It was some time after the pursuit of the Worthless Servant that the
events of this story took place. Finn, knowing that sooner or later his
forces would have to meet those of the High King of the World, spent
most of his time building up the numbers of his Fenians, so that he
would have a force sufficient when the time came for the great struggle.
This angered Cormack, High King of Tara, to whom Finn owed allegiance.
Cormack had been very jealous of the power of the Fenians and of the
hold Finn had upon them. Sometimes these Fenians did make demands on the
people of the country, and some of these demands were unreasonable. You
see, Finn was getting to be quite an old man. While his courage and his
wisdom were as great as of old, he was not with his men as constantly as
he had been in his earlier years. Probably they took advantage of this
fact and did things he would not have allowed had he known of them.
Cormack made up his mind that the overbearing conduct of some of the
Fenians was caused by the fact that Finn had no respect for the
authority of the High King. Then, when Finn began to bend every effort
to increase the fighting strength of the Fenians, Cormack got the idea
that his leader was about to take the kingdom away from him.
The quarrel began to grow serious. Some of the friends of both men,
however, urged that a stronger alliance be formed between the two to
make a serious break impossible. This was to be accomplished by having
Finn marry Grainne, the daughter of Cormack.
The two men finally agreed that this wedding should take place, in spite
of the fact that Finn had a grandson older than the girl who was to be
his wife. Cormack was willing because he really feared Finn’s power if
used against him. Finn was willing because he knew of the struggle which
was coming, and he wanted no quarrels at home to interfere with his
preparations.
Now, Grainne had never seen this mighty leader. She knew him only from
the stories of his many deeds of valor. To have such a noted hero for a
husband seemed quite the proper thing, especially when she was told that
the marriage was arranged for the good of Erin. She told her father that
she was willing to have Finn for a husband.
So, the Fenian chief, attended by his son, Ossian, his grandson, Oscar,
his friend, Dermot, and a guard of honor, went to the hall at Tara for
the wedding celebration. A great feast for the men of both parties was
held in the banquet hall. During the meal Cormack and Finn discussed
their differences and plans for a better understanding.
Naturally the young girl was anxious to have a look at the man who was
to be her husband. While the feast was in progress she came to the door
of the hall with her maid, who was to point out Finn to her mistress.
The maid did so. Grainne was amazed.
“Surely not that old man!” she exclaimed.
The maid told her that there could be no mistake. Then she named over
all the rest of the party in turn. Grainne made up her mind that she
would not go on with the ceremony.
“My father did not tell me that he was mating me with a man old enough
to be my grandfather,” she said. “If he had, I should never have
consented. What can that old man want with a wife?”
“The marriage is to bind the Fenians more closely to the throne,” said
the maid.
“That could be done in other ways,” replied Grainne. “If Finn sought me
for a wife for his son, I would be willing to go on with the match.”
The maid explained that Ossian already had a wife and could not take
another.
“Well, the grandson would be still better,” insisted Grainne. “But I
will never marry that old man; never, never, never!”
“Then it would be best for you to so inform your father immediately,”
advised the maid. “Even now your refusal will cause more bitter
feeling.”
“No,” said Grainne. “My father would insist upon the match. If I get out
of this marriage it will have to be by my own efforts.”
Then the girl went to her rooms in the palace and prepared a jug of
wine, putting in a drug which would bring a heavy sleep to all who
tasted of it. This she gave to the maid, telling her to go to the hall
and give a sip from the bride’s cup to everyone except Oscar and Dermot.
To these she was to refuse it.
The maid followed her instructions. All to whom it was offered took a
sip of the drugged liquor. When they were asleep Grainne, dressed in her
most beautiful robes, entered the hall and went straight to Oscar and
Dermot. She asked Oscar to marry her and take her away. Oscar
indignantly refused to be false to the man who was both his chief and
his grandfather.
But now Grainne had looked upon the Love Spot. She forgot all about
Oscar in her new love for this young Fenian hero. She now pled with
Dermot to marry her and take her away.
Dermot threw off her arms from around his neck.
“Think you that I would cast aside my honor and lose my place with the
Fenians?” he cried. “Never shall it be said that Dermot was false to a
friend! Death would be better than that!”
But Grainne was not to be denied. She forgot everything but her love for
this man. She used a trick to compel Dermot to take her, the same ruse
that Teasa had used to force Finn to take her to Erin.
“If you will not have me for your wife, I put you under bonds to save me
from this marriage, which is distasteful to me. I bind you, by your
Fenian oath, to take me away and guard me from all pursuers until I
release you.”
Poor Dermot was sorely puzzled. Whichever course he took he must lose
his honor. He must either break his vow to give protection to a woman
whenever it was asked, or he must be disloyal to Finn.
“What can I do?” he asked Oscar.
“To give you advice is the thing I would gladly refuse,” answered Oscar.
“Since you ask it, I must tell you that your honor binds you to do as
she asks.”
So Dermot and Grainne went out through the little gate in the palace
wall and fled into the forest, accompanied only by Dermot’s faithful
hound.