by Irish Myths
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
DIARMUID
3 11.)
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 Diannuid'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 herself, 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
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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 is
cold as the snow of one night. " And he tried to rise up, but he
could not stir, or any 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.
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B O O K S E V E N :
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 Garraiclh, 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 o
f our going," he said, "until
such time as we are come back again. "
After tha t the two bade farewell to Finn, and set out, and i t 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
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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
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323
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 o f 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
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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 lovespot 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 out 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
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325
said, "and my eyes fell on you, and I gav
e 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 Oison, 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
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said: "It is a bad journey you are come on, Grania. For it would be