him, and he made a cast of it that broke the helmet where it was; +and then he himself fell like a king. + +And there fell in that battle the seven sons of Caoilte, and the son of +the King of Lochlann that had come to give them his help, and it would +be hard to count the number of the Fianna that fell in that battle. + +And when it was ended, those that were left of them went looking for +their dead. And Caoilte stooped down over his seven brave sons, and +every living man of the Fianna stooped over his own dear friends. And it +was a lasting grief to see all that were stretched in that place, but +the Fianna would not have taken it to heart the way they did, but for +being as they were, a beaten race. + +And as to Oisin, he went looking for Osgar, and it is the way he found +him, lying stretched, and resting on his left arm and his broken shield +beside him, and his sword in his hand yet, and his blood about him on +every side. And he put out his hand to Oisin, and Oisin took it and gave +out a very hard cry. And Osgar said: "It is glad I am to see you safe, +my father." And Oisin had no answer to give him. And just then Caoilte +came where they were, and he looked at Osgar. "What way are you now, my +darling?" he said. "The way you would like me to be," said Osgar. + +Then Caoilte searched the wound, and when he saw how the spear had torn +its way through to the back, he cried out, and a cloud came over him and +his strength failed him. "O Osgar," he said, "you are parted from the +Fianna, and they themselves must be parted from battle from this out," +he said, "and they must pay their tribute to the King of Ireland." + +Then Caoilte and Oisin raised up Osgar on their shields and brought him +to a smooth green hill till they would take his dress off. And there was +not a hands-breadth of his white body that was without a wound. + +And when the rest of the Fianna saw what way Osgar was, there was not a +man of them that keened his own son or his brother, but every one of +them came keening Osgar. + +And after a while, at noonday, they saw Finn coming towards them, and +what was left of the Sun-banner raised on a spear-shaft. All of them +saluted Finn then, but he made no answer, and he came up to the hill +where Osgar was. And when Osgar saw him coming he saluted him, and he +said: "I have got my desire in death, Finn of the sharp arms." And Finn +said: "It is worse the way you were, my son, on the day of the battle at +Beinn Edair when the wild geese could swim on your breast, and it was my +hand that gave you healing." "There can no healing be done for me now +for ever," said Osgar, "since the King of Ireland put the spear of seven +spells through my body." And Finn said: "It is a pity it was not I +myself fell in sunny scarce Gabhra, and you going east and west at the +head of the Fianna." "And if it was yourself fell in the battle," said +Osgar, "you would not hear me keening after you; for no man ever knew +any heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered +with iron. But the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the +keening of the old righting men, and the crying of the women one after +another, those are the things that are vexing me." And Finn said: "Child +of my child, calf of my calf, white and slender, it is a pity the way +you are. And my heart is starting like a deer," he said, "and I am weak +after you and after the Fianna of Ireland. And misfortune has followed +us," he said; "and farewell now to battles and to a great name, and +farewell to taking tributes; for every good thing I ever had is gone +from me now," he said. + +And when Osgar heard those words he stretched out his hands, and his +eyelids closed. And Finn turned away from the rest, and he cried tears +down; and he never shed a tear through the whole length of his lifetime +but only for Osgar and for Bran. + +And all that were left of the Fianna gave three gorrowful cries after +Osgar, for there was not one of the Fianna beyond him, unless it might +be Finn or Oisin. + +And it is many of the Fianna were left dead in Gabhra, and graves were +made for them. And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was so tall a man and so +good a fighter, they made a very wide grave for him, as was fitting for +a king. And the whole length of the rath at Gabhra, from end to end, it +is that was the grave of Osgar, son of Oisin, son of Finn. + +And as to Finn himself, he never had peace or pleasure again from that +day. + + + + + +BOOK TEN: THE END OF THE FIANNA. + +CHAPTER I. DEATH OF BRAN + + +One day Finn was hunting, and Bran went following after a fawn. And they +were coming towards Finn, and the fawn called out, and it said: "If I go +into the sea below I will never come back again; and if I go up into the +air above me, it will not save me from Bran." For Bran would overtake +the wild geese, she was that swift. + +"Go out through my legs," said Finn then. So the fawn did that, and Bran +followed her; and as Bran went under him, Finn squeezed his two knees on +her, that she died on the moment. + +And there was great grief on him after that, and he cried tears down the +same as he did when Osgar died. + +And some said it was Finn's mother the fawn was, and that it was to save +his mother he killed Bran. But that is not likely, for his mother was +beautiful Muirne, daughter of Tadg, son of Nuada of the Tuatha de +Danaan, and it was never heard that she was changed into a fawn. It is +more likely it was Oisin's mother was in it. + +But some say Bran and Sceolan are still seen to start at night out of +the thicket on the hill of Almhuin. + + + + +CHAPTER II. THE CALL OF OISIN + + +One misty morning, what were left of the Fianna were gathered together +to Finn, and it is sorrowful and downhearted they were after the loss of +so many of their comrades. + +And they went hunting near the borders of Loch Lein, where the bushes +were in blossom and the birds were singing; and they were waking up the +deer that were as joyful as the leaves of a tree in summer-time. + +And it was not long till they saw coming towards them from the west a +beautiful young woman, riding on a very fast slender white horse. A +queen's crown she had on her head, and a dark cloak of silk down to the +ground, having stars of red gold on it; and her eyes were blue and as +clear as the dew on the grass, and a gold ring hanging down from every +golden lock of her hair; and her cheeks redder than the rose, and her +skin whiter than the swan upon the wave, and her lips as sweet as honey +that is mixed through red wine. + +And in her hand she was holding a bridle having a golden bit, and there +was a saddle worked with red gold under her. And as to the horse, he had +a wide smooth cloak over him, and a silver crown on the back of his +head, and he was shod with shining gold. + +She came to where Finn was, and she spoke with a very kind, gentle +voice, and she said: "It is long my journey was, King of the Fianna." +And Finn asked who was she, and what was her country and the cause of +her coming. "Niamh of the Golden Head is my name," she said; "and I have +a name beyond all the women of the world, for I am the daughter of the +King of the Country of the Young." "What was it brought you to us from +over the sea, Queen?" said Finn then. "Is it that your husband is gone +from you, or what is the trouble that is on you?" "My husband is not gone +from me," she said, "for I never went yet to any man. But O King of the +Fianna," she said, "I have given my love and my affection to your own +son, Oisin of the strong hands." "Why did you give your love to him +beyond all the troops of high princes that are under the sun?" said +Finn. "It was by reason of his great name, and of the report I heard of +his bravery and of his comeliness," she said. "And though there is many +a king's son and high prince gave me his love, I never consented to any +till I set my love on Oisin." + +When Oisin heard what she was saying, there was not a limb of his body +that was not in love with beautiful Niamh; and he took her hand in his +hand, and he said: "A true welcome before you to this country, young +queen. It is you are the shining one," he said; "it is you are the +nicest and the comeliest; it is you are better to me than any other +woman; it is you are my star and my choice beyond the women of the +entire world." "I put on you the bonds of a true hero," said Niamh then, +"you to come away with me now to the Country of the Young." And it is +what she said: + +"It is the country is most delightful of all that are under the sun; the +trees are stooping down with fruit and with leaves and with blossom. + +"Honey and wine are plentiful there, and everything the eye has ever +seen; no wasting will come on you with the wasting away of time; you +will never see death or lessening. + +"You will get feasts, playing and drinking; you will get sweet music on +the strings; you will get silver and gold and many jewels. + +"You will get, and no lie in it, a hundred swords; a hundred cloaks of +the dearest silk; a hundred horses, the quickest in battle; a hundred +willing hounds. + +"You will get the royal crown of the King of the Young that he never +gave to any one under the sun. It will be a shelter to you night and +day in every rough fight and in every battle. + +"You will get a right suit of armour; a sword, gold-hilted, apt for +striking; no one that ever saw it got away alive from it. + +"A hundred coats of armour and shirts of satin; a hundred cows and a +hundred calves; a hundred sheep having golden fleeces; a hundred jewels +that are not of this world. + +"A hundred glad young girls shining like the sun, their voices sweeter +than the music of birds; a hundred armed men strong in battle, apt at +feats, waiting on you, if you will come with me to the Country of the +Young. + +"You will get everything I have said to you, and delights beyond them, +that I have no leave to tell; you will get beauty, strength and power, +and I myself will be with you as a wife." + +And after she had made that song, Oisin said: "O pleasant golden-haired +queen, you are my choice beyond the women of the world; and I will go +with you willingly," he said. + +And with that he kissed Finn his father and bade him farewell, and he +bade farewell to the rest of the Fianna, and he went up then on the +horse with Niamh. + +And the horse set out gladly, and when he came to the strand he shook +himself and he neighed three times, and then he made for the sea. And +when Finn and the Fianna saw Oisin facing the wide sea, they gave three +great sorrowful shouts. And as to Finn, he said: "It is my grief to see +you going from me; and I am without a hope," he said, "ever to see you +coming back to me again." + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN + + +And indeed that was the last time Finn and Oisin and the rest of the +Fianna of Ireland were gathered together, for hunting, for battle, for +chess-playing, for drinking or for music; for they all wore away after +that, one after another. + +As to Caoilte, that was old and had lost his sons, he used to be +fretting and lonesome after the old times. And one day that there was +very heavy snow on the ground, he made this complaint:-- + +"It is cold the winter is; the wind is risen; the fierce high-couraged +stag rises up; it is cold the whole mountain is to-night, yet the fierce +stag is calling. The deer of Slievecarn of the gatherings does not lay +his side to the ground; he no less than the stag of the top of cold +Echtge hears the music of the wolves. + +"I, Caoilte, and brown-haired Diarmuid and pleasant light-footed Osgar, +we used to be listening to the music of the wolves through the end of +the cold night. It is well the brown deer sleeps with its hide to the +hollow, hidden as if in the earth, through the end of the cold night. + +"To-day I am in my age, and I know but a few men; I used to shake my +spear bravely in the ice-cold morning. It is often I put silence on a +great army that is very cold to-night." + +And after a while he went into a hill of the Sidhe to be healed of his +old wounds. And whether he came back from there or not is not known; and +there are some that say he used to be talking with Patrick of the Bells +the same time Oisin was with him. But that is not likely, or Oisin would +not have made complaints about his loneliness the way he did. + +But a long time after that again, there was a king of Ireland making a +journey. And he and his people missed their way, and when night-time +came on, they were in a dark wood, and no path before them. + +And there came to them a very tall man, that was shining like a burning +flame, and he took hold of the bridle of the king's horse, and led him +through the wood till they came to the right road. And the King of +Ireland asked him who was he, and first he said: "I am your +candlestick"; and then he said: "I was with Finn one time." And the king +knew it was Caoilte, son of Ronan, was in it. + +And three times nine of the rest of the Fianna came out of the west one +time to Teamhair. And they took notice that now they were wanting their +full strength and their great name, no one took notice of them or came +to speak with them at all. And when they saw that, they lay down on the +side of the hill at Teamhair, and put their lips to the earth and died. + +And for three days and a month and a year from the time of the +destruction of the Fianna of Ireland, Loch Dearg was under mists. + + * * * * * + +And as to Finn, there are some say he died by the hand of a fisherman; +but it is likely that is not true, for that would be no death for so +great a man as Finn, son of Cumhal. And there are some say he never +died, but is alive in some place yet. + +And one time a smith made his way into a cave he saw, that had a door to +it, and he made a key that opened it. And when he went in he saw a very +wide place, and very big men lying on the floor. And one that was bigger +than the rest was lying in the middle, and the Dord Fiann beside him; +and he knew it was Finn and the Fianna were in it. + +And the smith took hold of the Dord Fiann, and it is hardly he could +lift it to his mouth, and he blew a very strong blast on it, and the +sound it made was so great, it is much the rocks did not come down on +him. And at the sound, the big men lying on the ground shook from head +to foot. He gave another blast then, and they all turned on their +elbows. + +And great dread came on him when he saw that, and he threw down the Dord +Fiann and ran from the caye and locked the door after him, and threw the +key into the lake. And he heard them crying after him, "You left us +worse than you found us." And the cave was not found again since that +time. + +But some say the day will come when the Dord Fiann will be sounded three +times, and that at the sound of it the Fianna will rise up as strong and +as well as ever they were. And there are some say Finn, son of Cumhal, +has been on the earth now and again since the old times, in the shape of +one of the heroes of Ireland. + +And as to the great things he and his men did when they were together, +it is well they have been kept in mind through the poets of Ireland and +of Alban. And one night there were two men minding sheep in a valley, +and they were saying the poems of the Fianna while they were there. And +they saw two very tall shapes on the two hills on each side of the +valley, and one of the tall shapes said to the other: "Do you hear that +man down below? I was the second doorpost of battle at Gabhra, and that +man knows all about it better than myself." + + + + + +BOOK ELEVEN: OISIN AND PATRICK. + +CHAPTER I. OISIN'S STORY + + +As to Oisin, it was a long time after he was brought away by Niamh that +he came back again to Ireland. Some say it was hundreds of years he was +in the Country of the Young, and some say it was thousands of years he +was in it; but whatever time it was, it seemed short to him. + +And whatever happened him through the time he was away, it is a withered +old man he was found after coming back to Ireland, and his white horse +going away from him, and he lying on the ground. + +And it was S. Patrick had power at that time, and it was to him Oisin +was brought; and he kept him in his house, and used to be teaching him +and questioning him. And Oisin was no way pleased with the way Ireland +was then, but he used to be talking of the old times, and fretting after +the Fianna. + +And Patrick bade him to tell what happened him the time he left Finn and +the Fianna and went away with Niamh. And it is the story Oisin +told:--"The time I went away with golden-haired Niamh, we turned our +backs to the land, and our faces westward, and the sea was going away +before us, and filling up in waves after us. And we saw wonderful things +on our journey," he said, "cities and courts and duns and lime-white +houses, and shining sunny-houses and palaces. And one time we saw beside +us a hornless deer running hard, and an eager white red-eared hound +following after it. And another time we saw a young girl on a horse and +having a golden apple in her right hand, and she going over the tops of +the waves; and there was following after her a young man riding a white +horse, and having a crimson cloak and a gold-hilted sword in his right +hand." + +"Follow on with your story, pleasant Oisin," said Patrick, "for you did +not tell us yet what was the country you went to." + +"The Country of the Young, the Country of Victory, it was," said Oisin. +"And O Patrick," he said, "there is no lie in that name; and if there +are grandeurs in your Heaven the same as there are there, I would give +my friendship to God. + +"We turned our backs then to the dun," he said, "and the horse under us +was quicker than the spring wind on the backs of the mountains. And it +was not long till the sky darkened, and the wind rose in every part, and +the sea was as if on fire, and there was nothing to be seen of the sun. + +"But after we were looking at the clouds and the stars for a while the +wind went down, and the storm, and the sun brightened. And we saw before +us a very delightful country under full blossom, and smooth plains in +it, and a king's dun that was very grand, and that had every colour in +it, and sunny-houses beside it, and palaces of shining stones, made by +skilled men. And we saw coming out to meet us three fifties of armed +men, very lively and handsome. And I asked Niamh was this the Country of +the Young, and she said it was. 'And indeed, Oisin,' she said, 'I told +you no lie about it, and you will see all I promised you before you for +ever.' + +"And there came out after that a hundred beautiful young girls, having +cloaks of silk worked with gold, and they gave me a welcome to their own +country. And after that there came a great shining army, and with it a +strong beautiful king, having a shirt of yellow silk and a golden cloak +over it, and a very bright crown on his head. And there was following +after him a young queen, and fifty young girls along with her. + +"And when all were come to the one spot, the king took me by the hand, +and he said out before them all: 'A hundred thousand welcomes before +you, Oisin, son of Finn. And as to this country you are come to,' he +said, 'I will tell you news of it without a lie. It is long and lasting +your life will be in it, and you yourself will be young for ever. And +there is no delight the heart ever thought of,' he said, 'but it is +here against your coming. And you can believe my words, Oisin,' he said, +'for I myself am the King of the Country of the Young, and this is its +comely queen, and it was golden-headed Niamh our daughter that went over +the sea looking for you to be her husband for ever.' I gave thanks to +him then, and I stooped myself down before the queen, and we went +forward to the royal house, and all the high nobles came out to meet us, +both men and women, and there was a great feast made there through the +length of ten days and ten nights. + +"And that is the way I married Niamh of the Golden Hair, and that is the +way I went to the Country of the Young, although it is sorrowful to me +to be telling it now, O Patrick from Rome," said Oisin. + +"Follow on with your story, Oisin of the destroying arms," said Patrick, +"and tell me what way did you leave the Country of the Young, for it is +long to me till I hear that; and tell us now had you any children by +Niamh, and was it long you were in that place." + +"Two beautiful children I had by Niamh," said Oisin, "two young sons and +a comely daughter. And Niamh gave the two sons the name of Finn and of +Osgar, and the name I gave to the daughter was The Flower. + +"And I did not feel the time passing, and it was a long time I stopped +there," he said, "till the desire came on me to see Finn and my comrades +again. And I asked leave of the king and of Niamh to go back to Ireland. +'You will get leave from me,' said Niamh; 'but for all that,' she said, +'it is bad news you are giving me, for I am in dread you will never come +back here again through the length of your days.' But I bade her have no +fear, since the white horse would bring me safe back again from Ireland. +'Bear this in mind, Oisin,' she said then, 'if you once get off the +horse while you are away, or if you once put your foot to ground, you +will never come back here again. And O Oisin,' she said, 'I tell it to +you now for the third time, if you once get down from the horse, you +will be an old man, blind and withered, without liveliness, without +mirth, without running, without leaping. And it is a grief to me, +Oisin,' she said, 'you ever to go back to green Ireland; and it is not +now as it used to be, and you will not see Finn and his people, for +there is not now in the whole of Ireland but a Father of Orders and +armies of saints; and here is my kiss for you, pleasant Oisin,' she +said, 'for you will never come back any more to the Country of the +Young.' + +"And that is my story, Patrick, and I have told you no lie in it," said +Oisin. "And O Patrick," he said, "if I was the same the day I came here +as I was that day, I would have made an end of all your clerks, and +there would not be a head left on a neck after me." + +"Go on with your story," said Patrick, "and you will get the same good +treatment from me you got from Finn, for the sound of your voice is +pleasing to me." + +So Oisin went on with his story, and it is what he said: "I have nothing +to tell of my journey till I came back into green Ireland, and I looked +about me then on all sides, but there were no tidings to be got of Finn. +And it was not long till I saw a great troop of riders, men and women, +coming towards me from the west. And when they came near they wished me +good health; and there was wonder on them all when they looked at me, +seeing me so unlike themselves, and so big and so tall. + +"I asked them then did they hear if Finn was still living, or any other +one of the Fianna, or what had happened them. 'We often heard of Finn +that lived long ago,' said they, 'and that there never was his equal for +strength or bravery or a great name; and there is many a book written +down,' they said, 'by the sweet poets of the Gael, about his doings and +the doings of the Fianna, and it would be hard for us to tell you all +of them. And we heard Finn had a son,' they said, 'that was beautiful +and shining, and that there came a young girl looking for him, and he +went away with her to the Country of the Young.' + +"And when I knew by their talk that Finn was not living or any of the +Fianna, it is downhearted I was, and tired, and very sorrowful after +them. And I made no delay, but I turned my face and went on to Almhuin +of Leinster. And there was great wonder on me when I came there to see +no sign at all of Finn's great dun, and his great hall, and nothing in +the place where it was but weeds and nettles." + +And there was grief on Oisin then, and he said: "Och, Patrick! Och, +ochone, my grief! It is a bad journey that was to me; and to be without +tidings of Finn or the Fianna has left me under pain through my +lifetime." + +"Leave off fretting, Oisin," said Patrick, "and shed your tears to the +God of grace. Finn and the Fianna are slack enough now, and they will +get no help for ever." "It is a great pity that would be," said Oisin, +"Finn to be in pain for ever; and who was it gained the victory over +him, when his own hand had made an end of so many a hard fighter?" + +"It is God gained the victory over Finn," said Patrick, "and not the +strong hand of an enemy; and as to the Fianna, they are condemned to +hell along with him, and tormented for ever." + +"O Patrick," said Oisin, "show me the place where Finn and his people +are, and there is not a hell or a heaven there but I will put it down. +And if Osgar, my own son, is there," he said, "the hero that was bravest +in heavy battles, there is not in hell or in the Heaven of God a troop +so great that he could not destroy it." + +"Let us leave off quarrelling on each side now," said Patrick; "and go +on, Oisin, with your story. What happened you after you knew the Fianna +to be at an end?" + +"I will tell you that, Patrick," said Oisin. "I was turning to go away, +and I saw the stone trough that the Fianna used to be putting their +hands in, and it full of water. And when I saw it I had such a wish and +such a feeling for it that I forgot what I was told, and I got off the +horse. And in the minute all the years came on me, and I was lying on +the ground, and the horse took fright and went away and left me there, +an old man, weak and spent, without sight, without shape, without +comeliness, without strength or understanding, without respect. + +"There, Patrick, is my story for you now," said Oisin, "and no lie in +it, of all that happened me going away and coming back again from the +Country of the Young." + + + + +CHAPTER II. OISIN IN PATRICK'S HOUSE + + +And Oisin stopped on with S. Patrick, but he was not very well content +with the way he was treated. And one time he said: "They say I am +getting food, but God knows I am not, or drink; and I Oisin, son of +Finn, under a yoke, drawing stones." "It is my opinion you are getting +enough," said S. Patrick then, "and you getting a quarter of beef and a +churn of butter and a griddle of bread every day." "I often saw a +quarter of a blackbird bigger than your quarter of beef," said Oisin, +"and a rowan berry as big as your churn of butter, and an ivy leaf as +big as your griddle of bread." S, Patrick was vexed when he heard that, +and he said to Oisin that he had told a lie. + +There was great anger on Oisin then, and he went where there was a +litter of pups, and he bade a serving-boy to nail up the hide of a +freshly killed bullock to the wall, and to throw the pups against it one +by one. And every one that he threw fell down from the hide till it came +to the last, and he held on to it with his teeth and his nails. "Rear +that one," said Oisin, "and drown all the rest." + +Then he bade the boy to keep the pup in a dark place, and to care it +well, and never to let it taste blood or see the daylight. And at the +end of a year, Oisin was so well pleased with the pup, that he gave it +the name of Bran Og, young Bran. + +And one day he called to the serving-boy to come on a journey with him, +and to bring the pup in a chain. And they set out and passed by +Slieve-nam-ban, where the witches of the Sidhe do be spinning with their +spinning-wheels; and then they turned eastward into Gleann-na-Smol. And +Oisin raised a rock that was there, and he bade the lad take from under +it three things, a great sounding horn of the Fianna, and a ball of iron +they had for throwing, and a very sharp sword. And when Oisin saw those +things, he took them in his hands, and he said: "My thousand farewells +to the day when you were put here!" He bade the lad to clean them well +then; and when he had done that, he bade him to sound a blast on the +horn. So the boy did that, and Oisin asked him did he see anything +strange. "I did not," said the boy. "Sound it again as loud as you can," +said Oisin. "That is as hard as I can sound it, and I can see nothing +yet," said the boy when he had done that. Then Oisin took the horn +himself, and he put it to his mouth, and blew three great blasts on it. +"What do you see now?" he said. "I see three great clouds coming," he +said, "and they are settling down in the valley; and the first cloud is +a flight of very big birds, and the second cloud is a flight of birds +that are bigger again, and the third flight is of the biggest and the +blackest birds the world ever saw." + +"What is the dog doing?" said Oisin. "The eyes are starting from his +head, and there is not a rib of hair on him but is standing up." "Let +him loose now," said Oisin. + +The dog rushed down to the valley then, and he made an attack on one of +the birds, that was the biggest of all, and that had a shadow like a +cloud. And they fought a very fierce fight, but at last Bran Og made an +end of the big bird, and lapped its blood. But if he did, madness came +on him, and he came rushing back towards Oisin, his jaws open and his +eyes like fire. "There is dread on me, Oisin," said the boy, "for the +dog is making for us, mad and raging." "Take this iron ball and make a +cast at him when he comes near," said Oisin. "I am in dread to do that," +said the boy. "Put it in my hand, and turn it towards him," said Oisin. +The boy did that, and Oisin made a cast of the ball that went into the +mouth and the throat of the dog, and choked him, and he fell down the +slope, twisting and foaming. + +Then they went where the great bird was left dead, and Oisin bade the +lad to cut a quarter off it with the sword, and he did so. And then he +bade him cut open the body, and in it he found a rowan berry, the +biggest he had ever seen, and an ivy leaf that was bigger than the +biggest griddle. + +So Oisin turned back then, and went to where S. Patrick was, and he +showed him the quarter of the bird that was bigger than any quarter of a +bullock, and the rowan berry that was bigger than a churning of butter, +and the leaf. "And you know now, Patrick of the Bells," he said, "that I +told no lie; and it is what kept us all through our lifetime," he said, +"truth that was in our hearts, and strength in our arms, and fulfilment +in our tongues." + +"You told no lie indeed," said Patrick. + +And when Oisin had no sight left at all, he used every night to put up +one of the serving-men on his shoulders, and to bring him out to see how +were the cattle doing. And one night the servants had no mind to go, and +they agreed together to tell him it was a very bad night. + +And it is what the first of them said; "It is outside there is a heavy +sound with the heavy water dropping from the tops of trees; the sound of +the waves is not to be heard for the loud splashing of the rain." And +then the next one said: "The trees of the wood are shivering, and the +birch is turning black; the snow is killing the birds; that is the story +outside." And the third said: "It is to the east they have turned their +face, the white snow and the dark rain; it is what is making the plain +so cold is the snow that is dripping and getting hard." + +But there was a serving-girl in the house, and she said: "Rise up, +Oisin, and go out to the white-headed cows, since the cold wind is +plucking the trees from the hills." + +Oisin went out then, and the serving-man on his shoulders; but it is +what the serving-man did, he brought a vessel of water and a birch broom +with him, and he was dashing water in Oisin's face, the way he would +think it was rain. But when they came to the pen where the cattle were, +Oisin found the night was quiet, and after that he asked no more news of +the weather from the servants. + + + + +CHAPTER III. THE ARGUMENTS + + +And S. Patrick took in hand to convert Oisin, and to bring him to +baptism; but it was no easy work he had to do, and everything he would +say, Oisin would have an answer for it. And it is the way they used to +be talking and arguing with one another, as it was put down afterwards +by the poets of Ireland:-- + +PATRICK. "Oisin, it is long your sleep is. Rise up and listen to the +Psalm. Your strength and your readiness are gone from you, though you +used to be going into rough fights and battles." + +OLSIN. "My readiness and my strength are gone from me since Finn has no +armies living; I have no liking for clerks, their music is not sweet to +me after his." + +PATRICK. "You never heard music so good from the beginning of the world +to this day; it is well you would serve an army on a hill, you that are +old and silly and grey." + +OLSIN. "I used to serve an army on a hill, Patrick of the closed-up +mind; it is a pity you to be faulting me; there was never shame put on +me till now. + +"I have heard music was sweeter than your music, however much you are +praising your clerks: the song of the blackbird in Leiter Laoi, and the +sound of the Dord Fiann; the very sweet thrush of the Valley of the +Shadow, or the sound of the boats striking the strand. The cry of the +hounds was better to me than the noise of your schools, Patrick. + +"Little Nut, little Nut of my heart, the little dwarf that was with +Finn, when he would make tunes and songs he would put us all into deep +sleep. + +"The twelve hounds that belonged to Finn, the time they would be let +loose facing out from the Siuir, their cry was sweeter than harps and +than pipes. + +"I have a little story about Finn; we were but fifteen men; we took the +King of the Saxons of the feats, and we won a battle against the King of +Greece. + +"We fought nine battles in Spain, and nine times twenty battles in +Ireland; from Lochlann and from the eastern world there was a share of +gold coming to Finn. + +"My grief! I to be stopping after him, and without delight in games or +in music; to be withering away after my comrades; my grief it is to be +living. I and the clerks of the Mass books are two that can never agree. + +"If Finn and the Fianna were living, I would leave the clerks and the +bells; I would follow the deer through the valleys, I would like to be +close on his track. + +"Ask Heaven of God, Patrick, for Finn of the Fianna and his race; make +prayers for the great man; you never heard of his like." + +PATRICK. "I will not ask Heaven for Finn, man of good wit that my anger +is rising against, since his delight was to be living in valleys with +the noise of hunts." + +OISIN. "If you had been in company with the Fianna, Patrick of the +joyless clerks and of the bells, you would not be attending on schools +or giving heed to God." + +PATRICK. "I would not part from the Son of God for all that have lived +east or west; O Oisin, O shaking poet, there will harm come on you in +satisfaction for the priests." + +OISIN. "It was a delight to Finn the cry of his hounds on the mountains, +the wild dogs leaving their harbours, the pride of his armies, those +were his delights." + +PATRICK. "There was many a thing Finn took delight in, and there is not +much heed given to it after him; Finn and his hounds are not living now, +and you yourself will not always be living, Oisin." + +OISIN. "There is a greater story of Finn than of us, or of any that have +lived in our time; all that are gone and all that are living, Finn was +better to give out gold than themselves." + +PATRICK. "All the gold you and Finn used to be giving out, it is little +it does for you now; he is in Hell in bonds because he did treachery and +oppression." + +OISIN. "It is little I believe of your truth, man from Rome with the +white books, Finn the open-handed head of the Fianna to be in the hands +of devils or demons." + +PATRICK. "Finn is in bonds in Hell, the pleasant man that gave out +gold; in satisfaction for his disrespect to God, he is under grief in +the house of pain." + +OISIN. "If the sons of Morna were within it, or the strong men of the +sons of Baiscne, they would take Finn out of it, or they would have the +house for themselves." + +PATRICK. "If the five provinces of Ireland were within it, or the strong +seven battalions of the Fianna, they would not be able to bring Finn out +of it, however great their strength might be." + +OISIN. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and brown-haired Diarmuid and +brave Osgar, Finn of the Fianna could not be held in any house that was +made by God or devils." + +PATRICK. "If Faolan and Goll were living, and all the Fianna that ever +were, they could not bring out Finn from the house where he is in pain." + +OISIN. "What did Finn do against God but to be attending on schools and +on armies? Giving gold through a great part of his time, and for another +while trying his hounds." + +PATRICK. "In payment for thinking of his hounds and for serving the +schools of the poets, and because he gave no heed to God, Finn of the +Fianna is held down." + +OISIN. "You say, Patrick of the Psalms, that the Fianna could not take +out Finn, or the five provinces of Ireland along with them. + +"I have a little story about Finn. We were but fifteen men when we took +the King of Britain of the feasts by the strength of our spears and our +own strength. + +"We took Magnus the great, the son of the King of Lochlann of the +speckled ships; we came back no way sorry or tired, we put our rent on +far places. + +"O Patrick, the story is pitiful, the King of the Fianna to be under +locks; a heart without envy, without hatred, a heart hard in earning +victory. + +"It is an injustice, God to be unwilling to give food and riches; Finn +never refused strong or poor, although cold Hell is now his +dwelling-place. + +"It is what Finn had a mind for, to be listening to the sound of Druim +Dearg; to sleep at the stream of Ess Ruadh, to be hunting the deer of +Gallimh of the bays. + +"The cries of the blackbird of Leiter Laoi, the wave of Rudraighe +beating the strand, the bellowing of the ox of Magh Maoin, the lowing of +the calf of Gleann da Mhail. + +"The noise of the hunt on Slieve Crot, the sound of the fawns round +Slieve Cua, the scream of the sea-gulls there beyond on Iorrus, the +screech of the crows over the battle. + +"The waves vexing the breasts of the boats, the howling of the hounds at +Druim Lis; the voice of Bran on Cnoc-an-Air, the outcry of the streams +about Slieve Mis. + +"The call of Osgar going to the hunt; the voice of the hounds on the +road of the Fianna, to be listening to them and to the poets, that was +always his desire. + +"A desire of the desires of Osgar was to listen to the striking of +shields; to be hacking at bones in a battle, it is what he had a mind +for always. + +"We went westward one time to hunt at Formaid of the Fianna, to see the +first running of our hounds. + +"It was Finn was holding Bran, and it is with myself Sceolan was; +Diarmuid of the Women had Fearan, and Osgar had lucky Adhnuall. + +"Conan the Bald had Searc; Caoilte, son of Ronan, had Daol; Lugaidh's +Son and Goll were holding Fuaim and Fothran. + +"That was the first day we loosed out a share of our hounds to a +hunting; and Och! Patrick, of all that were in it, there is not one left +living but myself. + +"O Patrick, it is a pity the way I am now, a spent old man without +sway, without quickness, without strength, going to Mass at the altar. + +"Without the great deer of Slieve Luchra; without the hares of Slieve +Cuilinn; without going into fights with Finn; without listening to the +poets. + +"Without battles, without taking of spoils; without playing at nimble +feats; without going courting or hunting, two trades that were my +delight." + +PATRICK. "Leave off, old man, leave your foolishness; let what you have +done be enough for you from this out. Think on the pains that are before +you; the Fianna are gone, and you yourself will be going." + +OISIN. "If I go, may yourself not be left after me, Patrick of the +hindering heart; if Conan, the least of the Fianna, were living, your +buzzing would not be left long to you." + +"Or if this was the day I gave ten hundred cows to the headless woman +that came to the Valley of the Two Oxen; the birds of the air brought +away the ring I gave her, I never knew where she went herself from me." + +PATRICK. "That is little to trouble you, Oisin; it was but for a while +she was with you; it is better for you to be as you are than to be among +them again." + +OISIN. "O Son of Calphurn of the friendly talk, it is a pity for him +that gives respect to clerks and bells; I and Caoilte my friend, we were +not poor when we were together. + +"The music that put Finn to his sleep was the cackling of the ducks from +the lake of the Three Narrows; the scolding talk of the blackbird of +Doire an Cairn, the bellowing of the ox from the Valley of the Berries. + +"The whistle of the eagle from the Valley of Victories, or from the +rough branches of the ridge by the stream; the grouse of the heather of +Cruachan; the call of the otter of Druim-re-Coir. + +"The song of the blackbird of Doire an Cairn indeed I never heard +sweeter music, if I could be under its nest. + +"My grief that I ever took baptism; it is little credit I got by it, +being without food, without drink, doing fasting and praying." + +PATRICK. "In my opinion it did not harm you, old man; you will get nine +score cakes of bread, wine and meat to put a taste on it; it is bad talk +you are giving." + +OISIN. "This mouth that is talking with you, may it never confess to a +priest, if I would not sooner have the leavings of Finn's house than a +share of your own meals." + +PATRICK. "He got but what he gathered from the banks, or whatever he +could kill on the rough hills; he got hell at the last because of his +unbelief." + +OISIN. "That was not the way with us at all, but our fill of wine and of +meat; justice and a right beginning at the feasts, sweet drinks and +every one drinking them. + +"It is fretting after Diarmuid and Goll I am, and after Fergus of the +True Lips, the time you will not let me be speaking of them, O new +Patrick from Rome." + +PATRICK. "We would give you leave to be speaking of them, but first you +should give heed to God. Since you are now at the end of your days, +leave your foolishness, weak old man." + +OISIN. "O Patrick, tell me as a secret, since it is you have the best +knowledge, will my dog or my hound be let in with me to the court of the +King of Grace?" + +PATRICK. "Old man in your foolishness that I cannot put any bounds to, +your dog or your hound will not be let in with you to the court of the +King of Power." + +OISIN. "If I had acquaintance with God, and my hound to be at hand, I +would make whoever gave food to myself give a share to my hound as well. + +"One strong champion that was with the Fianna of Ireland would be better +than the Lord of Piety, and than you yourself, Patrick." + +PATRICK. "O Oisin of the sharp blades, it is mad words you are saying. +God is better for one day than the whole of the Fianna of Ireland." + +OISIN. "Though I am now without sway and my life is spent to the end, do +not put abuse, Patrick, on the great men of the sons of Baiscne. + +"If I had Conan with me, the man that used to be running down the +Fianna, it is he would break your head within among your clerks and your +priests." + +PATRICK. "It is a silly thing, old man, to be talking always of the +Fianna; remember your end is come, and take the Son of God to help you." + +OISIN. "I used to sleep out on the mountain under the grey dew; I was +never used to go to bed without food, while there was a deer on the hill +beyond." + +PATRICK. "You are astray at the end of your life between the straight +way and the crooked. Keep out from the crooked path of pains, and the +angels of God will come beneath your head." + +OISIN. "If myself and open-handed Fergus and Diarmuid were together now +on this spot, we would go in every path we ever went in, and ask no +leave of the priests." + +PATRICK. "Leave off, Oisin; do not be speaking against the priests that +are telling the word of God in every place. Unless you leave off your +daring talk, it is great pain you will have in the end." + +OISIN. "When myself and the leader of the Fianna were looking for a boar +in a valley, it was worse to me not to see it than all your clerks to be +without their heads." + +PATRICK. "It is pitiful seeing you without sense; that is worse to you +than your blindness; if you were to get sight within you, it is great +your desire would be for Heaven." + +OISIN. "It is little good it would be to me to be sitting in that city, +without Caoilte, without Osgar, without my father being with me. + +"The leap of the buck would be better to me, or the sight of badgers +between two valleys, than all your mouth is promising me, and all the +delights I could get in Heaven." + +PATRICK. "Your thoughts are foolish, they will come to nothing; your +pleasure and your mirth are gone. Unless you will take my advice +to-night, you will not get leave on this side or that." + +OISIN. "If myself and the Fianna were on the top of a hill to-day +drawing our spear-heads, we would have our choice of being here or there +in spite of books and priests and bells." + +PATRICK. "You were like the smoke of a wisp, or like a stream in a +valley, or like a whirling wind on the top of a hill, every tribe of you +that ever lived." + +OISIN. "If I was in company with the people of strong arms, the way I +was at Bearna da Coill, I would sooner be looking at them than at this +troop of the crooked croziers. + +"If I had Scolb Sceine with me, or Osgar, that was smart in battles, I +would not be without meat to-night at the sound of the bell of the seven +tolls." + +PATRICK. "Oisin, since your wits are gone from you be glad at what I +say; it is certain to me you will leave the Fianna and that you will +receive the God of the stars." + +OISIN. "There is wonder on me at your hasty talk, priest that has +travelled in every part, to say that I would part from the Fianna, a +generous people, never niggardly." + +PATRICK. "If you saw the people of God, the way they are settled at +feasts, every good thing is more plentiful with them than with Finn's +people, however great their name was. + +"Finn and the Fianna are lying now very sorrowful on the flag-stone of +pain; take the Son of God in their place; make your repentance and do +not lose Heaven." + +OISIN. "I do not believe your talk now. O Patrick of the crooked staves, +Finn and the Fianna to be there within, unless they find pleasure being +in it." + +PATRICK. "Make right repentance now, before you know when your end is +coming; God is better for one hour than the whole of the Fianna of +Ireland." + +OISIN. "That is a daring answer to make to me, Patrick of the crooked +crozier; your crozier would be in little bits if I had Osgar with me +now. + +"If my son Osgar and God were hand to hand on the Hill of the Fianna, if +I saw my son put down, I would say that God was a strong man. + +"How could it be that God or his priests could be better men than Finn, +the King of the Fianna, a generous man without crookedness. + +"If there was a place above or below better than the Heaven of God, it +is there Finn would go, and all that are with him of his people. + +"You say that a generous man never goes to the hell of pain; there was +not one among the Fianna that was not generous to all. + +"Ask of God, Patrick, does He remember when the Fianna were alive, or +has He seen east or west any man better than themselves in their +fighting. + +"The Fianna used not to be saying treachery; we never had the name of +telling lies. By truth and the strength of our hands we came safe out of +every battle. + +"There never sat a priest in a church, though you think it sweet to be +singing psalms, was better to his word than the Fianna, or more generous +than Finn himself. + +"If my comrades were living to-night, I would take no pleasure in your +crooning in the church; as they are not living now, the rough voice of +the bells has deafened me. + +"Och! in the place of battles and heavy fights, where I used to have my +place and to take my pleasure, the crozier of Patrick being carried, and +his clerks at their quarrelling. + +"Och! slothful, cheerless Conan, it is great abuse I used to be giving +you; why do you not come to see me now? you would get leave for making +fun and reviling through the whole of the niggardly clerks. + +"Och! where are the strong men gone that they do not come together to +help me! O Osgar of the sharp sword of victory, come and free your +father from his bonds! + +"Where is the strong son of Lugaidh? Och! Diarmuid of all the women! +Och! Caoilte, son of Ronan, think of our love, and travel to me!" + +PATRICK. "Stop your talk, you withered, witless old man; it is my King +that made the Heavens, it is He that gives blossom to the trees, it is +He made the moon and the sun, the fields and the grass." + +OISIN. "It was not in shaping fields and grass that my king took his +delight, but in overthrowing fighting men, and defending countries, and +bringing his name into every part. + +"In courting, in playing, in hunting, in baring his banner at the first +of a fight; in playing at chess, at swimming, in looking around him at +the drinking-hall. + +"O Patrick, where was your God when the two came over the sea that +brought away the queen of Lochlann of the Ships? Where was He when Dearg +came, the son of the King of Lochlann of the golden shields? Why did not +the King of Heaven protect them from the blows of the big man? + +"Or when Tailc, son of Treon, came, the man that did great slaughter on +the Fianna; it was not by God that champion fell, but by Osgar, in the +sight of all. + +"Many a battle and many a victory was gained by the Fianna of Ireland; I +never heard any great deed was done by the King of Saints, or that He +ever reddened His hand. + +"It would be a great shame for God not to take the locks of pain off +Finn; if God Himself were in bonds, my king would fight for His sake. + +"Finn left no one in pain or in danger without freeing him by silver or +gold, or by fighting till he got the victory. + +"For the strength of your love, Patrick, do not forsake the great men; +bring in the Fianna unknown to the King of Heaven. + +"It is a good claim I have on your God, to be among his clerks the way I +am; without food, without clothing, without music, without giving +rewards to poets. + +"Without the cry of the hounds or the horns, without guarding coasts, +without courting generous women; for all that I have suffered by the +want of food, I forgive the King of Heaven in my will." + +Oisin said: "My story is sorrowful. The sound of your voice is not +pleasant to me. I will cry my fill, but not for God, but because Finn +and the Fianna are not living." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. OISIN'S LAMENTS + + +And Oisin used to be making laments, and sometimes he would be making +praises of the old times and of Finn; and these are some of them that +are remembered yet:-- + + I saw the household of Finn; it was not the household of a soft + race; I had a vision of that man yesterday. + + I saw the household of the High King, he with the brown, + sweet-voiced son; I never saw a better man. + + I saw the household of Finn; no one saw it as I saw it; I saw Finn + with the sword, Mac an Luin. Och! it was sorrowful to see it. + + I cannot tell out every harm that is on my head; free us from our + trouble for ever; I have seen the household of Finn. + +It is a week from yesterday I last saw Finn; I never saw a braver man. A +king of heavy blows; my law, my adviser, my sense and my wisdom, prince +and poet, braver than kings, King of the Fianna, brave in all countries; +golden salmon of the sea, clean hawk of the air, rightly taught, +avoiding lies; strong in his doings, a right judge, ready in courage, a +high messenger in bravery and in music. + +His skin lime-white, his hair golden; ready to work, gentle to women. +His great green vessels full of rough sharp wine, it is rich the king +was, the head of his people. + +Seven sides Finn's house had, and seven score shields on every side. +Fifty fighting men he had about him having woollen cloaks; ten bright +drinking-cups in his hall; ten blue vessels, ten golden horns. + +It is a good household Finn had, without grudging, without lust, without +vain boasting, without chattering, without any slur on any one of the +Fianna. + +Finn never refused any man; he never put away any one that came to his +house. If the brown leaves falling in the woods were gold, if the white +waves were silver, Finn would have given away the whole of it. + +Blackbird of Doire an Chairn, your voice is sweet; I never heard on any +height of the world music was sweeter than your voice, and you at the +foot of your nest. + +The music is sweetest in the world, it is a pity not to be listening to +it for a while, O son of Calphurn of the sweet bells, and you would +overtake your nones again. + +If you knew the story of the bird the way I know it, you would be crying +lasting tears, and you would give no heed to your God for a while. + +In the country of Lochlann of the blue streams, Finn, son of Cumhal, of +the red-gold cups, found that bird you hear now; I will tell you its +story truly. + +Doire an Chairn, that wood there to the west, where the Fianna used to +be delaying, it is there they put the blackbird, in the beauty of the +pleasant trees. + +The stag of the heather of quiet Cruachan, the sorrowful croak from the +ridge of the Two Lakes; the voice of the eagle of the Valley of the +Shapes, the voice of the cuckoo on the Hill of Brambles. + +The voice of the hounds in the pleasant valley; the scream of the eagle +on the edge of the wood; the early outcry of the hounds going over the +Strand of the Red Stones. + +The time Finn lived and the Fianna, it was sweet to them to be listening +to the whistle of the blackbird; the voice of the bells would not have +been sweet to them. + + +There was no one of the Fianna without his fine silken shirt and his +soft coat, without bright armour, without shining stones on his head, +two spears in his hand, and a shield that brought victory. + +If you were to search the world you would not find a harder man, best of +blood, best in battle; no one got the upper hand of him. When he went +out trying his white hound, which of us could be put beside Finn? + +One time we went hunting on Slieve-nam-ban; the sun was beautiful +overhead, the voice of the hounds went east and west, from hill to hill. +Finn and Bran sat for a while on the hill, every man was jealous for the +hunt. We let out three thousand hounds from their golden chains; every +hound of them brought down two deer. + +Patrick of the true crozier, did you ever see, east or west, a greater +hunt than that hunt of Finn and the Fianna? O son of Calphurn of the +bells, that day was better to me than to be listening to your +lamentations in the church. + + * * * * * + +There is no strength in my hands to-night, there is no power within me; +it is no wonder I to be sorowful, being thrown down in the sorrow of old +age. + +Everything is a grief to me beyond any other man on the face of the +earth, to be dragging stones along to the church and the hill of the +priests. + +I have a little story of our people. One time Finn had a mind to make a +dun on the bald hill of Cuailgne, and he put it on the Fianna of Ireland +to bring stones for building it; a third on the sons of Morna, a third +on myself, and a third on the sons of Baiscne. + +I gave an answer to Finn, son of Cumhal; I said I would be under his +sway no longer, and that I would obey him no more. + +When Finn heard that, he was silent a long time, the man without a He, +without fear. And he said to me then: "You yourself will be dragging +stones before your death comes to you." + +I rose up then with anger on me, and there followed me the fourth of the +brave battalions of the Fianna. I gave my own judgments, there were many +of the Fianna with me. + +Now my strength is gone from me, I that was adviser to the Fianna; my +whole body is tired to-night, my hands, my feet, and my head, tired, +tired, tired. + +It is bad the way I am after Finn of the Fianna; since he is gone away, +every good is behind me. + +Without great people, without mannerly ways; it is sorrowful I am after +our king that is gone. + +I am a shaking tree, my leaves gone from me; an empty nut, a horse +without a bridle; a people without a dwelling-place, I Oisin, son of +Finn. + + * * * * * + +It is long the clouds are over me to-night! it is long last night was; +although this day is long, yesterday was longer again to me; every day +that comes is long to me! + +That is not the way I used to be, without fighting, without battles, +without learning feats, without young girls, without music, without +harps, without bruising bones, without great deeds; without increase of +learning, without generosity, without drinking at feasts, without +courting, without hunting, the two trades I was used to; without going +out to battle, Ochone! the want of them is sorrowful to me. + +No hunting of deer or stag, it is not like that I would wish to be; no +leashes for our hounds, no hounds; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night! + +Without rising up to do bravery as we were used, without playing as we +had a mind; without swimming of our fighting men in the lake; it is long +the clouds are over me to-night! + +There is no one at all in the world the way I am; it is a pity the way I +am; an old man dragging stones; it is long the clouds are over me +to-night! + +I am the last of the Fianna, great Oisin, son of Finn, listening to the +voice of bells; it is long the clouds are over me to-night! + + + + +NOTES + +I. THE APOLOGY + + +The Irish text of the greater number of the stories in this book has +been published, and from this text I have worked, making my own +translation as far as my scholarship goes, and when it fails, taking the +meaning given by better scholars. In some cases the Irish text has not +been printed, and I have had to work by comparing and piecing together +various translations. I have had to put a connecting sentence of my own +here and there, and I have fused different versions together, and +condensed many passages, and I have left out many, using the choice that +is a perpetual refusing, in trying to get some clear outline of the +doings of the heroes. + +I have found it more natural to tell the stories in the manner of the +thatched houses, where I have heard so many legends of Finn and his +friends, and Oisin and Patrick, and the Ever-Living Ones, and the +Country of the Young, rather than in the manner of the slated houses, +where I have not heard them. + +Four years ago, Dr Atkinson, a Professor of Trinity College, Dublin, in +his evidence before the Commission of Intermediate Education, said of +the old literature of Ireland:--"It has scarcely been touched by the +movements of the great literatures; it is the untrained popular feeling. +Therefore it is almost intolerably low in tone--I do not mean naughty, +but low; and every now and then, when the circumstance occasions it, it +goes down lower than low ... If I read the books in the Greek, the Latin +or the French course, in almost every one of them there is something +with an ideal ring about it--something that I can read with positive +pleasure--something that has what the child might take with him as a +[Greek: ktema eis dei]--a perpetual treasure; but if I read the Irish +books, I see nothing ideal in them, and my astonishment is that through +the whole range of Irish literature that I have read (and I have read +an enormous range of it), the smallness of the element of idealism is +most noticeable ... And as there is very little idealism there is very +little imagination ... The Irish tales as a rule are devoid of it +fundamentally." + +Dr Atkinson is an Englishman, but unfortunately not only +fellow-professors in Trinity but undergraduates there have been +influenced by his opinion, that Irish literature is a thing to be +despised. I do not quote his words to draw attention to a battle that is +still being fought, but to explain my own object in working, as I have +worked ever since that evidence was given, to make a part of Irish +literature accessible to many, especially among my young countrymen, who +have not opportunity to read the translations of the chief scholars, +scattered here and there in learned periodicals, or patience and time to +disentangle overlapping and contradictory versions, that they may judge +for themselves as to its "lowness" and "want of imagination," and the +other well-known charges brought against it before the same Commission. + +I believe that those who have once learned to care for the story of +Cuchulain of Muirthemne, and of Finn and Lugh and Etain, and to +recognise the enduring belief in an invisible world and an immortal life +behind the visible and the mortal, will not be content with my +redaction, but will go, first to the fuller versions of the best +scholars, and then to the manuscripts themselves. I believe the forty +students of old Irish lately called together by Professor Kuno Meyer +will not rest satisfied until they have explored the scores and scores +of uncatalogued and untranslated manuscripts in Trinity College Library, +and that the enthusiasm which the Gaelic League has given birth to will +lead to much fine scholarship. + +A day or two ago I had a letter from one of the best Greek scholars and +translators in England, who says of my "Cuchulain": "It opened up a +great world of beautiful legend which, though accounting myself as an +Irishman, I had never known at all. I am sending out copies to Irish +friends in Australia who, I am sure, will receive the same sort of +impression, almost an impression of pride in the beauty of the Irish +mind, as I received myself." And President Roosevelt wrote to me a +little time ago that after he had read "Cuchulain of Muirthemne," he had +sent for all the other translations from the Irish he could get, to take +on his journey to the Western States. + +I give these appreciative words not, I think, from vanity, for they are +not for me but for my material, to show the effect our old literature +has on those who come fresh to it, and that they do not complain of its +"want of imagination." I am, of course, very proud and glad in having +had the opportunity of helping to make it known, and the task has been +pleasant, although toil-some. Just now, indeed, on the 6th October, I am +tired enough, and I think with sympathy of the old Highland piper, who +complained that he was "withered with yelping the seven Fenian +battalions." + + + + +II. THE AGE AND ORIGIN OF THE STORIES OF THE FIANNA + + +Mr Alfred Nutt says in _Ossian and the Ossianic Literature,_ No. 3 of +his excellent series of sixpenny pamphlets, _Popular Studies in +Mythology, Romance, and Folklore_:-- + +"The body of Gaelic literature connected with the name of Ossian is of +very considerable extent and of respectable antiquity. The oldest texts, +prose for the most part, but also in verse, are preserved in Irish MSS. +of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and go back to a period from one +hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty years older at least. The +bulk of Ossianic literature is, however, of later date as far as the +form under which it has come down to us is concerned. A number of +important texts, prose for the most part, are preserved in MSS. of the +fourteenth century, but were probably redacted in the thirteenth and +twelfth centuries. But by far the largest mass consists of narrative +poems, as a rule dramatic in structure. These have come down to us in +MSS. written in Scotland from the end of the fifteenth to the middle of +the seventeenth century, in Ireland from the sixteenth down to the +middle of the nineteenth century. The Gaelic-speaking peasantry, alike +in Ireland and Scotland, have preserved orally a large number of these +ballads, as also a great mass of prose narratives, the heroes of which +are Ossian and his comrades. + +"Were all Ossianic texts preserved in MSS. older than the present +century to be printed, they would fill some eight to ten thousand octavo +pages. The mere bulk of the literature, even if we allow for +considerable repetition of incident, arrests attention. If we further +recall that for the last five hundred years this body of romance has +formed the chief imaginative recreation of Gaeldom, alike in Ireland and +Scotland, and that a peasantry unable to read or write has yet preserved +it almost entire, its claims to consideration and study will appear +manifest." + +He then goes on to discuss how far the incidents in the stories can be +accepted as they were accepted by Irish historical writers of the +eleventh century as authentic history:-- + +"Fortunately there is little need for me to discuss the credibility or +otherwise of the historic records concerning Finn, his family, and his +band of warriors. They may be accepted or rejected according to +individual bent of mind without really modifying our view of the +literature. For when we turn to the romances, whether in prose or verse, +we find that, although the history is professedly the same as that of +the Annals, firstly, we are transported to a world entirely romantic, in +which divine and semi-divine beings, ungainly monsters and giants, play a +prominent part, in which men and women change shapes with animals, in +which the lives of the heroes are miraculously prolonged--in short, we +find ourselves in a land of Faery; secondly, we find that the historic +conditions in which the heroes are represented as living do not, for the +most part, answer to anything we know or can surmise of the third +century. For Finn and his warriors are perpetually on the watch to guard +Ireland against the attacks of over-sea raiders, styled Lochlannac by +the narrators, and by them undoubtedly thought of as Norsemen. But the +latter, as is well known, only came to Ireland at the close of the +eighth century, and the heroic period of their invasions extended for +about a century, from 825 to 925; to be followed by a period of +comparative settlement during the tenth century, until at the opening of +the eleventh century the battle of Clontarf, fought by Brian, the great +South Irish chieftain, marked the break-up of the separate Teutonic +organisations and the absorption of the Teutons into the fabric of Irish +life. In these pages then we may disregard the otherwise interesting +question of historic credibility in the Ossianic romances: firstly, +because they have their being in a land unaffected by fact; secondly, +because if they ever did reflect the history of the third century the +reflection was distorted in after-times, and a pseudo-history based upon +events of the ninth and tenth centuries was substituted for it. What the +historian seeks for in legend is far more a picture of the society in +which it took rise than a record of the events which it commemorates." + +In a later part of the pamphlet Mr Nutt discusses such questions as +whether we may look for examples of third-century customs in the +stories, what part of the stories first found their way into writing, +whether the Oisin and Patrick dialogues were written under the influence +of actual Pagan feeling persisting from Pagan times, or whether "a +change came over the feeling of Gaeldom during the fourteenth and +fifteenth centuries," when the Oisin and Patrick dialogues in their +present form began to be written. His final summing-up is that +"well-nigh the same stories that were told of Finn and his warrior +braves by the Gael of the eleventh century are told in well-nigh the +same way by his descendant to-day." Mr Nutt does not enquire how long +the stories may have been told before the first story was written down. +Larminie, however, whose early death was the first great loss of our +intellectual movement, pushes them backward for untold ages in the +introduction to his _West Irish Folk Tales and Romances_. He builds up a +detailed and careful argument, for which I must refer readers to his +book, to prove that the Scottish Highlands and Ireland have received +their folk-lore both from "Aryan and Non-Aryan sources," and that in the +Highlands there is more non-Aryan influence and more non-Aryan blood +than in Ireland. He argues that nothing is more improbable than that all +folk-tales are Aryan, as has sometimes been supposed, and sums up as +follows:-- + +"They bear the stamp of the genius of more than one race. The pure and +placid but often cold imagination of the Aryan has been at work on some. +In others we trace the more picturesque fancy, the fierceness and +sensuality, the greater sense of artistic elegance belonging to races +whom the Aryan, in spite of his occasional faults of hardness and +coarseness, has, on the whole, left behind him. But as the greatest +results in the realm of the highest art have always been achieved in the +case of certain blends of Aryan with other blood, I should hardly deem +it extravagant if it were asserted that in the humbler regions of the +folk-tale we might trace the working of the same law. The process which +has gone on may in part have been as follows:--Every race which has +acquired very definite characteristics must have been for a long time +isolated. The Aryans during their period of isolation probably developed +many of their folk-germs into their larger myths, owing to the greater +constructiveness of their imagination, and thus, in a way, they used up +part of their material. Afterwards, when they became blended with other +races less advanced, they acquired fresh material to work on. We have in +Ireland an instance to hand, of which a brief discussion may help to +illustrate the whole race theory. + +"The larger Irish legendary literature divides itself into three +cycles--the divine, the heroic, the Fenian. Of these three the last is +so well-known orally in Scotland that it has been a matter of dispute to +which country it really belongs. It belongs, in fact, to both. Here, +however, comes in a strange contrast with the other cycles. The first +is, so far as I am aware, wholly unknown in Scotland, the second +comparatively unknown. What is the explanation? Professor Zimmer not +having established his late-historical view as regards Finn, and the +general opinion among scholars having tended of recent years towards the +mythical view, we want to know why there is so much more community in +one case than in the other. Mr O'Grady long since seeing this +difficulty, and then believing Finn to be historical, was induced to +place the latter in point of time before Cuchulain and his compeers. But +this view is of course inadmissible when Finn is seen not to be +historical at all. There remains but one explanation. The various bodies +of legend in question are, so far as Ireland is concerned, only earlier +or later, as they came into the island with the various races to which +they belonged. The wider prevalence, then, of the Finn Saga would +indicate that it belonged to an early race occupying both Ireland and +Scotland. Then entered the Aryan Gael, and for him henceforth, as the +ruler of the island, his own gods and heroes were sung by his own bards. +His legends became the subject of what I may call the court poetry, the +aristocratic literature. When he conquered Scotland, he took with him +his own gods and heroes; but in the latter country the bardic system +never became established, and hence we find but feeble echoes of the +heroic cycle among the mountains of the North. That this is the +explanation is shown by what took place in Ireland. Here the heroic +cycle has been handed down in remembrance almost solely by the bardic +literature. The popular memory retains but few traces of it. Its +essentially aristocratic character is shown by the fact that the people +have all but forgotten it, if they ever knew it. But the Fenian cycle +has not been forgotten. Prevailing everywhere, still cherished by the +conquered peoples, it held its ground in Scotland and Ireland alike, +forcing its way in the latter country even into the written literature, +and so securing a twofold lease of existence ... The Fenian cycle, in a +word, is non-Aryan folk-literature partially subjected to Aryan +treatment." + +The whole problem is extremely complex, and several other writers have +written upon it. Mr Borlase, for instance, has argued in his big book on +the Dolmens that the cromlechs, and presumably the Diarmuid and Crania +legend, is connected with old religious rites of an erotic nature coming +down from a very primitive state of society. + +I have come to my own conclusion not so much because of any weight of +argument, as because I found it impossible to arrange the stories in a +coherent form so long as I considered them a part of history. I tried to +work on the foundation of the Annalists, and fit the Fianna into a +definite historical epoch, but the whole story seemed trivial and +incoherent until I began to think of them as almost contemporaneous with +the battle of Magh Tuireadh, which even the Annalists put back into +mythical ages. In this I have only followed some of the story-tellers, +who have made the mother of Lugh of the Long Hand the grandmother of +Finn, and given him a shield soaked with the blood of Balor. I cannot +think of any of the stories as having had a modern origin, or that the +century in which each was written down gives any evidence as to its age. +"How Diarmuid got his Love-Spot," for instance, which was taken down +only a few years ago from some old man's recitation by Dr Hyde, may well +be as old as "Finn and the Phantoms," which is in one of the earliest +manuscripts. It seems to me that one cannot choose any definite period +either from the vast living mass of folk-lore in the country or from the +written text, and that there is as good evidence of Finn being of the +blood of the gods as of his being, as some of the people tell me, "the +son of an O'Shaughnessy who lived at Kiltartan Cross." + +Dr Douglas Hyde, although he placed the Fenian after the Cuchulain cycle +in his _History of Irish Literature_, has allowed me to print this +note:-- + +"While believing in the real objective existence of the Fenians as a +body of Janissaries who actually lived, ruled, and hunted in King +Cormac's time, I think it equally certain that hundreds of stories, +traits, and legends far older and more primitive than any to which they +themselves could have given rise, have clustered about them. There is +probably as large a bulk of primitive mythology to be found in the Finn +legend as in that of the Red Branch itself. The story of the Fenians was +a kind of nucleus to which a vast amount of the flotsam and jetsam of a +far older period attached itself, and has thus been preserved." + +As I found it impossible to give that historical date to the stories, I, +while not adding in anything to support my theory, left out such names +as those of Cormac and Art, and such more or less historical personages, +substituting "the High King." And in the "Battle of the White Strand," I +left out the name of Caelur, Tadg's wife, because I had already followed +another chronicler in giving him Ethlinn for a wife. In the earlier part +I have given back to Angus Og the name of "The Disturber," which had, as +I believe, strayed from him to the Saint of the same name. + + + + +III. THE AUTHORITIES + + +The following is a list of the authorities I have been chiefly helped by +in putting these stories together and in translation of the text. But I +cannot make it quite accurate, for I have sometimes transferred a mere +phrase, sometimes a whole passage from one story to another, where it +seemed to fit better. I have sometimes, in the second part of the book, +used stories preserved in the Scottish Gaelic, as will be seen by my +references. I am obliged to write these notes away from libraries, and +cannot verify them, but I think they are fairly correct. + + + + +PART ONE. BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE + + +THE COMING OF THE TUATHA DE DANAAN, AND LUGH OF +THE LONG HAND, AND THE COMING OF THE GAEL.-- + O'Curry, _Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish_; + _MSS. Materials_; + _Atlantis_; + De Jubainville, _Cycle Mythologique_; + Hennessy, _Chronicum Scotorum_; + Atkinson, _Book of Leinster_; + _Annals of the Four Masters_; + Nennius, _Hist, Brit._ (Irish Version); + Zimmer, _Glossae Hibernacae_; + Whitley Stokes, _Three Irish Glossaries_; + _Revue Celtique_ and _Irische Texte_; + _Gaedelica_; + Nutt, _Voyage of Bran_; + _Proceedings Ossianic Societ_; + O'Beirne Crowe, _Amra Columcille_; + Dean of Lismore's Book; + Windisch, _Irische Texte_; + Hennessy and others in _Revue Celtique_; + _Kilkenny Archaeological Journal_; + Keatinge's _History_; + _Ogyia_; + Curtin's _Folk Tales_; + _Proceedings Royal Irish Academy_, MSS. Series; + Dr Sigerson, _Bards of Gael and Gall_; + Miscellanies, _Celtic Society_. + + +BOOK FOUR + +THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES + +I have used many of the above, and for separate stories, I may +give these authorities:-- + +MIDHIR AND ETAIN.-- + O'Curry, _Manners and Customs_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_; + Mueller, _Revue Celtique_; + Nutt, _Voyage of Bran_; + De Jubainville, _Epopee Celtique_; + Standish Hayes O'Grady, MS. lent me by him. + +MANANNAN AT PLAY.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HIS CALL TO BRAN.-- + Professor Kuno Meyer in Nutt's _Voyage of Bran_; + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + De Jubainville, _Cycle Mythologique_. + +HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC.-- + Whitley Stokes, _Irische Texte_. + +CLIODNA'S WAVE.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_. + +HIS CALL TO CONNLA.-- + O'Beirne Crowe, _Kilkenny Arch. Journal_; + Windisch, _Irische Texte_. + +TADG IN THE ISLANDS.-- + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_. + +LAEGAIRE IN THE HAPPY PLAIN.-- + S.H. O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Kuno Meyer in Nutt's _Voyage of Bran_. + +FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR.-- + O'Curry, _Atlantis_. + + +PART TWO. THE FIANNA + +THE COMING OF FINN, AND FINN'S HOUSEHOLD.-- + _Proceedings Ossianic Society_; + Kuno Meyer, _Four Songs of Summer and Winter_; + _Revue Celtique_; + S. Hayes O'Grady, _Silva Gaedelica_; + Curtin's _Folk Tales_. + +BIRTH OF BRAN.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +OISIN'S MOTHER.-- + Kennedy, _Legendary Fictions Irish Celts_; + Mac Innis; + _Leabhar na Feinne_. + +BEST MEN OF THE FIANNA.-- + Dean of Lismore's Book; + _Silva Gaedelica; + Leabhar na Feinne_. + +LAD OF THE SKINS.-- + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_; + Larminie's _Folk Tales_; + Curtin's _Tales_. + +THE HOUND.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Whitley Stokes, _Dinnsenchus_. + +RED RIDGE.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +BATTLE OF THE WHITE STRAND.-- + Kuno Meyer, _Anec. Oxonienses_; + Hanmer's _Chronicle_; + Dean of Lismore; + Curtin's _Tales_; + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +KING OF BRITAIN'S SON.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +DONN, SON OF MIDHIR.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS.-- + Dean of Lismore; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales of the Western Highlands_. + +LOMNA'S HEAD.-- + O'Curry, _Orc. Treith_, O'Donovan, ed. Stokes. + +ILBREC OF ESS RUADH.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +CAVE OF CRUACHAN.-- + Stokes, _Irische Texts._ + +WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +THE SHADOWY ONE.-- + O'Curry. + +FINN'S MADNESS.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +THE RED WOMAN.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_. + +FINN AND THE PHANTOMS.-- + Kuno Meyer, _Revue Celtique_. + +THE PIGS OF ANGUS.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +HUNT OF SLIEVE CUILINN.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +OISIN'S CHILDREN.-- + O'Curry; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales of the Western Highlands_; + Stokes, _Irische Texte_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Celtic Magazine_; + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_. + +BIRTH OF DIARMUID.-- + _Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grania_ + (Society for Preservation of the Irish Language); + Campbell's _Popular Tales_. + +HOW DIARMUID GOT HIS LOVE-SPOT.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_. + +DAUGHTER OF KING UNDER-WAVE.-- + Campbell's _Popular Tales_. + +THE HARD SERVANT.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_. + +HOUSE OF THE QUICKEN TREES.-- + MSS. in Royal Irish Academy, and in Dr Hyde's possession. + +DIARMUID AND GRANIA.-- + Text Published by S. Hayes O'Grady, + _Proc. Ossianic Society_, + and re-edited by N. O'Duffey for + Society for Preservation of the Irish Language; + Kuno Meyer, _Revue Celtique_, and _Four Songs_; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales_; + _Kilkenny Arch. Journal_; + _Folk Lore_, vol. vii., 1896; + Dean of Lismore; + Nutt, _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_. + +CNOC-AN-AIR, ETC.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_. + +WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA.-- + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Leabhar na Feinne_; + Campbell's _Popular Tales_; + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + O'Curry; + _Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition_; + Stokes, _Irische Texte_. + +THE END OF THE FIANNA.-- + Hyde, _Sgealuidhe Gaedhealach_; + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + _Silva Gaedelica_; + Miss Brooke's _Reliques_; + _Annals of the Four Masters_; + _Celtic Magazine_. + +OISIN AND PATRICK, AND OISIN'S LAMENTS.-- + _Proc. Ossianic Society_; + Dean of Lismore; + _Kilkenny Arch, fournal_; + Curtin's _Tales_. + +I have taken Grania's sleepy song, and the description of Finn's shield +and of Cumhal's treasure-bag, and the fact of Finn's descent from +Ethlinn, from _Duanaire Finn_, now being edited for the Irish Texts +Society by Mr John MacNeill, the proofs of which I have been kindly +allowed to see. And I have used sometimes parts of stories, or comments +on them gathered directly from the people, who have kept these heroes so +much in mind. The story of Caoilte coming to the help of the King of +Ireland in a dark wood is the only one I have given without either a +literary or a folk ancestry. It was heard or read by Mr Yeats, he cannot +remember where, but he had, with it in his mind, written of "Caoilte's +burning hair" in one of his poems. + +I and my readers owe special thanks to those good workers in the +discovery of Irish literature, Professor Kuno Meyer and Mr Whitley +Stokes, translators of so many manuscripts; and to my friend and kinsman +Standish Hayes O'Grady, for what I have taken from that wonderful +treasure-house, his _Silva Gaedelica_. + + + + +IV. THE PRONUNCIATION + + +This is the approximate pronunciation of some of the more difficult +names: + +Adhnuall Ai-noo-al. +Ailbhe. Alva. +Almhuin All-oon, _or_ Alvin. +Aobh Aev, _or_ Eev. +Aodh Ae (rhyming to "day"). +Aoibhill Evill. +Aoife Eefa. + +Badb Bibe. +Beltaine, + or Bealtaine Bal-tinna. +Bladhma Bly-ma. +Bodb Dearg Bove Darrig. + +Caoilte Cweeltia. +Cam Ruidhe Corn Rwee. +Ciabhan Kee-a-van. +Cliodna Cleevna. +Coincheann Kun-Kann. +Crann Buidhe Cran bwee. +Credhe Crae-a. +Cumhal Coo-al. + +Deaghadh D'ya-a. +Dubhthach Duffach. +Duibhreann Dhiv-ran. +Duibhrium Dhiv-rinn. +Dun Doon. + +Eimher Aevir. +Emhain Avvin. +Eochaid Eohee. +Eoghan Owen. + +Fionnchad Finn-ach-a. +Fodhla Fola. +Fodla Fola. + +Gallimh Gol-yiv. +Glas Gaibhnenn Glos Gov-nan. + +Leith Laeig Leh Laeg. +Loch Dairbhreach Loch Darvragh. +Lugaidh Loo-ee, _or_ Lewy. +Lugh Loo. + +Magh an Ionganaidh Moy-in-eean-ee. +Magh Cuillean Moy Cullin. +Magh Feabhail Moy Fowl. +Magh Macraimhe Moy Mucrivva. +Magh Mell Moy Mal. +Magh Rein Moy Raen. +Magh Tuireadh Moytirra. +Manannan Mananaun. +Midhe Mee. +Midhna Mec-na. +Mochaomhog Mo-cwecv-og. +Muadhan Moo-aun. +Murchadh Murachu. + +Nemhnain Now-nin. +Niamh Nee-av. + +Og Og. + +Rath Medba, + or Meadhbha Ra Maev-a. +Rudraighe Rury. + +Samhain Sow-in. +Scathniamh Scau-nee-av. +Sceolan Skolaun. +Searbhan Sharavaun. +Sidhe Shee. +Slieve Echtge Sleev Acht-ga. + +Tadg Teig. +Teamhair T'yower, _or_ Tavvir. +Tuatha de Danaan Too-a-ha dae Donnan. +Tuathmumhain Too-moon. + +I have not followed a fixed rule as to the spelling of Irish names; I +have taken the spelling I give from various good authorities, but they +vary so much that, complete accuracy not being easy, I sometimes look to +custom and convenience. I use, for instance, "Slieve" for "Sliabh," +because it comes so often, and a mispronunciation would spoil so many +names. I have treated "Inbhir" (a river mouth) in the same way, spelling +it "Inver," and even adopting it as an English word, because it is so +useful. The forty scholars of the New School of Old Irish will do us +good service if they work at the question both of spelling and of +pronunciation of the old names and settle them as far as is possible. + + +V. THE PLACE NAMES + +Accuill Achill, Co. Mayo. +Aine Cliach Cnoc Aine, Co. Limerick. +Almhuin Near Kildare. +Ath Cliath Dublin. +Athluain Athlone. +Ath na Riogh Athenry. +Badhamain Cahir, Co. Tipperary. +Baile Cronin Barony of Imokilty, Co. Cork. +Banna The Bann. +Beare Berehaven. +Bearna na Eadargana Roscommon. +Bearnas Mor Co. Donegal. +Beinn Gulbain Benbulban, Co. Sligo. +Beire do Bhunadas Berehaven. +Bel-atha Senaig Ballyshannon. +Belgata In Connemara. +Benna Boirde Source of the Bann and Mourne Mountains. +Berramain Near Tralee. +Bhas River Bush. +Boinn River Boyne. +Bri Leith Co. Longford. + +Cairbre Carbury. +Cairgin Three miles south of Londonderry. +Carrthach River River Carra, near Dunkerrin Mountains. +Ceanntaile Kinsale. +Ceiscorainn Co. Sligo. +Cill Dolun Killaloe, Co. Clare. +Cliodna's Wave At Glandore, Co. Cork. +Cluantarbh Clontarf. +Cnoc Aine Co. Limerick. +Cnoc-an-Air Co. Kerry. +Cnoc na righ Co. Sligo. +Corca Duibhne Corcaguiny, Co. Kerry. +Corrslieve Carlow Mountains. +Crotta Cliach Galtee Mountains. +Cruachan Co. Roscommon. +Cruachan Aigle Croagh Patrick. + +Doire a Cairn Derrycarn, Co. Meath. +Doire-da-Bhoth In Slieve Echtge. +Druim Cleibh Co. Sligo. +Druim Lis Near Loch Gill. +Druimscarha Near River Arighis, Co. Cork. +Dun Sobairce Dunsevenh, Co. Antrim. +Durlas Thurles. + +Ess Dara Near Sligo. +Ess Ruadh Assaroe, Co. Donegal. +Fidh Gaible Fergill, Co. Sligo. +Finntraighe Ventry. +Fionn The Finn. +Fionnabraic Kilfenna, Co. Clare. +Fionntutach Co. Limerick. +Fleisge Co. Kerry. + +Gabhra Near Tara. +Gaibh atha na Fiann River Leamhar, flows from Killarney. +Gairech and Ilgairech Hills near Mullingar. +Gallimh Galway. +Gleann na Caor Co. Cork. +Gullach Dollairb Barony of Rathconrath. + +Hill of Bairnech Near Killarney. +Hill of Uisnech Co. Westmeath. + +Inver Cechmaine East coast of Ulster. +Inver Colpa Drogheda. +Inver Slane N.E. of Leinster. +Irrus Domnann Erris, Co. Mayo. +Island of Toraig Tory Island, Co. Donegal. + +Laoi River Lee. +Leith Laoi Leitrim. +Linn Feic Near Slaney. +Loch Bel Sead Co. Tipperary. +Loch Ce Co. Roscommon. +Loch Dairbhreach Loch Derryvaragh, Co. Westmeath. +Loch Deirg Dheirc Loch Derg on the Shannon. +Loch Eirne Loch Erne. +Loch Feabhail Loch Foyle. +Loch Lein Killarney. +Loch Orbson Loch Corrib. +Loch na-n Ean In Co. Roscommon. +Lough Neatach Loch Neagh. +Luimneach Limerick. + +Maev Mhagh Plain about Loughrea. +Magh Cobha Iveagh, Co. Down. +Magh Cuilenn Moycullen, Co. Galway. +Magh Femen Co. Tipperary. +Magh Larg Co. Roscommon. +Magh Leine King's County. +Magh Luirg Co. Roscommon. +Magh Maini Co. Wexford. +Magh Mucraimhe Near Athenry. +Magh Nia Same as Magh Tuireadh. +Magh Rein Co. Leitrim. +Magh Tuireadh Moytura near Sligo, scene of great + battle, and Moytura, near + Cong, scene of first battle. +March of Finnliath River Lee, near Tralee. +Midhe Meath, west of Ardagh. +Mis Geadh In Bay of Erris. +Muaid River Moy. +Muc-inis Muckinish, off Connemara. + +Nas Naas. +Nem The Nem. + +Oenach Clochan Morristown, Co. Limerick. +Osraige Ossory. + +Paps of Dana Co. Kerry. +Portlairge Waterford. + +River Maigh Co. Limerick. +Ros da Shioleach Limerick. +Ruirlech Liffey. + +Samair R. Cumhair, runs through Bruff. +Sionnan River Shannon. +Siuir River Suir, Co. Tipperary. +Siuir and Beoir Suir and Nore and Barrow. + and Berba +Slieve Baisne Co. Roscommon. +Slieve Bladmai Slieve Bloom. +Slieve Buane Slieve Banne, Co. Roscommon. +Slieve Conaill Border of Leitrim and Donegal. +Slieve Crot Co. Tipperary. +Slieve Cua Co. Waterford. +Slieve Cua + and Slieve Crot In Galtee Mountains. +Slieve Cuailgne Co. Louth. +Slieve Echtge Co. Galway. +Slieve Fuad Co. Armagh. +Slieve Guaire Co. Cavan. +Slieve Luchra Co. Kerry. +Slieve Lugha Co. Mayo. +Slieve Mis Co. Kerry. +Slieve Muice Co. Tipperary. +Slieve-nam-Ban Co. Tipperary +Sligach Sligo. +Srub Bruin In West Kerry. +Sruth na Maoile Mull of Cantire. + +Tailltin Telltown. +Teamhair Tara, Co. Meath. +Teunhair Luchra Near Castle Island, Co. Kerry. +The Beith River Behy, Barony of Dunkerrin. +The Beoir The Berba. +The Islands of Mod In Clew Bay. +The Lemain River Laune, Co. Kerry. +The Muaidh River Moy, Co. Sligo. +Tonn Toime Toines, near Killarney. +Traigh Eothaile Near Ballisodare. +Tuathmumain Thomond. + +Ui Chonaill Gabhra Co. Limerick. +Ui Fiachraih, Fiachraig Co. Mayo. + +Wave of Rudraighe Bay of Dundrum. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Gods and Fighting Men, by Lady I. A. Gregory + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GODS AND FIGHTING MEN *** + +***** This file should be named 14465.txt or 14465.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/4/6/14465/ + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Robert Ledger and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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