Lady Augusta Gregory

by Irish Myths

256

  IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS

  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 dwellingp lace 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 Muime and of Cumhal.

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  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 on Ogham

  on it, and these were the words he wrote:-

  "An alder stake in a paling of silver; deadly nightshade 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.

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  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 cap.

  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 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

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  259

  and the Beoir and the Berba come together, with a great company

  about you; fifteen hundred young men, fifteen hundred servingboys, 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 bum Teamhair. And

  keep it beside you now, Caoilte," he said, "till we see will Lir

  come to avenge his bird on us."

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  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,

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  26 1

  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 Behind, daughter of Elcmer 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

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  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

  Behind, 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

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  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;