by Irish Myths
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
DIARMU I D A N D G RA N IA
365
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
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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 corning 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
DIARMUID A N D G RAN IA
367
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 0 Diarmuid," she said, "it is a hard bed Finn has gi
ven
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. 0 love ! 0 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.
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"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.
DIARMUID AND G RA N IA
369
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 Corea 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 Donnchaclh, 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.
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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.
3 7 1
B O O K E I G H T :
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 m
e," 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
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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