THE GILLA DACKER AND HIS HORSE.[120-1]
Once upon a time, when Finn and the Fena were hunting over Munster, Finn
and some of his companions encamped on the slope of Knockainey
hill[120-2] to rest for awhile. And they sent Finn Mac Bressal to the
top of the hill to keep watch and ward, while they amused themselves,
some playing chess, and some viewing the chase all round and listening
to the sweet cry of the hounds.
[120-1] "The Pursuit of the Gilla Dacker and his horse" is a
humorous story, of which only a few incidents are given
here. The Gilla Dacker was really Mannanan Mac Lir, the
Pagan Irish sea-god, who came in disguise to play a
trick--a sort of practical joke--on the Fena. The whole
story is given in "Old Celtic Romances."
[120-2] Knockainey: a hill celebrated in story, rising over the
village of Knockainey, in the Co. Limerick.
Finn Mac Bressal had been watching only a little time, when he saw on
the plain to the east, a Fomor[121-1] of vast size coming towards the
hill, leading a horse. As he came nearer, Finn Mac Bressal observed that
he was the ugliest-looking giant his eyes ever lighted on. He had a
large, thick body, bloated and swollen out to a great size; clumsy,
crooked legs; and broad, flat feet, turned inwards. His hands and arms
and shoulders were bony and thick and very strong-looking; his neck was
long and thin; and while his head was poked forward, his face was turned
up, as he stared straight at Finn Mac Bressal. He had thick lips, and
long crooked teeth; and his face was covered all over with bushy hair.
[121-1] Fomor, a gigantic warrior, a giant: its real meaning is "a
sea-robber," commonly called a Fomorian.
He was fully armed; but all his weapons were rusty and soiled. A broad
shield of a dirty, sooty colour, rough and battered, hung over his back;
he had a long, heavy, straight sword at his left hip; and he grasped in
his left hand two thick-handled, broad-headed spears, old and rusty,
that looked as if they had not been handled for years. In his right hand
he held an iron club, which he dragged after him, with its end on the
ground; and it was so heavy that, as it trailed along, it tore up a
track as deep as the furrow a farmer ploughs with a pair of oxen.
The horse he led was even larger in proportion than the giant himself,
and quite as ugly. His great carcase was covered all over with tangled,
scraggy-hair, of a sooty black; you could count his ribs and all the
points of his big bones through his hide; his legs were crooked and
knotty; his neck was twisted; and as for his jaws, they were so long and
heavy that they made his head look twice too big for his body.
The giant held the horse by a thick halter, and seemed to be dragging
him forward by main force, the animal was so lazy and so hard to move.
Every now and then when the beast tried to stand still, the giant would
give him a blow on the ribs with his big iron club, which sounded as
loud as the thundering of a great billow against the rough-headed rocks
of the coast. When he gave him a pull forward by the halter, the wonder
was that he did not drag the animal's head away from his body; and, on
the other hand, the horse often gave the halter such a tremendous tug
backwards that it was equally wonderful how the arm of the giant was not
torn from his shoulder.
Now it was not an easy matter to frighten Finn Mac Bressal; but when he
saw the giant and his horse coming straight towards him in that wise, he
was seized with such fear and horror that he sprang from his seat, and,
snatching up his arms, he ran down the hill-slope with the utmost speed
towards the king and his companions, whom he found sitting round the
chess-board, deep in their game.
They started up when they saw him looking so scared; and, turning their
eyes towards where he pointed, they saw the big man and his horse coming
up the hill. The Fena stood gazing at him in silent wonder, waiting till
he should arrive; but although he was no great way off when they first
caught sight of him, it was a long time before he reached the spot where
they stood, so slow was the movement of his horse and himself.
XXVIII.
THE FENA CARRIED OFF BY THE GILLA DACKER'S HORSE.
Patiently and in silence the Fena stood till the giant came up; when he
bowed his head, and bended his knee, and saluted the king with great
respect.
Finn addressed him; and having given him leave to speak, he asked who he
was, and what was his name; also what was his profession or craft, and
why he had no servant to attend to his horse--if, indeed, such an ugly
old spectre of an animal could be called a horse at all.
The big man made answer and said, "King of the Fena, I will answer
everything you ask me, as far as lies in my power. As to where I came
from, I am a Fomor of the north; but I have no particular
dwelling-place, for I am continually travelling about from one country
to another, serving the great lords and nobles of the world, and
receiving wages for my service.
"In the course of my wanderings I have often heard of you, O king, and
of your greatness and splendour and royal bounty; and I have come now to
visit you, and to ask you to take me into your service for one year; and
at the end of that time I shall fix my own wages, according to my
custom.
"You ask me also why I have no servant for this great horse of mine. The
reason of that is this: at every meal I eat, my master must give me as
much food and drink as would be enough for a hundred men; and whosoever
the lord or chief may be that takes me into his service, it is quite
enough for him to have to provide for me, without having also to feed my
servant.
"Moreover, I am so very heavy and lazy that I should never be able to
keep up with a company on march if I had to walk; and this is my reason
for keeping a horse at all.
"My name is the Gilla Dacker,[124-1] and it is not without good reason
that I am so called. For there never was a lazier or worse servant than
I am, or one that grumbles more at doing a day's work for his master.
And I am the hardest person in the whole world to deal with; for, no
matter how good or noble I may think my master, or how kindly he may
treat me, it is hard words and foul reproaches I am likely to give him
for thanks in the end.
[124-1] Gilla Dacker means "a slothful fellow"--a fellow hard to
move, hard to manage, hard to have anything to do with.
"This, O Finn, is the account I have to give of myself, and these are my
answers to your questions."
"Well," answered Finn, "according to your own account, you are not a
very pleasant fellow to have anything to do with; and of a truth there
is not much to praise in your appearance. But things may not be so bad
as you say; and, anyhow, as I have never yet refused any man service and
wages, I will not now refuse you."
Whereupon the Gilla Dacker was taken into service among the warriors for
a year.
Then the big man said:--"Now, as to this horse of mine, I find I must
attend to him myself, as I see no one here worthy of putting a hand near
him. So I will lead him to the nearest stud, as I am wont to do, and let
him graze among your horses. I value him greatly, however, and it would
grieve me very much if any harm were to befal him; so," continued he,
turning to the king, "I put him under your protection, O king, and under
the protection of all the Fena that are here present."
At this speech the Fena all burst out laughing, to see the Gilla Dacker
showing such concern for his miserable, worthless, old skeleton of a
horse.
Howbeit, the big man, giving not the least heed to their merriment, took
the halter off the horse's head, and turned him loose among the horses
of the Fena.
But now, this same wretched-looking old animal, instead of beginning to
graze, as every one thought he would, ran in among the horses of the
Fena, and began straightway to work all sorts of mischief. He cocked his
long, hard, switchy tail straight out like a rod, and, throwing up his
hind legs, he kicked about on this side and on that, maiming and
disabling several of the horses. Sometimes he went tearing through the
thickest of the herd, butting at them with his hard, bony forehead; and
he opened out his lips with a vicious grin, and tore all he could lay
hold on, with his sharp, crooked teeth, so that none were safe that came
in his way either before or behind. And the end of it was, that not an
animal of the whole herd escaped, without having a leg broken, or an eye
knocked out, or his ribs fractured, or his ear bitten off, or the side
of his face torn open, or without being in some other way cut or maimed
beyond cure.
At last he left them, and was making straight for a small field where
Conan Mail's horses were grazing by themselves, intending to play the
same tricks among them. But Conan, seeing this, shouted in great alarm
to the Gilla Dacker, to bring away his horse, and not let him work any
more mischief; and threatening, if he did not do so at once, to go
himself and knock the brains out of the vicious old brute on the spot.
But the Gilla Dacker took the matter quite coolly; and he told Conan
that he saw no way of preventing his horse from joining the others,
except some one put the halter on him and held him, which would, of
course, he said, prevent the poor animal from grazing, and would leave
him hungry at the end of the day. "But," said he to Conan, "there is the
halter; and if you are in any fear for your own animals, you may go
yourself and bring him away from the field."
Conan was in a mighty rage when he heard this; and as he saw the big
horse just about to cross the fence, he snatched up the halter, and
running forward with long strides, he threw it over the animal's head
and attempted to lead him back. But in a moment the horse stood stock
still, and his body and legs became as stiff as if they were made of
wood; and though Conan pulled and tugged with might and main, he was not
able to stir him an inch from his place.
He gave up pulling at last, when he found it was no use; but he still
kept on holding the halter, while the big horse never made the least
stir, but stood as if he had been turned into stone; the Gilla Dacker
all the time looking on quite unconcernedly, and the others laughing at
Conan's perplexity. But no one offered to relieve him.
At last Conan jumped up on the horse, and tried to urge him on, but all
to no purpose: for the animal never stirred. Another of the Fena now
mounted behind him, and another, and another, till there were fourteen
of them on the horse's back. Then the Gilla Dacker, suddenly tucking up
his skirts, darted away from the Fena, and ran south-west with the speed
of a swallow flying across a mountain side, or of a March wind sweeping
over the plain. When the horse saw his master running, he stirred
himself at once and followed him with equal speed, carrying off the
whole fourteen men, and plunging and tearing along as if he had nothing
at all on his back.
The men now tried to throw themselves off; but this, indeed, they were
not able to do, for the good reason that they found themselves fastened
firmly, hands and feet and all, to the horse's back. Moreover they found
that their seat was not a comfortable one, for the old horse's backbone
was rough and scraggy, and nearly as sharp as a saw.
And now Conan, looking round, raised his big voice, and shouted to Finn
and the Fena, asking them were they content to let their friends be
carried off in that manner by such a horrible, foul-looking old spectre
of a horse.
Finn and the others, hearing this, instantly started off in pursuit, and
for miles on miles they kept the Gilla Dacker and the horse in view, but
were not able to overtake them. At last the horse and his master came to
the shore of the sea in the west of Kerry, and without stop or stay they
plunged forward, moving over the waves the same as on the dry land: and
just as the Fena arrived at the shore, they lost sight of them in the
distance.
XXIX.
DERMOT O'DYNA AT THE WELL.
Great was the astonishment of the Fena, and great their dismay, on
seeing their comrades carried off in this manner on the back of the big
horse. And now they took counsel; and what they resolved on was, to send
Dermot O'Dyna and a party of the Fena in a ship to search for their
companions. And Dermot and the others went on board, and sailed to the
west for many leagues, till they lost sight of the shores of Erin. At
length they came to an island with steep cliffs all round, so high that
its head seemed hidden in the clouds: and they saw by the tracks, that
up the face of this cliff the horse had made his way. And it was agreed
that Dermot O'Dyna should climb up and explore the island in quest of
their comrades. Then Dermot put on his armour and his helmet, and took
his shield, his two spears, and his sword: and leaning on the handles of
the spears, he leaped with a light, airy bound on the nearest shelf of
rock. Using his spears and his hands, he climbed from ledge to ledge,
while his companions watched him anxiously from below; till, after much
toil, he measured the soles of his two feet on the green sod at the top
of the rock. And when, recovering breath, he turned round and looked at
his companions in the ship far below, he started back with amazement and
dread at the dizzy height.
He now looked inland, and saw a beautiful country spread out before
him:--a lovely, flowery plain straight in front, bordered with pleasant
hills, and shaded with groves of many kinds of trees. It was enough to
banish all care and sadness from one's heart to view this country, and
to listen to the warbling of the birds, the humming of the bees among
the flowers, the rustling of the wind through the trees, and the
pleasant voices of the streams and waterfalls.
Making no delay, Dermot set out to walk across the plain. He had not
been long walking when he saw, right before him, a great tree laden with
fruit, over-topping all the other trees of the plain. It was surrounded
at a little distance by a circle of pillar-stones; and one stone, taller
than the others, stood in the centre near the tree. Beside this
pillar-stone was a spring well, with a large, round pool as clear as
crystal; and the water bubbled up in the centre, and flowed away towards
the middle of the plain in a slender stream.
Dermot was glad when he saw the well; for he was hot and thirsty after
climbing up the cliff. He stooped down to take a drink; but before his
lips touched the water, he heard the heavy tread of a body of warriors,
and the loud clank of arms, as if a whole host were coming straight down
on him. He sprang to his feet and looked round; but the noise ceased in
an instant, and he could see nothing.
After a little while he stooped once more to drink; and again, before he
had wet his lips, he heard the very same sounds, nearer and louder than
before. A second time he leaped to his feet; and still he saw no one. He
knew not what to think of this; and as he stood wondering and perplexed,
he happened to cast his eyes on the tall pillar-stone that stood on the
brink of the well; and he saw on its top a large, beautiful
drinking-horn,[131-1] chased with gold and enamelled with precious
stones.
[131-1] The ancient Irish used drinking vessels of various forms
and with several names. A "Drinking-horn" (called a
_corn_: pronounced _curn_) was usually made of a
bullock's horn, hollowed out, cut into shape, and often
highly ornamented with silver rim, precious stones,
carvings, and other decorations. A beautiful
drinking-horn will be found figured in the "Child's
History of Ireland," p. 26. Another kind of drinking
vessel--the mether--has been already noticed here (page
17 above).
"Now surely," said Dermot, "I have been doing wrong: it is, no doubt,
one of the virtues of this well that it will not let any one drink of
its waters except from the drinking-horn."
So he took down the horn, dipped it into the well, and drank without
hindrance, till he had slaked his thirst.
XXX.
DERMOT O'DYNA FIGHTS THE WIZARD-CHAMPION, AND AFTER A TIME RESCUES HIS
COMRADES.
Hardly had Dermot taken the horn from his lips, when he saw a tall
wizard-champion coming towards him from the east, clad in a complete
suit of mail, and fully armed with shield and helmet, sword and spear. A
beautiful scarlet mantle hung over his armour, fastened at his throat by
a golden brooch; he had a gold torque round his neck; and a broad
circlet of sparkling gold was bended in front across his forehead, to
confine his yellow hair, and keep it from being blown about by the wind.
As he came nearer, he increased his pace, moving with great strides; and
Dermot now observed that he looked very wrathful. He offered no
greeting, and showed not the least courtesy; but addressed Dermot in a
rough, angry voice--
"Surely, Dermot O'Dyna, Erin of the green plains should be wide enough
for you; and it contains abundance of clear, sweet water in its crystal
springs and green bordered streams, from which you might have drunk your
fill. But you have come into my island without my leave, and you have
taken my drinking-horn, and have drunk from my well; and this spot you
shall never leave till you have given me satisfaction for the insult."
[Illustration: A torque [pronounced _tork_] of gold: a twisted collar
for the neck. Golden torques were much used by kings and other rich
people. Many torques are in the National Museum: but most of them are
better made and twisted more closely than the one here represented.]
So spoke the wizard-champion, and instantly advanced on Dermot with fury
in his eyes. But Dermot was not the man to be terrified by any hero or
wizard-champion alive. He met the foe half-way; and now, foot to foot,
and knee to knee, and face to face, they began a fight, watchful and
wary at first, but soon hot and vengeful, till their shields and helmets
could scarce withstand their strong thrusts and blows. Like two enraged
lions fighting to the death, or two strong serpents intertwined in
deadly strife, or two great opposing billows thundering against each
other on the ocean border; such was the strength and fury and
determination of the combat of these two heroes.
And so they fought through the long day, till evening came, and it began
to be dusk; when suddenly the wizard-champion sprang outside the range
of Dermot's sword, and leaping up with a great bound, he alighted in the
very centre of the well. Down he went through it, and disappeared in a
moment before Dermot's eyes, as if the well had swallowed him up. Dermot
stood on the brink, leaning on his spear, amazed and perplexed, looking
after him in the water; but whether the hero had meant to drown himself,
or that he had played some wizard trick, Dermot knew not.
He sat down to rest, full of vexation that the wizard-champion should
have got off so easily. And what chafed him still more was that his
companions knew nought of what had happened, and that when he returned,
he could tell them nothing of the strange hero; neither had he the least
token or trophy to show them after his long fight.
Dermot now began to think what was best to be done; and he made up his
mind to stay near the well all night, in the hope of finding out
something further about the wizard-champion on the morrow.
He walked towards the nearest point of a great forest that stretched
from the mountain down to the plain on his left; and as he came near, a
herd of speckled deer ran by among the trees. Poising his spear, he
threw it with an unerring cast, and brought down the nearest of the
herd.
Then, having lighted a fire under a tree, he skinned the deer and fixed
it on long hazel spits to roast, having first, however, gone to the
well, and brought away the drinking-horn full of water. And he sat
beside the roasting deer to turn it and tend the fire, waiting
impatiently for his meal; for he was hungry and tired after the toil of
the day.
When the deer was cooked, he ate till he was satisfied, and drank the
clear water of the well from the drinking-horn; after which he lay down
under the shade of the tree, beside the fire, and slept a sound sleep
till morning.
Night passed away and the sun rose, bringing morning with its abundant
light. Dermot started up, refreshed after his long sleep, and, repairing
to the forest, he slew another deer, and fixed it on hazel spits to
roast at the fire as before. For Dermot had this custom, that he would
never eat of any food left from a former meal.
And after he had eaten of the deer's flesh and drunk from the horn, he
went towards the well. But though his visit was early, he found the
wizard-champion there before him, standing beside the pillar-stone,
fully armed as before, and looking now more wrathful than ever. Dermot
was much surprised; but before he had time to speak, the wizard-champion
addressed him--
"Dermot O'Dyna, you have now put the cap on all your evil deeds. It was
not enough that you took my drinking-horn and drank from my well: you
have done much worse than this, for you have hunted on my grounds, and
have killed some of my speckled deer. Surely there are many
hunting-grounds in Erin of the green plains, with plenty of deer in
them; and you need not have come hither to commit these robberies on me.
But now for a certainty you shall not go from this spot till I have
taken satisfaction for all these misdeeds."
And again the two champions attacked each other, and fought during the
long day, from morning till evening. And when the dusk began to fall,
the wizard-champion leaped into the well, and disappeared down through
it, even as he had done the day before.
The selfsame thing happened on the third day. And each day, morning and
evening, Dermot killed a deer, and ate of its flesh, and drank of the
water of the well from the drinking-horn.
On the fourth morning, Dermot found the wizard-champion standing as
usual by the pillar-stone near the well. And as each morning he looked
more angry than on the morning before, so now he scowled in a way that
would have terrified anyone but Dermot O'Dyna.
And they fought during the day till the dusk of evening. But now Dermot
watched his foe narrowly; and when he saw him about to spring into the
well he closed on him and threw his arms round him. The wizard-champion
struggled to free himself, moving all the time nearer and nearer to the
brink; but Dermot held on, till at last both fell into the well. Down
they went, clinging to each other, Dermot and the strange champion;
down, down, deeper and deeper they went; and Dermot tried to look round,
but nothing could he see save darkness and dim shadows. At length there
was a glimmer of light; then the bright day burst suddenly upon them;
and presently they came to the solid ground, gently and without the
least shock.
At the very moment they reached the ground, the wizard-champion, with a
sudden effort, tore himself away from Dermot's grasp, and ran forward
with great speed. Dermot leaped to his feet; and he was so amazed at
what he saw around him that he stood stock still and let the
wizard-champion escape:--a lovely country, with many green-sided hills
and fair valleys between, woods of red yew trees, and plains laughing
all over with flowers of every hue.
Right before him, not far off, lay a city of great tall houses with
glittering roofs; and on the side nearest to him was a royal palace,
larger and grander than the rest. On the level green in front of the
palace were a number of knights, all armed, and amusing themselves with
various warlike exercises of sword and shield and spear.
[Illustration: Ancient Irish bronze shield, 28 inches in diameter, found
in a bog in the Co. Limerick. Shields were often made of yew-wood, which
is very hard: and oftener still of wickerwork, covered outside with
tough hides, generally tanned. Wickerwork shields were sometimes large
enough to cover the whole body. On the inside of every shield was a
crossbar which was held in the hand: and for additional safety a leather
strap fastened to the shield, went round the warrior's neck.]
To tell all Dermot's adventures here would be too long for this book.
But he remained in that strange country, till he met the wizard
champion and subdued him in fight. And after much searching he found
Conan and the others who had been carried off by the Gilla Dacker's
horse after which they all returned to the ship. And they sailed back to
Erin where, when they landed, they were welcomed with a mighty shout by
the assembled Fena.
From "Old Celtic Romances," by P. W. JOYCE, LL.D.
XXXI.
SAINT COLUMKILLE: PART I.