by Irish Myths
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
THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES
1 37
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 color 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
1 38
IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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
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1 39
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 the1n 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
&nbs
p; 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
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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 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,
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141
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
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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 l..aegaire.
Fiachna, son of Betach, went down into the lake then, for it
was out of it he had come, and l..aegaire 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 l..aegaire, "I and my fifty men will go out
against this troop. " "I will answer you," said Goll, son of Dalbh.
THE EVER-LIVING LIVING ONES
1 43
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 t
he 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
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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 sweetsounding 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