by Irish Myths
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
CNOC-AN -AIR
3 7 3
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
374
IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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.
CNOC-AN-AIR
3 7 5
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 goldenhaired 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 pu
t 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
3 76
IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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 pro tection 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
corning; 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
CNOC-AN-AIR
377
and my delight; my grief! my sunny house and my women; my
crying grief, you to be under def eat.
"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. "
378
IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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
CNOC-AN-AIR
379
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 b
ack 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 Ill.
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
380
IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
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.
"Glanlaudh 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