Now as to Finn, when it was shown to him that the enemies of Ireland

were coming, he called together the seven battalions of the Fianna. And

the place where they gathered was on the hill that was called

Fionntulach, the White Hill, in Munster. They often stopped on that hill

for a while, and spear-shafts with spells on them were brought to them

there, and they had every sort of thing for food, beautiful

blackberries, haws of the hawthorn, nuts of the hazels of Cenntire,

tender twigs of the bramble bush, sprigs of wholesome gentian,

watercress at the beginning of summer. And there would be brought to

their cooking-pots birds out of the oak-woods, and squirrels from

Berramain, and speckled eggs from the cliffs, and salmon out of

Luimnech, and eels of the Sionnan, and woodcocks of Fidhrinne, and

otters from the hidden places of the Doile, and fish from the coasts of

Buie and Beare, and dulse from the bays of Cleire.

And as they were going to set out southwards, they saw one of their

young men, Gael, grandson of Nemhnain, coming towards them. "Where are

you come from, Cael?" Finn asked him. "From Brugh na Boinne," said he.

"What were you asking there?" said Finn. "I was asking to speak with

Muirenn, daughter of Derg, that was my own nurse," said he. "For what

cause?" said Finn. "It was about a high marriage and a woman of the

Sidhe that was showed to me in a dream; Credhe it was I saw, daughter of

the King of Ciarraighe Luachra." "Do you know this, Cael," said Finn,

"that she is the greatest deceiver of all the women of Ireland; and

there is hardly a precious thing in Ireland but she has coaxed it away

to her own great dun." "Do you know what she asks of every man that

comes asking for her?" said Cael. "I know it," said Finn; "she will let

no one come unless he is able to make a poem setting out the report of

her bowls and her horns and her cups, her grand vessels and all her

palaces." "I have all that ready," said Cael; "it was given to me by my

nurse, Muirenn, daughter of Derg."

They gave up the battle then for that time, and they went on over every

hilly place and every stony place till they came to Loch Cuire in the

west; and they came to the door of the hill of the Sidhe and knocked at

it with the shafts of their long gold-socketted spears. And there came

young girls having yellow hair to the windows of the sunny houses; and

Credhe herself, having three times fifty women with her, came out to

speak with them. "It is to ask you in marriage we are come," said Finn.

"Who is it is asking for me?" said she. "It is Cael, the hundred-killer,

grandson of Nemhnain, son of the King of Leinster in the east." "I have

heard talk of him, but I have never seen him," said Credhe. "And has he

any poem for me?" she said. "I have that," said Cael, and he rose up

then and sang his poem:

"A journey I have to make, and it is no easy journey, to the house of

Credhe against the breast of the mountain, at the Paps of Dana; it is

there I must be going through hardships for the length of seven days. It

is pleasant her house is, with men and boys and women, with Druids and

musicians, with cup-bearer and door-keeper, with horse-boy that does not

leave his work, with distributer to share food; and Credhe of the Fair

Hair having command over them all.

"It would be delightful to me in her dun, with coverings and with down,

if she has but a mind to listen to me.

"A bowl she has with juice of berries in it to make her eyebrows black;

crystal vats of fermenting grain; beautiful cups and vessels. Her house

is of the colour of lime; there are rushes for beds, and many silken

coverings and blue cloaks; red gold is there, and bright drinking-horns.

Her sunny house is beside Loch Cuire, made of silver and yellow gold;

its ridge is thatched without any fault, with the crimson wings of

birds. The doorposts are green, the lintel is of silver taken in battle.

Credhe's chair on the left is the delight of delights, covered with gold

of Elga; at the foot of the pleasant bed it is, the bed that was made of

precious stones by Tuile in the east. Another bed there is on the right,

of gold and silver, it is made without any fault, curtains it has of the

colour of the foxglove, hanging on rods of copper.

"The people of her house, it is they have delight, their cloaks are not

faded white, they are not worn smooth; their hair is fair and curling.

Wounded men in their blood would sleep hearing the birds of the Sidhe

singing in the eaves of the sunny house.

"If I have any thanks to give to Credhe, for whom the cuckoo calls, she

will get better praise than this; if this love-service I have done is

pleasing to her, let her not delay, let her say, 'Your coming is

welcome to me.'

"A hundred feet there are in her house, from one corner to another;

twenty feet fully measured is the width of her great door; her roof has

its thatch of the wings of blue and yellow birds, the border of her well

is of crystals and carbuncles.

"There is a vat there of royal bronze; the juice of pleasant malt is

running from it; over the vat is an apple-tree with its heavy fruit;

when Credhe's horn is filled from the vat, four apples fall into it

together.

"She that owns all these things both at low water and at flood, Credhe

from the Hill of the Three Peaks, she is beyond all the women of Ireland

by the length of a spear-cast.

"Here is this song for her, it is no sudden bride-gift it is, no hurried

asking; I bring it to Credhe of the beautiful shape, that my coming may

be very bright to her."

Then Credhe took him for her husband, and the wedding-feast was made,

and the whole of the Fianna stopped there through seven days, at

drinking and pleasure, and having every good thing.

CHAPTER III. CONN CRITHER

Finn now, when he had turned from his road to go to Credhe's house, had

sent out watchmen to every landing-place to give warning when the ships

of the strangers would be in sight. And the man that was keeping watch

at the White Strand was Conn Crither, son of Bran, from Teamhair

Luachra.

And after he had been a long time watching, he was one night west from

the Round Hill of the Fianna that is called Cruachan Adrann, and there

he fell asleep. And while he was in his sleep the ships came; and what

roused him was the noise of the breaking of shields and the clashing of

swords and of spears, and the cries of women and children and of dogs

and horses that were under flames, and that the strangers were making an

attack on.

Conn Crither started up when he heard that, and he said: "It is great

trouble has come on the people through my sleep; and I will not stay

living after this," he said, "for Finn and the Fianna of Ireland to see

me, but I will rush into the middle of the strangers," he said, "and

they will fall by me till I fall by them."

He put on his suit of battle then and ran down towards the strand. And

on the way he saw three women dressed in battle clothes before him, and

fast as he ran he could not overtake them. He took his spear then to

make a cast of it at the woman was nearest him, but she stopped on the

moment, and she said: "Hold your hand and do not harm us, for we are not

come to harm you but to help you." "Who are you yourselves?" said Conn

Crither. "We are three sisters," she said, "and we are come from Tir nan

Og, the Country of the Young, and we have all three given you our love,

and no one of us loves you less than the other, and it is to give you

our help we are come." "What way will you help me?" said Conn. "We will

give you good help," she said, "for we will make Druid armies about you

from stalks of grass and from the tops of the watercress, and they will

cry out to the strangers and will strike their arms from their hands,

and take from them their strength and their eyesight. And we will put a

Druid mist about you now," she said, "that will hide you from the armies

of the strangers, and they will not see you when you make an attack on

them. And we have a well of healing at the foot of Slieve Iolair, the

Eagle's Mountain," she said, "and its waters will cure every wound made

in battle. And after bathing in that well you will be as whole and as

sound as the day you were born. And bring whatever man you like best

with you," she said, "and we will heal him along with you."

Conn Crither gave them his thanks for that, and he hurried on to the

strand. And it was at that time the armies of the King of the Great

Plain were taking spoils from Traigh Moduirn in the north to Finntraighe

in the south. And Conn Crither came on them, and the Druid army with

him, and he took their spoils from them, and the Druid army took their

sight and their strength from them, and they were routed, and they made

away to where the King of the Great Plain was, and Conn Crither

followed, killing and destroying. "Stop with me, king-hero," said the

King of the Great Plain, "that I may fight with you on account of my

people, since there is not one of them that turns to stand against you."

So the two set their banners in the earth and attacked one another, and

fought a good part of the day until Conn Crither struck off the king's

head. And he lifted up the head, and he was boasting of what he had

done. "By my word," he said, "I will not let myself be parted from this

body till some of the Fianna, few or many, will come to me."

CHAPTER IV. GLAS, SON OF BREMEN

The King of the World heard that, and he said: "It is a big word that

man is saying," he said; "and rise up now, Glas, son of Dremen, and see

which of the Fianna of Ireland it is that is saying it."

Glas left the ship then, and he went to where Conn

Crither was, and he asked who was he. "I am Conn Crither, son of Bran,

from Teamhair Luachra," said he. "If that is so," said Glas, "you are of

the one blood with myself, for I am Glas, son of Bremen from Teamhair

Luachra." "It is not right for you to come fighting against me from

those foreigners, so," said Conn. "It is a pity indeed," said Glas; "and

but for Finn and the Fianna driving me from them, I would not fight

against you or against one of themselves for all the treasures of the

whole world." "Do not say that," said Conn, "for I swear by my hand of

valour," he said, "if you had killed Finn's own son and the sons of his

people along with him, you need not be in dread of him if only you came

under his word and his protection." "I think indeed the day is come for

me to fight beside you," said Glas, "and I will go back and tell that to

the King of the World."

He went back then to where the king was, and the king asked him which of

the men of the Fianna was in it. "It is a kinsman of my own is in it,

High King," said Glas; "and it is weak my heart is, he to be alone, and

I have a great desire to go and help him." "If you go," said the King of

the World, "it is what I ask you, to come and to tell me every day how

many of the Fianna of Ireland have fallen by me; and if a few of my own

men should fall," he said, "come and tell me who it was they fell by."

"It is what I ask you," said Glas, "not to let your armies land till the

Fianna come to us, but to let one man only come to fight with each of us

until that time," he said.

So two of the strangers were sent against them that day, and they got

their death by Glas and by Conn Crither. Then they asked to have two men

sent against each of them, and that was done; and three times nine fell

by them before night. And Conn Crither was covered with wounds after

the day, and he said to Glas: "Three women came to me from the Country

of the Young, and they promised to put me in a well of healing for my

wounds. And let you watch the harbour to-night," he said, "and I will go

look for them." So he went to them, and they bathed him in the well of

healing, and he was whole of his wounds.

And as to Glas, son of Dremen, he went down to the harbour, and he said:

"O King of the World," he said, "there is a friend of mine in the ships,

Madan of the Bent Neck, son of the King of the Marshes; and it is what

he said in the great world in the east, that he himself would be enough

to take Ireland for you, and that he would bring it under tribute to you

by one way or another. And I ask you to let him come alone against me

to-night, till we see which of us will fight best for Ireland."

So Madan came to the land, and the two attacked one another, and made a

very hard fight; but as it was not in the prophecy that Glas would find

his death there, it was the son of the King of the Marshes that got his

death by him.

And not long after that Conn Crither came back to Glas, and he gave Glas

great praise for all he had done.

CHAPTER V. THE HELP OF THE MEN OF DEA

Then Taistellach that was one of Finn's messengers came to the White

Strand asking news; and Conn bade him go back to where Finn was and tell

him the way things were. But Taistellach would not go until he had

wetted his sword in the blood of one of the enemies of Ireland, the same

as the others had done. And he sent a challenge to the ships, and

Coimhleathan, a champion that was very big and tall, came and fought

with him on the strand, and took him in his arms to bring him back

living to the ship of the High King; but Taistellach struck his head off

in the sea and brought it back to land.

"Victory and blessing be with you!" said Conn Crither. "And go now

to-night," he said, "to the house of Bran, son of Febal my father at

Teamhair Luachra, and bid him to gather all the Tuatha de Danaan to help

us; and go on to-morrow to the Fianna of Ireland." So Taistellach went

on to Bran's house, and he told him the whole story and gave him the

message.

Then Bran, son of Febal, went out to gather the Tuatha de Danaan, and he

went to Dun Sesnain in Ui Conall Gabra, where they were holding a feast

at that time. And there he found three of the best young men of the

Tuatha de Danaan, Ilbrec the Many Coloured, son of Manannan, and

Nemanach the Pearly, son of Angus Og, and Sigmall, grandson of Midhir,

and they made him welcome and bade him to stop with them. "There is a

greater thing than this for you to do, Men of Dea," said Bran; and he

told them the whole story, and the way Conn Crither his son was. "Stop

with me to-night," said Sesnan, "and my son Dolb will go to Bodb Dearg,

son of the Dagda, and gather in the Tuatha de Danaan to us."

So he stopped there, and Dolb, son of Sesnan, went to Sidhe Bean Finn

above Magh Femen, and Bodb Dearg was there at that time, and Dolb gave

him his message. "Young man," said Bodb Dearg, "we are no way bound to

help the men of Ireland out of that strait." "Do not say that," said

Dolb, "for there is not a king's son or a prince or a leader of the

Fianna of Ireland without having a wife or a mother or a foster-mother

or a sweetheart of the Tuatha de Danaan; and it is good help they have

given you every time you were in want of it." "I give my word," said

Bodb Dearg, "it is right to give a good answer to so good a messenger."

With that he sent word to the Tuatha de Danaan in every place where they

were, and they gathered to him. And from that they went on to Dun

Sesnain, and they stopped there through the night And they rose up in

the morning and put on their shirts of the dearest silk and their

embroidered coats of rejoicing, and they took their green shields and

their swords and their spears. And their leaders at that time besides

Bodb Dearg were Midhir of Bri Leith, and Lir of Sidhe Finnachaidh, and

Abarthach, son of Ildathach, and Ilbrec, son of Manannan, and Fionnbhar

of Magh Suil, and Argat Lamh, the Silver Hand, from the Sionnan, and the

Man of Sweet Speech from the Boinn.

And the whole army of them came into Ciarraighe Luachra, and to

red-haired Slieve Mis, and from that to the harbour of the White Strand.

"O Men of Dea," said Abarthach then, "let a high mind and high courage

rise within you now in the face of the battle. For the doings of every

one among you," he said, "will be told till the end of the world; and

let you fulfil now the big words you have spoken in the

drinking-houses." "Rise up, Glas, son of Dremen," said Bodb Dearg then,

"and tell out to the King of the World that I am come to do battle."

Glas went then to the King of the World. "Are those the Fianna of

Ireland I see?" said the king. "They are not," said Glas, "but another

part of the men of Ireland that do not dare to be on the face of the

earth, but that live in hidden houses under the earth, and it is to give

warning of battle from them I am come." "Who will answer the Tuatha de

Danaan for me?" said the King of the World. "We will go against them,"

said two of the kings that were with him, Comur Cromchenn, King of the

Men of the Dog-Heads, and Caitchenn, King of the Men of the Cat-Heads.

And they had five red-armed battalions with them, and they went to the

shore like great red waves. "Who is there to match with the King of the

Dog-Heads for me?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will go against him," said Lir of

Sidhe Finnachaidh, "though I heard there is not in the world a man with

stronger hands than himself." "Who will be a match for the King of the

Cat-Heads?" said Bodb Dearg. "I will be a match for him," said

Abarthach, son of Ildathach.

So Lir and the King of the Dog-Heads attacked one another, and they made

a hard fight; but after a while Lir was getting the worst of it. "It is

a pity the way Lir is," said Bodb Dearg; "and let some of you rise up

and help him," he said. Then Ilbrec, son of Manannan, went to his help;

but if he did, he got a wound himself and could do nothing. Then Sigmal,

grandson of Midhir, went to his help, and after him the five sons of

Finnaistucan, and others of the Men of Dea, but they were all driven off

by the King of the Dog-Heads. But at that time Abarthach had made an end

of the King of the Cat-Heads, and he rose on his spear, and made a leap,

and came down between Lir and his enemy. "Leave off now and look on at

the fight," he said to Lir, "and leave it to me and the foreigner." With

that he took his sword in his left hand and made a thrust with his spear

in through the king's armour. And as the king was raising up his shield,

he struck at him with the sword that was in his left hand, and cut off

both his legs at the knees, and the king let fall his shield then, and

Abarthach struck off his head. And the two kings being dead, their

people broke away and ran, but the Men of Dea followed them and made an

end of them all; but if they did, they lost a good many of their own

men.

CHAPTER VI. THE MARCH OF THE FIANNA

Ana Finn and the Fianna were at the house of Credhe yet, and they saw

Taistellach coming towards them. It was the custom, now, with Finn when

he sent any one looking for news, that it was to himself it was to be

told first, the way that if he got bad news he would let on not to mind

it; and if it was good news he got, he would have the satisfaction of

telling it himself. So Taistellach told him how the foreigners were come

to the harbour of the White Strand.

Then Finn turned to his chief men, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland,

there never came harm or danger to Ireland to be put aside this great

danger that is come against us now. And you get great tribute and great

service from the chief men of Ireland," he said, "and if you take that

from them it is right for you to defend them now."

And the Fianna all said they would not go back one step from the defence

of Ireland. And as to Credhe, she gave every one of them a battle dress,

and they were taking leave of her, and Finn said: "Let the woman come

along with us till we know is it good or bad the end of this journey

will be." So she came with them, bringing a great herd of cattle; and

through the whole length of the battle, that lasted a year and a day,

she had new milk for them, and it was to her house the wounded were

brought for healing.

Then the Fianna set out, and they went to the borders of Ciarraighe

Luachra and across by the shores of the Bannlid with their left hand to

Slieve Mis, and they made shelters for themselves that night, and

kindled fires.

But Caoilte and Oisin and Lugaidh's Son said to one another they would

go on to the harbour, the way they would have time to redden their hands

in the blood of the foreigners before the rest of the Fianna would come.

And at that time the King of the World bade some of his chief men to go

on shore and to bring him back some spoils. So they went to land and

they gave out a great shout, and the people of the ships gave out a

great shout at the same time. "I swear by the oath my people swear by,"

said Caoilte, "I have gone round the whole world, but I never heard so

many voices together in the one place." And with that he himself and

Oisin and Lugaidh's Son made an attack on the strangers, and struck

great blows at them. And when Conn Crither and Glas, son of Bremen,

heard the noise of those blows, they knew they were struck by some of

the Fianna of Ireland, and they came and joined with them, and did great

destruction on the strangers, till there was not one left of all that

had come to land.

CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST FIGHTERS

And in the morning they saw Finn and all his people coming to the rath

that is above the harbour. "My father Finn," said Oisin than, "let us

fight now with the whole of the foreigners altogether." "That is not my

advice," said Finn, "for the number of their armies is too great for us,

and we could not stand against them. But we will send out every day,"

he said, "some son of a king or of a leader against some king of the

kings of the world that is equal in blood to ourselves. And let none of

you redden your arms," he said, "but against a king or a chief man at

first, for when a king is fallen, his people will be more inclined to

give way. And who will give out a challenge of battle from me now?" he

said. "I will do that," said the son of Cuban, leader of the Fianna of

Munster. "Do not go, my son," said Finn, "for it is not showed to me

that you will have good luck in the battle, and I never sent out any man

to fight without I knew he would come back safe to me." "Do not say

that," said Cuban's son, "for I would not for the treasure of the whole

world go back from a fight on account of a bad foretelling. And as it is

my own country they have done their robbery in first," he said, "I will

defend it for you." "It is sorrowful I am for that," said Finn, "for

whichever of the kings of the world will meet you to-day, yourself and

himself will fall together."

Then Glas, son of Dremen, gave out a challenge of fight from Cuban's

son, and the King of Greece answered it. And the two fought hand to

hand, and the King of Greece made a great cast of his thick spear at

Cuban's son, that went through his body and broke his back in two. But

he did not take that blow as a gift, but he paid for it with a strong

cast of his own golden spear that went through the ringed armour of the

King of Greece. And those two fell together, sole to sole, and lip to

lip. "There is grief on me, Cuban's son to have fallen," said Finn, "for

no one ever went from his house unsatisfied; and a man that I would not

keep, or the High King of Ireland would not keep for a week, he would

keep him in his house through the length of a year. And let Follamain,

his son, be called to me now," he said, "and I will give him his

father's name and place."

They stopped there then till the next morning. "Who will go and fight

to-day?" said Finn then. "I will do that," said Goll Garb, son of the

King of Alban and of the daughter of Goll, son of Morna.

So he put on his battle dress, and there came against him the three

kings from the rising of the sun in the east, and their three battalions

with them. And Goll Garb rushed among their men, and wounded and maimed

and destroyed them, and blinded their eyes for ever, so that their wits

went from them, and they called to him to stop his deadly sword for a

while. So he did that; and it is what they agreed to take their three

kings and to give them over to Goll Garb that he might stop doing

destruction with his sword.

"Who will go out and fight to-day?" said Finn, on the morning of the

morrow. "I will go," said Oisin, "and the chief men of the sons of

Baiscne with me; for we get the best share of all the pleasant things of

Ireland, and we should be first to defend her." "I will answer that

challenge," said the King of France, "for it is against Finn I am come

to Ireland, on account of my wife that he brought away from me; and

these men will fall by me now," he said, "and Finn himself at the last;

for when the branches of a tree are cut off, it is not hard to cut down

the tree itself."

So the King of France and Oisin met one another at the eastern end of

the strand, and they struck their banners of soft silk into the green

hill, and bared their swords and made a quick attack on one another. And

at one time the king struck such a great blow that he knocked a groan

out of Oisin. But for all that he was worsted in the end, and great fear

came on him, like the fear of a hundred horses at the sound of thunder,

and he ran from Oisin, and he rose like a swallow, that his feet never

touched the earth at all; and he never stopped till he came to Gleann

na-n Gealt, the Valley of Wild Men. And ever since that time, people

that have lost their wits make for that valley; and every mad person in

Ireland, if he had his way, would go there within twenty-four hours.

And there rose great cries of lamentation from the armies of the World

when they saw him going from them, and the Fianna of Ireland raised

great shouts of joy.

And when the night was coming on, it is what Finn said: "It is sad and

gloomy the King of the World is to-night; and it is likely he will make

an attack on us. And which of you will keep watch over the harbour

through the night?" he said. "I will," said Oisin, "with the same number

that was fighting along with me to-day; for it is not too much for you

to fight for the Fianna of Ireland through a day and a night," he said.

So they went down to the harbour, and it was just at that time the King

of the World was saying, "It seems to me, men of the World, that our

luck of battle was not good to-day. And let a share of you rise up now,"

he said, "and make an attack on the Fianna of Ireland." Then there rose

up the nine sons of Garb, King of the Sea of Icht, that were smiths, and

sixteen hundred of their people along with them, and they all went on

shore but Dolar Durba that was the eldest of them. And the sons of

Baiscne were ready for them, and they fought a great battle till the

early light of the morrow. And not one of them was left alive on either

side that could hold a weapon but only Oisin and one of the sons of

Garb. And they made rushes at one another, and threw their swords out of

their hands, and closed their arms about one another, and wrestled

together, so that it was worth coming from the east to the west of the

world to see the fight of those two. Then the foreigner gave a sudden

great fall to Oisin, to bring him into the sea, for he was a great

swimmer, and he thought to get the better of him there. And Oisin

thought it would not be worthy of him to refuse any man his place of

fighting. So they went into the water together, and they were trying to

drown one another till they came to the sand and the gravel of the clear

sea. And it was a torment to the heart of the Fianna, Oisin to be in

that strait. "Rise up, Fergus of the Sweet Lips," said Finn then, "and

go praise my son and encourage him." So Fergus went down to the edge of

the sea, and he said: "It is a good fight you are making, Oisin, and

there are many to see it, for the armies of the whole world are looking

at you, and the Fianna of Ireland. And show now," he said, "your ways

and your greatness, for you never went into any place but some woman of

high beauty or some king's daughter set her love on you." Then Oisin's

courage increased, and anger came on him and he linked his hands behind

the back of the foreigner and put him down on the sand under the sea

with his face upwards, and did not let him rise till the life was gone

from him. And he brought the body to shore then, and struck off his head

and brought it to the Fianna.

But there was great grief and anger on Dolar Durba, the eldest of the

sons of Garb, that had stopped in the ship, and he made a great oath

that he would have satisfaction for his brothers. And he went to the

High King, and he said: "I will go alone to the strand, and I will kill

a hundred men every day till I have made an end of the whole of the

armies of Ireland; and if any one of your own men comes to interfere

with me," he said, "I will kill him along with them."

The next morning Finn asked who would lead the battle that day. "I

will," said Dubhan, son of Donn. "Do not," said Finn, "but let some

other one go."

But Dubhan went to the strand, and a hundred men along with him; and

there was no one there before him but Dolar Durba, and he said he was

there to fight with the whole of them. And Dubhan's men gave a great

shout of laughter when they heard that; but Dolar Durba rushed on them,

and he made an end of the whole hundred, without a man of them being

able to put a scratch on him. And then he took a hurling stick and a

ball, and he threw up the ball and kept it in the air with the hurl from

the west to the east of the strand without letting it touch the ground

at all. And then he put the ball on his right foot and kicked it high

into the air, and when it was coming down he gave it a kick of his left

foot and kept it in the air like that, and he rushing like a blast of

March wind from one end of the strand to the other. And when he had done

that he walked up and down on the strand making great boasts, and

challenging the men of Ireland to do the like of those feats. And every

day he killed a hundred of the men that were sent against him.

CHAPTER VIII. THE KING OF ULSTER'S SON

Now it chanced at that time that news of the great battle that was going

on reached to the court of the King of Ulster. And the king's son, that

was only twelve years of age, and that was the comeliest of all the

young men of Ireland, said to his father: "Let me go to help Finn, son

of Cumhal, and his men." "You are not old enough, or strong enough, boy;

your bones are too soft," said the king. And when the boy went on

asking, his father shut him up in some close place, and put twelve

young men, his foster-brothers, in charge of him.

There was great anger on the young lad then, and he said to his

foster-brothers: "It is through courage and daring my father won a great

name for himself in his young youth, and why does he keep me from

winning a name for myself? And let you help me now," he said, "and I

will be a friend to you for ever." And he went on talking to them and

persuading them till he got round them all, and they agreed to go with

him to join Finn and the Fianna. And when the king was asleep, they went

into the house where the arms were kept, and every lad of them brought

away with him a shield and a sword and a helmet and two spears and two

greyhound whelps. And they went across Ess Ruadh in the north, and

through Connacht of many tribes, and through Caille an Chosanma, the

Woods of Defence, that were called the choice of every king and the true

honour of every poet, and into Ciarraighe, and so on to the White

Strand.

And when they came there Dolar Durba was on the strand, boasting before

the men of Ireland. And Oisin was rising up to go against him, for he

said he would sooner die fighting with him than see the destruction he

was doing every day on his people. And all the wise men and the fighting

men and the poets and the musicians of the Fianna gave a great cry of

sorrow when they heard Oisin saying that.

And the King of Ulster's son went to Finn and stood before him and

saluted him, and Finn asked who was he, and where did he come from. "I

am the son of the King of Ulster," he said; "and I am come here, myself

and my twelve foster-brothers, to give you what help we can." "I give

you a welcome," said Finn.

Just then they heard the voice of Dolar Durba, very loud and boastful.

"Who is that I hear?" said the king's son. "It is a man of the

foreigners asking for a hundred of my men to go and meet him," said

Finn.

Now, when the twelve foster-brothers heard that, they said no word but

went down to the strand, unknown to the king's son and to Finn.

"You are not a grown man," said Conan; "and neither yourself or your

comrades are fit to face any fighting man at all." "I never saw the

Fianna of Ireland till this day," said the young lad; "but I know well

that you are Conan Maol, that never says a good word of any man. And you

will see now," he said, "if I am in dread of that man on the strand, or

of any man in the world, for I will go out against him by myself."

But Finn kept him back and was talking with him; but then Conan began

again, and he said: "It is many men Dolar Durba has made an end of, and

there was not a man of all those that could not have killed a hundred of

the like of you every day."

When the king's son heard that, there was great anger on him, and he

leaped up, and just then Dolar Durba gave a great shout on the strand.

"What is he giving, that shout for?" said the king's son. "He is shouting

for more men to come against him," said Conan, "for he is just after

killing your twelve comrades." "That is a sorrowful story," said the

king's son.

And with that he took hold of his arms, and no one could hold him or

hinder him, and he rushed down to the strand where Dolar Durba was. And

all the armies of the strangers gave a great shout of laughter, for they

thought all Finn's men had been made an end of, when he sent a young lad

like that against their best champion. And when the boy heard that, his

courage grew the greater, and he fell on Dolar Durba and gave him many

wounds before he knew he was attacked at all. And they fought a very

hard fight together, till their shields and their swords were broken in

pieces. And that did not stop the battle, but they grappled together

and fought and wrestled that way, till the tide went over them and

drowned them both. And when the sea went over them the armies on each

side gave out a great sorrowful cry.

And after the ebb-tide on the morrow, the two bodies were found cold and

quiet, each one held fast by the other. But Dolar Durba was beneath the

king's son, so they knew it was the young lad was the best and had got

the victory. And they buried him, and put a flag-stone over his grave,

and keened him there.

CHAPTER IX. THE HIGH KING'S SON

Then Finn said he would send a challenge himself to Daire Bonn, the King

of the Great World. But Caoilte asked leave to do that day's fighting

himself. And Finn said he would agree to that if he could find enough of

men to go with him. And he himself gave him a hundred men, and Oisin did

the same, and so on with the rest. And he gave out his challenge, and it

was the son of the King of the Great Plain that answered it. And while

they were in the heat of the fight, a fleet of ships came into the

harbour, and Finn thought they were come to help the foreigners. But

Oisin looked at them, and he said: "It is seldom your knowledge fails

you, Finn, but those are friends of our own: Fiachra, son of the King of

the Fianna of the Bretons, and Duaban Donn, son of the King of

Tuathmumain with his own people."

And when those that were in the ships came on shore, they saw Caoilte's

banner going down before the son of the King of the Great Plain. And

they all went hurrying on to his help, and between them they made an

end of the king's son and of all his people.

"Who will keep watch to-night?" said Finn then. "We will," said the nine

Garbhs of the Fianna, of Slieve Mis, and Slieve Cua, and Slieve Clair,

and Slieve Crot, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve Fuad, and Slieve Atha

Moir, and Dun Sobairce and Dundealgan.

And they were not long watching till they saw the King of the Men of

Dregan coming towards them, and they fought a fierce battle; and at the

end of the night there were left standing but three of the Garbhs, and

the King of the Men of Dregan. And they fought till their wits were gone

from them; and those four fell together, sole against sole, and lip

against lip.

And the fight went on from day to day, and from week to week, and there

were great losses on both sides. And when Fergus of the Sweet Lips saw

that so many of the Fianna were fallen, he asked no leave but went to

Teamhair of the Kings, where the High King of Ireland was, and he told

him the way it was with Finn and his people. "That is good," said the

High King, "Finn to be in that strait; for there is no labouring man

dares touch a pig or a deer or a salmon if he finds it dead before him

on account of the Fianna; and there is no man but is in dread to go from

one place to another without leave from Finn, or to take a wife till he

knows if she has a sweetheart among the Fianna of Ireland. And it is

often Finn has given bad judgments against us," he said, "and it would

be better for us the foreigners to gain the day than himself."

Then Fergus went out to the lawn where the High King's son was playing

at ball. "It is no good help you are giving to Ireland," said Fergus

then, "to be playing a game without lasting profit, and strangers taking

away your country from you." And he was urging him and blaming him, and

great shame came on the young man, and he threw away the stick and went

through the people of Teamhair and brought together all the young men, a

thousand and twenty of them that were in it. And they asked no leave and

no advice from the High King, but they set out and went on till they

came to Finntraigh. And Fergus went to where Finn was, and told him the

son of the High King of Ireland was come with him; and all the Fianna

rose up before the young man and bade him welcome. And Finn said: "Young

man," he said, "we would sooner see you coming at a time when there

would be musicians and singers and poets and high-up women to make

pleasure for you than at the time we are in the straits of battle the

way we are now." "It is not for playing I am come," said the young man,

"but to give you my service in battle." "I never brought a lad new to

the work into the breast of battle," said Finn, "for it is often a lad

coming like that finds his death, and I would not wish him to fall

through me." "I give my word," said the young man, "I will do battle

with them on my own account if I may not do it on yours." Then Fergus of

the Fair Lips went out to give a challenge of battle from the son of the

High King of Ireland to the King of the World.

"Who will answer the King of Ireland's son for me?" said the King of the

World. "I will go against him," said Sligech, King of the Men of Cepda;

and he went on shore, and his three red battalions with him. And the

High King's son went against them, and his comrades were near him, and

they were saying to him: "Take a good heart now into the fight, for the

Fianna will be no better pleased if it goes well with you than if it

goes well with the foreigner." And when the High King's son heard that,

he made a rush through the army of the foreigners, and began killing and

overthrowing them, till their chief men were all made an end of. Then

Sligech their king came to meet him, very angry and destroying, and

they struck at one another and made a great fight, but at the last the

King of Ireland's son got the upper hand, and he killed the King of the

Men of Cepda and struck off his head.

CHAPTER X. THE KING OF LOCHLANN AND HIS SONS

And the fighting went on from day to day, and at last Finn said to

Fergus of the Sweet Lips: "Go out, Fergus, and see how many of the

Fianna are left for the fight to-day." And Fergus counted them, and he

said: "There is one battalion only of the Fianna left in good order; but

there are some of the men of it," he said, "are able to fight against

three, and some that are able to fight against nine or thirty or a

hundred." "If that is so," said Finn, "rise up and go to where the King

of the World is, and bid him to come out to the great battle."

So Fergus went to the King of the World, and it is the way he was, on

his bed listening to the music of harps and pipes. "King of the World,"

said Fergus, "it is long you are in that sleep; and that is no shame for

you," he said, "for it will be your last sleep. And the whole of the

Fianna are gone out to their place of battle," he said, "and let you go

out and answer them." "In my opinion," said the King of the World,

"there is not a man of them is able to fight against me; and how many

are there left of the Fianna of Ireland?" "One battalion only that is in

good order," said Fergus. "And how many of the armies of the World are

there left?" he said. "Thirty battalions came with me to Ireland; and

there are twenty of them fallen by the Fianna, and what is left of them

is ten red battalions in good order. And there are eight good fighters

of them," he said, "that would put down the men of the whole world if

they were against me; that is, myself, and Conmail my son, and Ogarmach,

the daughter of the King of Greece, that is the best hand in battle of

the whole world after myself, and Finnachta of the Teeth, the chief of

my household, and the King of Lochlann, Caisel Clumach of the Feathers,

and his three sons, Tocha, and Forne of the Broad Shoulders, and Mongach

of the Sea."

"I swear by the oath of my people," said the King of Lochlann then, "if

any man of the armies goes out against the Fianna before myself and my

three sons, we will not go at all, for we would not get the satisfaction

we are used to, unless our swords get their fill of blood." "I will go

out against them alone," said Forne, the youngest son of the King of

Lochlann. With that he put on his battle suit, and he went among the

Fianna of Ireland, and a red-edged sword in each of his hands. And he

destroyed those of their young men that were sent against him, and he

made the strand narrow with their bodies.

And Finn saw that, and it was torment to his heart, and danger of death

and loss of wits to him, and he was encouraging the men of Ireland

against Forne. And Fergus of the True Lips stood up, and it is what he

said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said, "it is a pity the way you are under

hardship and you defending Ireland. And one man is taking her from you

to-day," he said, "and you are like no other thing but a flock of little

birds looking for shelter in a bush from a hawk that is after them. And

it is going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Caoilte you are," he

said; "and not one of you is better than another, and none of you sets

his face against the foreigner." "By my oath," said Oisin, "all that is

true, and no one of us tries to do better than another keeping him off."

"There is not one of you is better than another," said Fergus. Then

Oisin gave out a great shout against the King of Lochlann's son. "Stop

here with me, king's son," he said, "until I fight with you for the

Fianna." "I give my word it is short the delay will be," said Forne.

Then he himself and Oisin made an attack on one another, and it seemed

for a while that the battle was going against Oisin. "By my word, Man of

Poetry," said Finn then to Fergus of the True Lips, "it is a pity the

way you sent my son against the foreigner. And rise up and praise him

and hearten him now," he said. So Fergus went down to where the fight

was, and he said: "There is great shame on the Fianna, Oisin, seeing you

so low in this fight; and there is many a foot messenger and many a

horsemen from the daughters of the kings and princes of Ireland looking

at you now," he said. And great courage rose in Oisin then, and he drove

his spear through the body of Forne, the King of Lochlann's son. And he

himself came back to the Fianna of Ireland.

Then the armies of the World gave out a great cry, keening Forne; and

there was anger and not fear on his brothers, for they thought it no

right thing he to have fallen by a man of the Fianna. And Tocha, the

second son of the King of Lochlann, went on shore to avenge his brother.

And he went straight into the middle of the Fianna, and gave his sword

good feeding on their bodies, till they broke away before him and made

no stand till Lugaidh's Son turned round against him. And those two

fought a great fight, till their swords were bent and their spears

crumbled away, and they lost their golden shields. And at the last

Lugaidh's Son made a stroke of his sword that cut through the

foreigner's sword, and then he made another stroke that cut his heart

in two halves. And he came back high and proud to the Fianna.

Then the third son of the King of Lochlann, Mongach of the Sea, rose up,

and all the armies rose up along with him. "Stop here, Men of the

World," he said, "for it is not you but myself that has to go and ask

satisfaction for the bodies of my brothers." So he went on shore; and it

is the way he was, with a strong iron flail in his hand having seven

balls of pure iron on it, and fifty iron chains, and fifty apples on

every chain, and fifty deadly thorns on every apple. And he made a rush

through the Fianna to break them up entirely and to tear them into

strings, and they gave way before him. And great shame came on Fidach,

son of the King of the Bretons, and he said: "Come here and praise me,

Fergus of the True Lips, till I go out and fight with the foreigner."

"It is easy to praise you, son," said Fergus, and he was praising him

for a long time.

Then the two looked at one another and used fierce, proud words. And

then Mongach of the Sea raised his iron flail and made a great blow at

the King of the Bretons' son. But he made a quick leap to one side and

gave him a blow of his sword that cut off his two hands at the joint;

and he did not stop at that, but made a blow at his middle that cut him

into two halves. But as he fell, an apple of the flail with its deadly

thorns went into Fidach's comely mouth and through his brain, and it was

foot to foot those two fell, and lip to lip.

And the next that came to fight on the strand was the King of Lochlann

himself, Caisel of the Feathers. And he came to the battle having his

shield on his arm; and it is the way the shield was, that was made for

him by the smith of the Fomor, there were red flames coming from it; and

if it was put under the sea itself, not one of its flames would stop

blazing. And when he had that shield on his arm no man could come near

him.

And there was never such destruction done on the men of Ireland as on

that day, for the flames of fire that he sent from his shield went

through the bodies of men till they blazed up like a splinter of oak

that was after hanging through the length of a year in the smoke of a

chimney; and any one that would touch the man that was burning would

catch fire himself. And every other harm that ever came into Ireland

before was small beside this.

Then Finn said: "Lift up your hands, Fianna of Ireland, and give three

shouts of blessing to whoever will hinder this foreigner." And the

Fianna gave those three shouts; and the King of Lochlann gave a great

laugh when he heard them. And Druimderg, grandson of the Head of the

Fianna of Ulster, was near him, and he had with him a deadly spear, the

Croderg, the Red-Socketed, that came down from one to another of the

sons of Rudraighe. And he looked at the King of Lochlann, and he could

see no part of him without armour but his mouth that was opened wide,

and he laughing at the Fianna. Then Druimderg made a cast with the

Croderg that hit him in the open mouth, and he fell, and his shield fell

along with its master, and its flame went out. And Druimderg struck the

head from his body, and made great boasts of the things he had done.

CHAPTER XI. LABRAN'S JOURNEY

It is then Fergus of the True Lips set out again and went through the

length of Ireland till he came to the house of Tadg, son of Nuada, that

was grandfather to Finn.

And there was great grief on Muirne, Finn's mother, and on Labran of the

Long Hand her brother, and on all her people, when they knew the great

danger he was in. And Tadg asked his wife who did she think would escape

with their lives from the great fighting at the White Strand. "It is a

pity the way they are there," said she; "for if all the living men of

the world were on one side, Daire Donn, the King of the World, would put

them all down; for there are no weapons in the world that will ever be

reddened on him. And on the night he was born, the smith of the Fomor

made a shield and a sword, and it is in the prophecy that he will fall

by no other arms but those. And it is to the King of the Country of the

Fair Men he gave them to keep, and it is with him they are now." "If

that is so," said Tadg, "you might be able to get help for Finn, son of

Cumhal, the only son of your daughter. And bid Labran Lamfada to go and

ask those weapons of him," he said. "Do not be asking me," said she, "to

go against Daire Donn that was brought up in my father's house." But

after they had talked for a while, they went out on the lawn, and they

sent Labran looking for the weapons in the shape of a great eagle.

And he went on from sea to sea, till at noon on the morrow he came to

the dun of the King of the Country of the Fair Men; and he went in his

own shape to the dun and saluted the king, and the king bade him

welcome, and asked him to stop with him for a while. "There is a thing I

want more than that," said Labran, "for the wife of a champion of the

Fianna has given me her love, and I cannot get her without fighting for

her; and it is the loan of that sword and that shield you have in your

keeping I am come asking now," he said.

There were seven rooms, now, in the king's house that opened into one

another, and on the first door was one lock, and on the second two

locks, and so on to the door of the last room that had seven locks; and

it was in that the sword and the shield that were made by the smith of

the Fomor were kept. And they were brought out and were given to Labran,

and stalks of luck were put with them, and they were bound together with

shield straps.

Then Labran of the Long Hand went back across the seas again, and he

reached his father's dun between the crowing of the cock and the full

light of day; and the weakness of death came on him. "It is a good

message you are after doing, my son," said Tadg, "and no one ever went

that far in so short a time as yourself." "It is little profit that is

to me," said Labran, "for I am not able to bring them to Finn in time

for the fight to-morrow."

But just at that time one of Tadg's people saw Aedh, son of Aebinn, that

was as quick as the wind over a plain till the middle of every day, and

after that, there was no man quicker than he was. "You are come at a

good time," said Tadg. And with that he gave him the sword and the

shield to bring to Finn for the battle.

So Aedh, son of Aebinn, went with the swiftness of a hare or of a fawn

or a swallow, till at the rising of the day on the morrow he came to the

White Strand. And just at that time Fergus of the True Lips was rousing

up the Fianna for the great fight, and it is what he said: "Fianna of

Ireland," he said, "if there was the length of seven days in one day,

you would have work to fill it now; for there never was and there never

will be done in Ireland a day's work like the work of to-day."

Then the Fianna of Ireland rose up, and they saw Aedh, son of Aebinn,

coming towards them with his quick running, and Finn asked news from

him. "It is from the dun of Tadg, son of Nuada, I am come," he said,

"and it is to yourself I am sent, to ask how it is you did not redden

your weapons yet upon the King of the World." "I swear by the oath of my

people," said Finn, "if I do not redden my weapons on him, I will crush

his body within his armour." "I have here for you, King of the Fianna,"

said Aedh then, "the deadly weapons that will bring him to his death;

and it was Labran of the Long Hand got them for you through his Druid

arts." He put them in Finn's hand then, and Finn took the coverings off

them, and there rose from them flashes of fire and deadly bubbles; and

not one of the Fianna could stay looking at them, but it put great

courage into them to know they were with Finn. "Rise up now," said Finn

to Fergus of the True Lips, "and go where the King of the World is, and

bid him to come out to the place of the great fight."

CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT FIGHT

Then the King of the World came to the strand, and all his armies with

him; and all that were left of the Fianna went out against them, and

they were like thick woods meeting one another, and they made great

strokes, and there were swords crashing against bones, and bodies that

were hacked, and eyes that were blinded, and many a mother was left

without her son, and many a comely wife without her comrade.

Then the creatures of the high air answered to the battle, foretelling

the destruction that would be done that day; and the sea chattered of

the losses, and the waves gave heavy shouts keening them, and the

water-beasts roared to one another, and the rough hills creaked with the

danger of the battle, and the woods trembled mourning the heroes, and

the grey stones cried out at their deeds, and the wind sobbed telling

them, and the earth shook, foretelling the slaughter; and the cries of

the grey armies put a blue cloak over the sun, and the clouds were dark;

and the hounds and the whelps and the crows, and the witches of the

valley, and the powers of the air, and the wolves of the forests, howled

from every quarter and on every side of the armies, urging them against

one another.

It was then Conan, son of Morna, brought to mind that himself and his

kindred had done great harm to the sons of Baiscne, and he had a wish to

do some good thing for them on account of that, and he raised up his

sword and did great deeds.

And Finn was over the battle, encouraging the Fianna; and the King of

the World was on the other side encouraging the foreigners. "Rise up

now, Fergus," said Finn, "and praise Conan for me that his courage may

be the greater, for it is good work he is doing on my enemies." So

Fergus went where Conan was, and at that time he was heated with the

dust of the fight, and he was gone outside to let the wind go about him.

"It is well you remember the old quarrel between the sons of Morna and

the sons of Baiscne, Conan," said Fergus; "and you would be ready to go

to your own death if it would bring harm on the sons of Baiscne," he

said. "For the love of your good name, Man of Poetry," said Conan, "do

not be speaking against me without cause, and I will do good work on the

foreigners when I get to the battle again." "By my word," said Fergus,

"that would be a good thing for you to do." He sang a verse of praise

for him then, and Conan went back into the battle, and his deeds were

not worse this time than they were before. And Fergus went back to where

Finn was.

"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "Duban, son of Cas, a

champion of your own people," said Fergus, "for he never gives but the

one stroke to any man, and no man escapes with his life from that

stroke, and three times nine and eighty men have fallen by him up to

this time." And Duban Donn, great-grandson of the King of Tuathmumhain,

was there listening to him, and it is what he said: "By my oath,

Fergus," he said, "all you are saying is true, for there is not a son of

a king or of a lord is better in the battle than Duban, son of Cas; and

I will go to my own death if I do not go beyond him." With that he went

rushing through the battle like flames over a high hill that is thick

with furze. Nine times he made a round of the battle, and he killed nine

times nine in every round.

"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn, after a while. "It is Duban

Donn that is after going from us," said Fergus. "For there has been no

one ahead of him since he was in his seventh year, and there is no one

ahead of him now." "Rise up and praise him that his courage may be the

greater," said Finn. "It is right to praise him," said Fergus, "and the

foreigners running before him on every side as they would run from a

heavy drenching of the sea." So Fergus praised him for a while, and he

went back then to Finn.

"Who is best in the battle now?" said Finn. "It is Osgar is best in it

now," said Fergus, "and he is fighting alone against two hundred Franks

and two hundred of the men of Gairian, and the King of the Men of

Gairian himself. And all these are beating at his shield," he said, "and

not one of them has given him a wound but he gave him a wound back for

it." "What way is Caoilte, son of Ronan?" said Finn. "He is in no great

strait after the red slaughter he has made," said Fergus. "Go to him

then," said Finn, "and bid him to keep off a share of the foreigners

from Osgar." So Fergus went to him. "Caoilte," he said, "it is great

danger your friend Osgar is in under the blows of the foreigners, and

let you rise up and give him some help," he said.

Caoilte went then to the place where Osgar was, and he gave a straight

blow of his sword at the man who was nearest him, that made two halves

of him. Osgar raised his head then and looked at him. "It is likely,

Caoilte," he said, "you did not dare redden your sword on any one till

you struck down a man that was before my sword. And it is a shame for

you," he said, "all the men of the great world and the Fianna of Ireland

to be in the one battle, and you not able to make out a fight for

yourself without coming to take a share of my share of the battle. And I

give my oath," he said, "I would be glad to see you put down in your bed

of blood on account of that thing." Caoilte's mind changed when he heard

that, and he turned again to the army of the foreigners with the redness

of anger on his white face; and eighty fighting men fell in that rout.

"What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is a pity," said Fergus,

"there never came and there never will come any one that can tell the

way it is now. For by my word," he said, "the tree-tops of the thickest

forest in the whole of the western world are not closer together than

the armies are now. For the bosses of their shields are in one another's

hands. And there is fire coming from the edges of their swords," he

said, "and blood is raining down like a shower on a day of harvest; and

there were never so many leaves torn by the wind from a great forest as

there are locks of long golden hair, and of black curled hair, cut off

by sharp weapons, blowing into the clouds at this time. And there is no

person could tell one man from another, now," he said, "unless it might

be by their voices." With that he went into the very middle of the fight

to praise and to hearten the men of the Fianna.

"Who is first in the battle now, Fergus?" said Finn, when he came back

to him. "By my oath, it is no friend of your own is first in it," said

Fergus, "for it is Daire Donn, the King of the World; and it is for you

he is searching through the battle," he said, "and three times fifty of

his own people were with him. But two of the men of your Fianna fell on

them," he said, "Cairell the Battle Striker, and Aelchinn of Cruachan,

and made an end of them. But they were not able to wound the King of the

World," he said, "but the two of them fell together by him."

Then the King of the World came towards Finn, and there was no one near

him but Arcallach of the Black Axe, the first that ever brought a wide

axe into Ireland. "I give my word," said Arcallach, "I would never let

Finn go before me into any battle." He rose up then and made a terrible

great blow of his axe at the king, that went through his royal crown to

the hair of his head, but that did not take a drop of blood out of him,

for the edge of the axe turned and there went balls of fire over the

plain from that blow. And the King of the World struck back at

Arcallach, and made two halves of him.

Then Finn and the King of the World turned on one another. And when the

king saw the sword and the shield in Finn's hand, he knew those were the

weapons that were to bring him to his death, and great dread came on

him, and his comeliness left him, and his fingers were shaking, and his

feet were unsteady, and the sight of his eyes was weakened.

And then the two fought a great fight, striking at one another like two

days of judgment for the possession of the world.

But the king, that had never met with a wound before, began to be

greatly weakened in the fight. And Finn gave great strokes that broke

his shield and his sword, and that cut off his left foot, and at the

last he struck off his head. But if he did, he himself fell into a faint

of weakness with the dint of the wounds he had got.

Then Finnachta of the Teeth, the first man of the household of the King

of the World, took hold of the royal crown of the king, and brought it

where Conmail his son was, and put it on his head.

"That this may bring you success in many battles, my son," he said. And

he gave him his father's weapons along with it; and the young man went

through the battle looking for Finn, and three fifties of the men of the

Fianna fell by him. Then Goll Garbh the Rough, son of the King of Alban,

saw him and attacked him, and they fought a hard fight. But the King of

Albain's son gave him a blow under the shelter of the shield, in his

left side, that made an end of him.

Finnachta of the Teeth saw that, and he made another rush at the royal

crown, and brought it to where Ogarmach was, the daughter of the King of

Greece. "Put on that crown, Ogarmach," he said, "as it is in the

prophecy the world will be owned by a woman; and it will never be owned

by any woman higher than yourself," he said.

She went then to look for Finn in the battle, and Fergus of the True

Lips saw her, and he went where Finn was. "O King of the Fianna," he

said then, "bring to mind the good fight you made against the King of

the World and all your victories before that; for it is a great danger

is coming to you now," he said, "and that is Ogarmach, daughter of the

King of Greece."

With that the woman-fighter came towards him. "O Finn," she said, "it is

little satisfaction you are to me for all the kings and lords that have

fallen by you and by your people; but for all that," she said, "there is

nothing better for me to get than your own self and whatever is left of

your people." "You will not get that," said Finn, "for I will lay your

head in its bed of blood the same as I did to every other one." Then

those two attacked one another like as if there had risen to smother

one another the flooded wave of Cliodna, and the seeking wave of Tuaigh,

and the big brave wave of Rudraighe. And though the woman-warrior fought

for a long time, a blow from Finn reached to her at last and cut through

the royal crown, and with a second blow he struck her head off. And then

he fell himself in his bed of blood, and was the same as dead, but that

he rose again.

And the armies of the World and the Fianna of Ireland were fallen side

by side there, and there were none left fit to stand but Cael, son of

Crimthan of the Harbours, and the chief man of the household of the King

of the World, Finnachta of the Teeth. And Finnachta went among the dead

bodies and lifted up the body of the King of the World and brought it

with him to his ship, and he said: "Fianna of Ireland," he said,

"although it is bad this battle was for the armies of the World, it was

worse for yourselves; and I am going back to tell that in the East of

the World," he said. Finn heard him saying that, and he lying on the

ground in his blood, and the best men of the sons of Baiscne about him,

and he said: "It is a pity I not to have found death before I heard the

foreigner saying those words. And nothing I myself have done, or the

Fianna of Ireland, is worth anything since there is left a man of the

foreigners alive to go back into the great world again to tell that

story. And is there any one left living near me?" he said. "I am," said

Fergus of the True Lips. "What way is the battle now?" said Finn. "It is

a pity the way it is," said Fergus, "for, by my word," he said, "since

the armies met together to-day, no man of the foreigners or of the men

of Ireland took a step backward from one another till they all fell foot

to foot, and sole to sole. And there is not so much as a blade of grass

or a grain of sand to be seen," he said, "with the bodies of fighting

men that are stretched on them; and there is no man of the two armies

that is not stretched in that bed of blood, but only the chief man of

the household of the King of the World, and your own foster-son, Cael,

son of Crimthan of the Harbours." "Rise up and go to him," said Finn. So

Fergus went where Cael was, and asked what way was he. "It is a pity the

way I am," said Cael, "for I swear by my word that if my helmet and my

armour were taken from me, there is no part of my body but would fall

from the other; and by my oath," he said, "it is worse to me to see that

man beyond going away alive than I myself to be the way I am. And I

leave my blessing to you, Fergus," he said; "and take me on your back to

the sea till I swim after the foreigner, and it is glad I would be the

foreigner to fall by me before the life goes out from my body." Fergus

lifted him up then and brought him to the sea, and put him swimming

after the foreigner. And Finnachta waited for him to reach the ship, for

he thought he was one of his own people. And Cael raised himself up when

he came beside the ship, and Finnachta stretched out his hand to him.

And Cael took hold of it at the wrist, and clasped his fingers round it,

and gave a very strong pull at him, that brought him over the side. Then

their hands shut across one another's bodies, and they went down to the

sand and the gravel of the clear sea.

CHAPTER XIII. CREDHE'S LAMENT

Then there came the women and the musicians and the singers and the

physicians of the Fianna of Ireland to search out the kings and the

princes of the Fianna, and to bury them; and every one that might be

healed was brought to a place of healing.

And Credhe, wife of Cael, came with the others, and went looking

through the bodies for her comely comrade, and crying as she went. And

as she was searching, she saw a crane of the meadows and her two

nestlings, and the cunning beast the fox watching the nestlings; and

when the crane covered one of the birds to save it, he would make a rush

at the other bird, the way she had to stretch herself out over the

birds; and she would sooner have got her own death by the fox than her

nestlings to be killed by him. And Credhe was looking at that, and she

said: "It is no wonder I to have such love for my comely sweetheart, and

the bird in that distress about her nestlings."

Then she heard a stag in Druim Ruighlenn above the harbour, that was

making great lamentations for his hind from place to place, for they had

been nine years together, and had lived in the wood at the foot of the

harbour, Fidh Leis, and Finn had killed the hind, and the stag was

nineteen days without tasting grass or water, lamenting after the hind.

"It is no shame for me," said Credhe, "I to die for grief after Cael,

since the stag is shortening his life sorrowing after the hind."

Then she met with Fergus of the True Lips. "Have you news of Cael for

me, Fergus?" she said. "I have news," said Fergus, "for he and the last

man that was left of the foreigners, Finnachta Fiaclach, are after

drowning one another in the sea."

And at that time the waves had put Cael back on the strand, and the

women and the men of the Fianna that were looking for him raised him up,

and brought him to the south of the White Strand.

And Credhe came to where he was, and she keened him and cried over him,

and she made this complaint:--

"The harbour roars, O the harbour roars, over the rushing race of the

Headland of the Two Storms, the drowning of the hero of the Lake of the

Two Dogs, that is what the waves are keening on the strand.

"Sweet-voiced is the crane, O sweet-voiced is the crane in the marshes

of the Ridge of the Two Strong Men; it is she cannot save her nestlings,

the wild dog of two colours is taking her little ones.

"Pitiful the cry, pitiful the cry the thrush is making in the Pleasant

Ridge, sorrowful is the cry of the blackbird in Leiter Laeig.

"Sorrowful the call, O sorrowful the call of the deer in the Ridge of

Two Lights; the doe is lying dead in Druim Silenn, the mighty stag cries

after her.

"Sorrowful to me, O sorrowful to me the death of the hero that lay

beside me; the son of the woman of the Wood of the Two Thickets, to be

with a bunch of grass under his head.

"Sore to me, O sore to me Cael to be a dead man beside me, the waves to

have gone over his white body; it is his pleasantness that has put my

wits astray.

"A woeful shout, O a woeful shout the waves are making on the strand;

they that took hold of comely Cael, a pity it is he went to meet them.

"A woeful crash, O a woeful crash the waves are making on the strand to

the north, breaking against the smooth rock, crying after Cael now he is

gone.

"A sorrowful fight, O a sorrowful fight, the sea is making with the

strand to the north; my beauty is lessened; the end of my life is

measured.

"A song of grief, O a song of grief is made by the waves of Tulcha Leis;

all I had is gone since this story came to me. Since the son of

Crimthann is drowned I will love no one after him for ever; many a king

fell by his hand; his shield never cried out in the battle."

After she had made that complaint, Credhe laid herself down beside Cael

and died for grief after him. And they were put in the one grave, and

it was Caoilte raised the stone over them.

And after that great battle of the White Strand, that lasted a year and

a day, there was many a sword and shield left broken, and many a dead

body lying on the ground, and many a fighting man left with a foolish

smile on his face.

And the great name that was on the armies of the World went from them to

the Fianna of Ireland; and they took the ships and the gold and the

silver and all the spoils of the armies of the World. And from that time

the Fianna had charge of the whole of Ireland, to keep it from the Fomor

and from any that might come against it.

And they never lost power from that time until the time of their last

battle, the sorrowful battle of Gabhra.

BOOK FOUR: HUNTINGS AND ENCHANTMENTS.

CHAPTER I. THE KING OF BRITAIN'S SON

Arthur, son of the King of Britain, came one time to take service with

Finn, and three times nine men along with him. And they went hunting one

day on Beinn Edair, and Finn took his place on the Cairn of the Fianna

between the hill and the sea, and Arthur took his stand between the hunt

and the sea, the way the deer would not escape by swimming.

And while Arthur was there he took notice of three of Finn's hounds,

Bran, and Sceolan and Adhnuall, and he made a plan in his mind to go

away across the sea, himself and his three nines, bringing those three

hounds along with him. So he did that, and he himself and his men

brought away the hounds and crossed the sea, and the place where they

landed was Inver Mara Gamiach on the coast of Britain. And after they

landed, they went to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir, to hunt on it.

And as to the Fianna, after their hunting was done they gathered

together on the hill; and as the custom was, all Finn's hounds were

counted. Three hundred full-grown hounds he had, and two hundred whelps;

and it is what the poets used to say, that to be counting them was like

counting the branches on a tree.

Now on this day when they were counted, Bran and Sceolan and Adhnuall

were missing; and that was told to Finn. He bade his people to search

again through the three battalions of the Fianna, but search as they

would, the hounds were not to be found.

Then Finn sent for a long-shaped basin of pale gold, and water in it,

and he put his face in the water, and his hand over his face, and it was

showed him what had happened, and he said: "The King of Britain's son

has brought away the hound. And let nine men be chosen out to follow

after them," he said. So nine men were chosen out, Diarmuid, grandson of

Duibhne; Goll, son of Morna; Oisin, son of Finn; Faolan, the friend of

the hounds, son of a woman that had come over the sea to give her love

to Finn; Ferdoman, son of Bodb Dearg; two sons of Finn, Raighne Wide Eye

and Cainche the Crimson-Red; Glas, son of Enchered Bera, with Caoilte

and Lugaidh's Son. And their nine put their helmets on their heads, and

took their long spears in their hands, and they felt sure they were a

match for any four hundred men from the east to the west of the world.

They set out then, till they came to the mountain of Lodan, son of Lir;

and they were not long there till they heard talk of men that were

hunting in that place.

Arthur of Britain and his people were sitting on a hunting mound just at

that time, and the nine men of the Fianna made an attack on them and

killed all of them but Arthur, that Goll, son of Morna, put his two arms

about and saved from death. Then they turned to go back to Ireland,

bringing Arthur with them, and the three hounds. And as they were going,

Goll chanced to look around him and he saw a dark-grey horse, having a

bridle with fittings of worked gold. And then he looked to the left and

saw a bay mare that was not easy to get hold of, and it having a bridle

of silver rings and a golden bit. And Goll took hold of the two, and he

gave them into Oisin's hand, and he gave them on to Diarmuid.

They went back to Finn then, bringing his three hounds with them, and

the King of Britain's son as a prisoner; and Arthur made bonds with

Finn, and was his follower till he died.

And as to the horse and the mare, they gave them to Finn; and the mare

bred eight times, at every birth eight foals, and it is of that seed

came all the horses of the fair Fianna of the Gael, for they had used

no horses up to that time.

And that was not the only time Finn was robbed of some of his hounds.

For there was a daughter of Roman was woman-Druid to the Tuatha de

Danaan, and she set her love on Finn. But Finn said, so long as there

was another woman to be found in the world, he would not marry a witch.

And one time, three times fifty of Finn's hounds passed by the hill

where she was; and she breathed on the hounds and shut them up in the

hill, and they never came out again. It was to spite Finn she did that,

and the place got the name of Duma na Conn, the Mound of the Hounds.

And as to Adhnuall, one of the hounds Finn thought most of, and that was

brought back from the King of Britain's son, this is the way he came to

his death afterwards.

There was a great fight one time between the Fianna and Macoon, son of

Macnia, at some place in the province of Leinster, and a great many of

the Fianna were killed. And the hound Adhnuall went wandering northward

from the battle and went astray; and three times he went round the whole

of Ireland, and then he came back to the place of the battle, and to a

hill where three young men of the Fianna that had fallen there were

buried after their death, and three daughters of a King of Alban that

had died for love of them. And when Adhnuall came to that hill, he gave

three loud howls and he stretched himself out and died.

CHAPTER II. THE CAVE OF CEISCORAN

Finn called for a great hunt one time on the plains of Magh Chonaill and

in the forest parts of Cairbre of the Nuts. And he himself went up to

the top of Ceiscoran, and his two dogs Bran and Sceolan with him.

And the Fianna were shouting through the whole country where they were

hunting, the way the deer were roused in their wild places and the

badgers in their holes, and foxes in their wanderings, and birds on the

wing.

And Conaran, son of Imidd, of the Tuatha de Danaan, had the sway in

Ceiscoran at that time, and when he heard the shouting and the cry of

the hounds all around, he bade his three daughters that had a great

share of enchantments, to do vengeance on Finn for his hunting.

The three women went then to the opening of a cave that was in the

hills, and there they sat down together, and they put three strong

enchanted hanks of yarn on crooked holly-sticks, and began to reel them

off outside the cave.

They were not long there till Finn and Conan came towards them, and saw

the three ugly old hags at their work, their coarse hair tossed, their

eyes red and bleary, their teeth sharp and crooked, their arms very

long, their nails like the tips of cows' horns, and the three spindles

in their hands.

Finn and Conan passed through the hanks of yarn to get a better look at

the hags. And no sooner had they done that, than a deadly trembling came

on them and a weakness, and the bold hags took hold of them and put them

in tight bonds.

Two other men of the Fianna came up then, and the sons of Menhann along

with them, and they went through the spindles to where Finn and Conan

were, and their strength went from them in the same way, and the hags

tied them fast and carried them into the cave.

They were not long there till Caoilte and Lugaidh's Son came to the

place, and along with them the best men of the sons of Baiscne. The sons

of Morna came as well, and no sooner did they see the hanks than their

strength and their bravery went out of them the same as it went from the

others.

And in the end the whole number of them, gentle and simple, were put in

bonds by the hags, and brought into the cave. And there began at the

mouth of the cave a great outcry of hounds calling for their masters

that had left them there. And there was lying on the hillside a great

heap of deer, and wild pigs, and hares, and badgers, dead and torn, that

were brought as far as that by the hunters that were tied up now in the

cave.

Then the three women came in, having swords in their hands, to the place

where they were lying, to make an end of them. But first they looked out

to see was there ever another man of the Fianna to bring in and to make

an end of with the rest.

And they saw coming towards them a very tall man that was Goll, son of

Morna, the Flame of Battle. And when the three hags saw him they went to

meet him, and they fought a hard battle with him. And great anger came

on Goll, and he made great strokes at the witches, and at the last he

raised up his sword, and with one blow he cut the two that were nearest

him through and through.

And then the oldest of the three women wound her arms about Goll, and he

beheading the two others, and he turned to face her and they wrestled

together, till at last Goll gave her a great twist and threw her on the

ground. He tied her fast then with the straps of a shield, and took his

sword to make an end of her. But the hag said: "O champion that was

never worsted, strong man that never went back in battle, I put my body

and my life under the protection of your bravery. And it is better for

you," she said, "to get Finn and the Fianna safe and whole than to have

my blood; and I swear by the gods my people swear by," she said, "I will

give them back to you again."

With that Goll set her free, and they went together into the hill where

the Fianna were lying. And Goll said: "Loose off the fastenings first

from Fergus of the True Lips and from the other learned men of the

Fianna; and after that from Finn, and Oisin, and the twenty-nine sons of

Morna, and from all the rest."

She took off the fastenings then, and the Fianna made no delay, but rose

up and went out and sat down on the side of the hill. And Fergus of the

Sweet Lips looked at Goll, son of Morna, and made great praises of him,

and of all that he had done.

CHAPTER III. DONN SON OF MIDHIR

One time the Fianna were at their hunting at the island of Toraig to the

north of Ireland, and they roused a fawn that was very wild and

beautiful, and it made for the coast, and Finn and six of his men

followed after it through the whole country, till they came to

Slieve-nam-Ban. And there the fawn put down its head and vanished into

the earth, and none of them knew where was it gone to.

A heavy snow began to fall then that bent down the tops of the trees

like a willow-gad, and the courage and the strength went from the Fianna

with the dint of the bad weather, and Finn said to Caoilte: "Is there

any place we can find shelter to-night?" Caoilte made himself supple

then, and went over the elbow of the hill southward.

And when he looked around him he saw a house full of light, with cups

and horns and bowls of different sorts in it. He stood a good while

before the door of the house, that he knew to be a house of the Sidhe,

thinking would it be best go in and get news of it, or to go back to

Finn and the few men that were with him. And he made up his mind to go

into the house, and there he sat down on a shining chair in the middle

of the floor; and he looked around him, and he saw, on the one side,

eight-and-twenty armed men, each of them having a well-shaped woman

beside him. And on the other side he saw six nice young girls,

yellow-haired, having shaggy gowns from their shoulders. And in the

middle there was another young girl sitting in a chair, and a harp in

her hand, and she playing on it and singing. And every time she stopped,

a man of them would give her a horn to drink from, and she would give it

back to him again, and they were all making mirth around her.

She spoke to Caoilte then. "Caoilte, my life," she said, "give us leave

to attend on you now." "Do not," said Caoilte, "for there is a better

man than myself outside, Finn, son of Cumhal, and he has a mind to eat

in this house to-night." "Rise up, Caoilte, and go for Finn," said a man

of the house then; "for he never refused any man in his own house, and

he will get no refusal from us."

Caoilte went back then to Finn, and when Finn saw him he said: "It is

long you are away from us, Caoilte, for from the time I took arms in my

hands I never had a night that put so much hardship on me as this one."

The six of them went then into the lighted house and their shields and

their arms with them. And they sat down on the edge of a seat, and a

girl having yellow hair came and brought them to a shining seat in the

middle of the house, and the newest of every food, and the oldest of

every drink was put before them. And when the sharpness of their hunger

and their thirst was lessened, Finn said: "Which of you can I question?"

"Question whoever you have a mind to," said the tallest of the men that

was near him. "Who are you yourself then?" said Finn, "for I did not

think there were so many champions in Ireland, and I not knowing them."

"Those eight-and-twenty armed men you see beyond," said the tall man,

"had the one father and mother with myself; and we are the sons of

Midhir of the Yellow Hair, and our mother is Fionnchaem, the fair,

beautiful daughter of the King of the Sidhe of Monaid in the east. And

at one time the Tuatha de Danaan had a gathering, and gave the kingship

to Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, at his bright hospitable place, and he

began to ask hostages of myself and of my brothers; but we said that

till all the rest of the Men of Dea had given them, we would not give

them. Bodb Dearg said then to our father: 'Unless you will put away your

sons, we will wall up your dwelling-place on you.' So the

eight-and-twenty brothers of us came out to look for a place for

ourselves; and we searched all Ireland till we found this secret hidden

place, and we are here ever since. And my own name," he said, "is Donn,

son of Midhir. And we had every one of us ten hundred armed men

belonging to himself, but they are all worn away now, and only the

eight-and-twenty of us left." "What is it is wearing you away?" said

Finn. "The Men of Dea," said Donn, "that come three times in every year

to give battle to us on the green outside." "What is the long new grave

we saw on the green outside?" said Finn. "It is the grave of Diangalach,

a man of enchantments of the Men of Dea; and that is the greatest loss

came on them yet," said Donn; "and it was I myself killed him," he

said. "What loss came next to that?" said Finn. "All the Tuatha de

Danaan had of jewels and riches and treasures, horns and vessels and

cups of pale gold, we took from them at the one time." "What was the

third greatest loss they had?" said Finn. "It was Fethnaid, daughter of

Feclach, the woman-harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, their music and the

delight of their minds," said Donn.

"And to-morrow," he said, "they will be coming to make an attack on us,

and there is no one but myself and my brothers left; and we knew we

would be in danger, and that we could make no stand against them. And we

sent that bare-headed girl beyond to Toraig in the North in the shape of

a foolish fawn, and you followed her here. It is that girl washing

herself, and having a green cloak about her, went looking for you.

"And the empty side of the house," he said, "belonged to our people that

the Men of Dea have killed."

They spent that night in drinking and in pleasure. And when they rose up

in the morning of the morrow, Donn, son of Midhir, said to Finn, "Come

out with me now on the lawn till you see the place where we fight the

battles every year." They went out then and they looked at the graves

and the flag-stones, and Donn said: "It is as far as this the Men of Dea

come to meet us." "Which of them come here?" said Finn.

"Bodb Dearg with his seven sons," said Donn; "and Angus Og, son of the

Dagda, with his seven sons; and Finnbharr of Cnoc Medha with his

seventeen sons; Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh with his twenty-seven sons and

their sons; Tadg, son of Nuada, out of the beautiful hill of Almhuin;

Donn of the Island and Donn of the Vat; the two called Glas from the

district of Osraige; Dobhran Dubthaire from the hill of Liamhain of the

Smooth Shirt; Aedh of the Island of Rachrainn in the north; Ferai and

Aillinn and Lir and Fainnle, sons of Eogobal, from Cnoc Aine in Munster;

Cian and Coban and Conn, three sons of the King of Sidhe Monaid in

Alban; Aedh Minbhreac of Ess Ruadh with his seven sons; the children of

the Morrigu, the Great Queen, her six-and-twenty women warriors, the two

Luaths from Magh Life; Derg and Drecan out of the hill of Beinn Edair in

the east; Bodb Dearg himself with his great household, ten hundred ten

score and ten. Those are the chief leaders of the Tuatha de Danaan that

come to destroy our hill every year."

Finn went back into the hill then, and told all that to his people.

"My people," he said, "it is in great need and under great oppression

the sons of Midhir are, and it is into great danger we are come

ourselves. And unless we make a good fight now," he said, "it is likely

we will never see the Fianna again."

"Good Finn," every one of them said then, "did you ever see any

drawing-back in any of us that you give us that warning?" "I give my

word," said Finn, "if I would go through the whole world having only

this many of the Fianna of Ireland along with me, I would not know fear

nor fright. And good Donn," he said, "is it by day or by night the Men

of Dea come against you?" "It is at the fall of night they come," said

Donn, "the way they can do us the most harm."

So they waited till night came on, and then Finn said: "Let one of you

go out now on the green to keep watch for us, the way the Men of Dea

will not come on us without word or warning."

And the man they set to watch was not gone far when he saw five strong

battalions of the Men of Dea coming towards him. He went back then to

the hill and he said: "It is what I think, that the troops that are come

against us this time and are standing now around the grave of the Man

of Enchantments are a match for any other fighting men."

Finn called to his people then, and he said: "These are good fighters

are come against you, having strong red spears. And let you all do well

now in the battle. And it is what you have to do," he said, "to keep the

little troop of brothers, the sons of Midhir, safe in the fight; for it

would be a treachery to friendship any harm to come on them, and we

after joining them; and myself and Caoilte are the oldest among you, and

leave the rest of the battle to us."

Then from the covering time of evening to the edge of the morning they

fought the battle. And the loss of the Tuatha de Danaan was no less a

number than ten hundred ten score and ten men. Then Bodb Dearg and

Midhir and Fionnbhar said to one another: "What are we to do with all

these? And let Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh give us an advice," they said,

"since he is the oldest of us." And Lir said: "It is what I advise, let

every one carry away his friends and his fosterlings, his sons and his

brothers, to his own place. And as for us that stop here," he said, "let

a wall of fire be made about us on the one side, and a wall of water on

the other side." Then the Men of Dea put up a great heap of stones, and

brought away their dead; and of all the great slaughter that Finn and

his men and the sons of Midhir had made, there was not left enough for a

crow to perch upon.

And as to Finn and his men, they went back into the hill, hurt and

wounded and worn-out.

And they stopped in the hill with the sons of Midhir through the whole

length of a year, and three times in the year the Men of Dea made an

attack on the hill, and a battle was fought.

And Conn, son of Midhir, was killed in one of the battles; and as to the

Fianna, there were so many wounds on them that the clothing was held

off from their bodies with bent hazel sticks, and they lying in their

beds, and two of them were like to die. And Finn and Caoilte and

Lugaidh's Son went out on the green, and Caoilte said: "It was a bad

journey we made coming to this hill, to leave two of our comrades after

us." "It is a pity for whoever will face the Fianna of Ireland," said

Lugaidh's Son, "and he after leaving his comrades after him." "Whoever

will go back and leave them, it will not be myself," said Finn. Then

Bonn, son of Midhir, came to them. "Good Donn," said Finn, "have you

knowledge of any physician that can cure our men?" "I only know one

physician could do that," said Donn; "a physician the Tuatha de Danaan

have with them. And unless a wounded man has the marrow of his back cut

through, he will get relief from that physician, the way he will be

sound at the end of nine days." "How can we bring that man here," said

Finn, "for those he is with are no good friends to us?" "He goes out

every morning at break of day," said Donn, "to gather healing herbs

while the dew is on them." "Find some one, Donn," said Caoilte, "that

will show me that physician, and, living or dead, I will bring him with

me."

Then Aedh and Flann, two of the sons of Midhir, rose up. "Come with us,

Caoilte," they said, and they went on before him to a green lawn with

the dew on it; and when they came to it they saw a strong young man

armed and having a cloak of the wool of the seven sheep of the Land of

Promise, and it full of herbs of healing he was after gathering for the

Men of Dea that were wounded in the battle. "Who is that man?" said

Caoilte. "That is the man we came looking for," said Aedh. "And mind him

well now," he said, "that he will not make his escape from us back to

his own people."

They ran at him together then, and Caoilte took him by the shoulders

and they brought him away with them to the ford of the Slaine in the

great plain of Leinster, where the most of the Fianna were at that time;

and a Druid mist rose up about them that they could not be seen.

And they went up on a little hill over the ford, and they saw before

them four young men having crimson fringed cloaks and swords with gold

hilts, and four good hunting hounds along with them. And the young man

could not see them because of the mist, but Caoilte saw they were his

own two sons, Colla and Faolan, and two other young men of the Fianna,

and he could hear them talking together, and saying it was a year now

that Finn, son of Cumhal, was gone from them. "And what will the Fianna

of Ireland do from this out," said one of them, "without their lord and

their leader?" "There is nothing for them to do," said another, "but to

go to Teamhair and to break up there, or to find another leader for

themselves." And there was heavy sorrow on them for the loss of their

lord; and it was grief to Caoilte to be looking at them.

And he and the two sons of Midhir went back then by the Lake of the Two

Birds to Slieve-nam Ban, and they went into the hill.

And Finn and Donn gave a great welcome to Luibra, the physician, and

they showed him their two comrades that were lying in their wounds.

"Those men are brothers to me," said Donn, "and tell me how can they be

cured?" Luibra looked then at their wounds, and he said: "They can be

cured if I get a good reward." "You will get that indeed," said Caoilte;

"and tell me now," he said, "how long will it take to cure them?" "It

will take nine days," said Luibra. "It is a good reward you will get,"

said Caoilte, "and this is what it is, your own life to be left to you.

But if these young men are not healed," he said, "it is my own hand will

strike off your head."

And within nine days the physician had done a cure on them, and they

were as well and as sound as before.

And it was after that time the High King sent a messenger to bring the

Fianna to the Feast of Teamhair. And they all gathered to it, men and

women, boys and heroes and musicians. And Goll, son of Morna, was

sitting at the feast beside the king. "It is a great loss you have had,

Fianna of Ireland," said the king, "losing your lord and your leader,

Finn, son of Cumhal." "It is a great loss indeed," said Goll.

"There has no greater loss fallen on Ireland since the loss of Lugh, son

of Ethne," said the king. "What orders will you give to the Fianna now,

king?" said Goll. "To yourself, Goll," said the king, "I will give the

right of hunting over all Ireland till we know if the loss of Finn is

lasting." "I will not take Finn's place," said Goll, "till he has been

wanting to us through the length of three years, and till no person in

Ireland has any hope of seeing him again."

Then Ailbe of the Freckled Face said to the king: "What should these

seventeen queens belonging to Finn's household do?" "Let a safe, secret

sunny house be given to every one of them," said the king; "and let her

stop there and her women with her, and let provision be given to her for

a month and a quarter and a year till we have knowledge if Finn is alive

or dead."

Then the king stood up, and a smooth drinking-horn in his hand, and he

said: "It would be a good thing, men of Ireland, if any one among you

could get us news of Finn in hills or in secret places, or in rivers or

invers, or in any house of the Sidhe in Ireland or in Alban."

With that Berngal, the cow-owner from the borders of Slieve Fuad, that

was divider to the King of Ireland, said: "The day Finn came out from

the north, following after a deer of the Sidhe, and his five comrades

with him, he put a sharp spear having a shining head in my hand, and a

hound's collar along with it, and he bade me to keep them till he would

meet me again in the same place." Berngal showed the spear and the

collar then to the king and to Goll, and they looked at them and the

king said: "It is a great loss to the men of Ireland the man is that

owned this collar and this spear. And were his hounds along with him?"

he said. "They were," said Berngal; "Bran and Sceolan were with Finn,

and Breac and Lainbhui with Caoilte, and Conuall and Comrith with

Lugaidh's Son."

The High King called then for Fergus of the True Lips, and he said: "Do

you know how long is Finn away from us?" "I know that well," said

Fergus; "it is a month and a quarter and a year since we lost him. And

indeed it is a great loss he is to the Fianna of Ireland," he

said, "himself and the men that were with him." "It is a great loss

indeed," said the king, "and I have no hope at all of finding those six

that were the best men of Ireland or of Alban."

And then he called to Cithruadh, the Druid, and he said: "It is much

riches and many treasures Finn gave you, and tell us now is he living or

is he dead?" "He is living," said Cithruadh then. "But as to where he

is, I will give no news of that," he said, "for he himself would not

like me to give news of it." There was great joy among them when they

heard that, for everything Cithruadh had ever foretold had come true.

"Tell us when will he come back?" said the king. "Before the Feast of

Teamhair is over," said the Druid, "you will see the Leader of the

Fianna drinking at it."

And as to Finn and his men, they stopped in the House of the Two Birds

till they had taken hostages for Donn, son of Midhir, from the Tuatha de

Danaan. And on the last day of the Feast of Teamhair they came back to

their people again.

And from that time out the Fianna of Ireland had not more dealings with

the people living in houses than they had with the People of the Gods of

Dana.

CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE

It happened one day Finn and Oisin and Caoilte and Diarmuid and

Lugaidh's Son went up on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their five

hounds with them, Bran and Sceolan, Sear Dubh, Luath Luachar and

Adhnuall. And they were not long there till they saw a giant coming

towards them, very tall and rough and having an iron fork on his back

and a squealing pig between the prongs of the fork. And there was a

beautiful eager young girl behind the giant, shoving him on before her.

"Let some one go speak with those people," said Finn. So Diarmuid went

towards them, but they turned away before he came to them. Then Finn and

the rest rose up and went after them, but before they came to the giant

and the girl, a dark Druid mist rose up that hid the road. And when the

mist cleared away, Finn and the rest looked about them, and they saw a

good light-roofed house at the edge of a ford near at hand. They went on

to the house, and there was a green lawn before it, and in the lawn two

wells, and on the edge of one well there was a rough iron vessel, and on

the edge of the other a copper vessel. They went into the house then,

and they found there a very old white-haired man, standing to the right

hand of the door, and the beautiful young girl they saw before, sitting

near him, and the great rough giant beside the fire, and he boiling a

pig. And on the other side of the fire there was an old countryman,

having dark-grey hair and twelve eyes in his head, and his twelve eyes

were twelve sons of battle. And there was a ram in the house having a

white belly and a very black head, and dark-blue horns and green feet.

And there was a hag in the end of the house and a worn grey gown on her,

and there was no one in the house but those.

And the man at the door gave them a welcome, and then the five of them

sat down on the floor of the house, and their hounds along with them.

"Let great respect be shown to Finn, son of Cumhal, and to his people,"

said the man at the door. "It is the way I am," said the giant, "to be

asking always and getting nothing." But for all that he rose up and

showed respect to Finn.

Presently there came a great thirst on Finn, and no one took notice of

it but Caoilte, and he began complaining greatly. "Why are you

complaining, Caoilte?" said the man at the door; "you have but to go out

and get a drink for Finn at whichever of the wells you will choose."

Caoilte went out then, and he brought the full of the copper vessel to

Finn, and Finn took a drink from it, and there was the taste of honey on

it while he was drinking, and the taste of gall on it after, so that

fierce windy pains and signs of death came on him, and his appearance

changed, that he would hardly be known. And Caoilte made greater

complaints than he did before on account of the way he was, till the man

at the door bade him to go out and to bring him a drink from the other

well. So Caoilte did that, and brought in the full of the iron vessel.

And Finn never went through such great hardship in any battle as he did

drinking that draught, from the bitterness of it; but no sooner did he

drink it than his own colour and appearance came back to him and he was

as well as before, and his people were very glad when they saw that.

Then the man of the house asked was the pig ready that was in the

cauldron. "It is ready," said the giant; "and leave the dividing of it

to me," he said. "What way will you divide it?" said the man of the

house. "I will give one hind quarter to Finn and his dogs," said the

giant, "and the other hind quarter to Finn's four comrades; and the fore

quarter to myself, and the chine and the rump to the old man there by

the fire and the hag in the corner; and the entrails to yourself and to

the young girl that is beside you." "I give my word," said the man of

the house, "you have shared it well." "I give my word," said the ram,

"it is a bad division to me, for you have forgotten my share in it."

With that he took hold of the quarter that was before the Fianna, and

brought it into a corner and began to eat it. On that the four of them

attacked him with their swords, but with all the hard strokes they gave

they could not harm him at all, for the swords slipped from his back the

same as they would from a rock. "On my word it is a pity for any one

that has the like of you for comrades," said the man with the twelve

eyes, "and you letting a sheep bring away your food from you." With that

he went up to the ram and took him by the feet and threw him out from

the door that he fell on his back, and they saw him no more.

It was not long after that, the hag rose up and threw her pale grey gown

over Finn's four comrades, and they turned to four old men, weak and

withered, their heads hanging. When Finn saw that there came great dread

on him, and the man at the door saw it, and he bade him to come over to

him, and to put his head in his breast and to sleep. Finn did that, and

the hag took her covering off the four men, the way that when Finn awoke

they were in their own shape again, and it is well pleased he was to see

that.

"Is there wonder on you, Finn?" said the man at the door, "at the ways

of this house?" "I never wondered more at anything I ever saw," said

Finn. "I will tell you the meaning of them, so," said the man. "As to

the giant you saw first," he said, "having the squealing pig in the

prongs of his fork, Sluggishness is his name; and the girl here beside

me that was shoving him along is Liveliness, for liveliness pushes on

sluggishness, and liveliness goes farther in the winking of an eye than

the foot can travel in a year. The old man there beyond with the twelve

bright eyes betokens the World, and he is stronger than any other, and

he showed that when he made nothing of the ram. The ram you saw betokens

the Desires of Men. The hag is Old Age, and her gown withered up your

four comrades. And the two wells you drank the two draughts out of," he

said, "betoken Lying and Truth; for it is sweet to people to be telling

a lie, but it is bitter in the end. And as to myself," he said, "Cuanna

from Innistuil is my name, and it is not here I am used to be, but I

took a very great love for you, Finn, because of your wisdom and your

great name, and so I put these things in your way that I might see you.

And the hospitality of Cuanna's house to Finn will be the name of this

story to the end of the world. And let you and your men come together

now," he said, "and sleep till morning."

So they did that, and when they awoke in the morning, it is where they

were, on the top of Cairn Feargall, and their dogs and their arms beside

them.

CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND DOG-HEADS

Nine of the Fianna set out one time, looking for a pup they wanted, and

they searched through many places before they found it. All through Magh

Leine they searched, and through the Valley of the Swords, and through

the storm of Druim Cleibh, and it is pleasant the Plain of the Life

looked after it; but not a pup could they find. Then they went searching

through Durlass of the generous men, and great Teamhair and Dun Dobhran

and Ceanntsaile, men and dogs searching the whole of Ireland, but not a

pup could they find.

And while they were going from place to place, and their people with

them, they saw the three armies of the sons of the King of Ruadhleath

coming towards them. Cat-headed one army was, and the one alongside of

it was Dog-headed, and the men of the third army were White-backed.

And when the Fianna saw them coming, Finn held up his shining spear, and

light-hearted Caoilte gave out a great shout that was heard in Almhuin,

and in Magh Leine, and in Teamhair, and in Dun Reithlein. And that shout

was answered by Goll, son of Morna, and by Faolan, Finn's son that was

with him, and by the Stutterers from Burren, and by the two sons of

Maith Breac, and by Iolunn of the Sharp Edge, and by Cael of the Sharp

Sword, that never gave his ear to tale-bearers.

It is pleasant the sound was then of the spears and the armies and of

the silken banners that were raised up in the gusty wind of the morning.

And as to the banners, Finn's banner, the Dealb-Greine, the Sun-Shape,

had the likeness of the sun on it; and Coil's banner was the Fulang

Duaraidh, that was the first and last to move in a battle; and Faolan's

banner was the Coinneal Catha, the Candle of Battle; and Oisin's banner

was the Donn Nimhe, the Dark Deadly One; and Caoilte's was the Lamh

Dearg, the Red Hand; and Osgar's was the Sguab Gabhaidh that had a Broom

of rowan branches on it, and the only thing asked when the fight was at

the hottest was where that Broom was; and merry Diarmuid's banner was

the Liath Loinneach, the Shining Grey; and the Craobh Fuileach, the

Bloody Branch, was the banner of Lugaidh's Son. And as to Conan, it is a

briar he had on his banner, because he was always for quarrels and for

trouble. And it used to be said of him he never saw a man frown without

striking him, or a door left open without going in through it.

And when the Fianna had raised their banners they attacked the three

armies; and first of all they killed the whole of the Cat-Heads, and

then they took the Dog-Heads in hand and made an end of them, and of the

White-Backs along with them.

And after that they went to a little hill to the south, having a double

dun on it, and it is there they found a hound they were able to get a

pup from.

And by that time they had searched through the whole of Ireland, and

they did not find in the whole of it a hundred men that could match

their nine.

And as well as their banners, some of the Fianna had swords that had

names to them, Mac an Luin, Son of the Waves, that belonged to Finn; and

Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, that was Oisin's; and

Caoilte's Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One; and Diarmuid's

Liomhadoir, the Burnisher; and Osgar's Cosgarach Mhor, the Great

Triumphant One.

And it is the way they got those swords: there came one time to where

Finn and Caoilte and some others of the Fianna were, a young man, very

big and ugly, having but one foot and one eye; a cloak of black skins he

had over his shoulders, and in his hand a blunt ploughshare that was

turning to red. And he told them he was Lon, son of Liobhan, one of the

three smiths of the King of Lochlann. And whether he thought to go away

from the Fianna, or to bring them to his smithy, he started running, and

they followed after him all through Ireland, to Slieve-na-Righ, and to

Luimnech, and to Ath Luain, and by the right side of Cruachan of

Connacht, and to Ess Ruadh and to Beinn Edair, and so to the sea.

And wherever it was they found the smithy, they went into it, and there

they found four smiths working, and every one of them having seven

hands. And Finn and Caoilte and the rest stopped there watching them

till the swords were made, and they brought them away with them then,

and it is good use they made of them afterwards.

And besides his sword, Mac an Luin, Finn had a shield was called Sgiath

Gailbhinn, the Storm Shield; and when it called out it could be heard

all through Ireland.

And whether or not it was the Storm Shield, Finn had a wonderful shield

that he did great deeds with, and the story of it is this:

At the time of the battle of the Great Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh,

after he had struck the head off Balor of the Evil Eye, hung it in the

fork of a hazel-tree. And the tree split, and the leaves fell from it

with the dint of the poison that dropped from the head. And through the

length of fifty years that tree was a dwelling-place of crows and of

ravens. And at the end of that time Manannan, son of Lir, was passing

by, and he took notice of the tree that it was split and withered, and

he bade his men to dig it up. And when they began to dig, a mist of

poison rose up from the roots, and nine of the men got their death from

it, and another nine after them, and the third nine were blinded. And

Luchtaine the Carpenter made a shield of the wood of that hazel for

Manannan. And after a while Manannan gave it, and a set of chessmen

along with it, to Tadg, son of Nuada; and from him it came to his

grandson, Finn, son of Muirne and of Cumhal.

CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD

FINN took a wife one time of the Luigne of Midhe. And at the same time

there was in his household one Lomna, a fool.

Finn now went into Tethra, hunting with the Fianna, but Lomna stopped at

the house. And after a while he saw Coirpre, a man of the Luigne, go in

secretly to where Finn's wife was.

And when the woman knew he had seen that, she begged and prayed of Lomna

to hide it from Finn. And Lomna agreed to that, but it preyed on him to

have a hand in doing treachery on Finn. And after a while he took a

four-square rod and wrote an Ogham on it, and these were the words he

wrote:--"An alder stake in a paling of silver; deadly night-shade in a

bunch of cresses; a husband of a lewd woman; a fool among the

well-taught Fianna; heather on bare Ualann of Luigne."

Finn saw the message, and there was anger on him against the woman; and

she knew well it was from Lomna he had heard the story, and she sent a

message to Coirpre bidding him to come and kill the fool.

So Coirpre came and struck his head off, and brought it away with him.

And when Finn came back in the evening he saw the body, and it without a

head. "Let us know whose body is this," said the Fianna. And then Finn

did the divination of rhymes, and it is what he said: "It is the body of

Lomna; it is not by a wild boar he was killed; it is not by a fall he

was killed; it is not in his bed he died; it is by his enemies he died;

it is not a secret to the Luigne the way he died. And let out the hounds

now on their track," he said.

So they let out the hounds, and put them on the track of Coirpre, and

Finn followed them, and they came to a house, and Coirpre in it, and

three times nine of his men and he cooking fish on a spit; and Lomna's

head was on a spike beside the fire.

And the first of the fish that was cooked Coirpre divided between his

men, but he put no bit into the mouth of the head. And then he made a

second division in the same way. Now that was against the law of the

Fianna, and the head spoke, and it said: "A speckled white-bellied

salmon that grows from a small fish under the sea; you have shared a

share that is not right; the Fianna will avenge it upon you, Coirpre."

"Put the head outside," said Coirpre, "for that is an evil word for us."

Then the head said from outside: "It is in many pieces you will be; it

is great fires will be lighted by Finn in Luigne."

And as it said that, Finn came in, and he made an end of Coirpre, and of

his men.

CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH

One time Caoilte was hunting on Beinn Gulbain, and he went on to Ess

Ruadh. And when he came near the hill of the Sidhe that is there, he saw

a young man waiting for him, having a crimson fringed cloak about him,

and on his breast a silver brooch, and a white shield, ornamented with

linked beasts of red gold, and his hair rolled in a ball at the back,

and covered with a golden cup. And he had heavy green weapons, and he

was holding two hounds in a silver chain.

And when Caoilte came up to him he gave him three loving kisses, and sat

down beside him on the grass. "Who are you, young champion?" said

Caoilte. "I am Derg, son of Eoghan of the people of Usnach," he said,

"and foster-brother of your own." Caoilte knew him then, and he said:

"And what is your life with your mother's people, the Tuatha de Danaan

in Sidhe Aedha?" "There is nothing wanting to us there of food or of

clothing," said the young man. "But for all that," he said, "I would

sooner live the life of the worst treated of the serving-boys of the

Fianna than the life I am living in the hill of the Sidhe." "Lonely as

you are at your hunting to-day," said Caoilte, "it is often I saw you

coming to the Valley of the Three Waters in the south, where the Siuir

and the Beoir and the Berba come together, with a great company about

you; fifteen hundred young men, fifteen hundred serving-boys, and

fifteen hundred women." "That was so," said Derg; "and although myself

and my gentle hound are living in the hill of the Sidhe, my mind is

always on the Fianna. And I remember well the time," he said, "when you

yourself won the race against Finn's lasting black horse. And come now

into the hill," he said, "for the darkness of the night is coming on."

So he brought Caoilte into the hill with him, and they were set down in

their right places.

It was at that time, now, there was great war between Lir of Sidhe

Fionnachaidh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh. There used a bird with an iron

beak and a tail of fire to come every evening to a golden window of

Ilbrec's house, and there he would shake himself till he would not leave

sword on pillow, or shield on peg, or spear in rack, but they would come

down on the heads of the people of the house; and whatever they would

throw at the bird, it is on the heads of some of themselves it would

fall. And the night Caoilte came in, the hall was made ready for a

feast, and the bird came in again, and did the same destruction as

before, and nothing they threw at him would touch him at all. "Is it

long the bird has been doing this?" said Caoilte. "Through the length of

a year now," said Derg, "since we went to war with Sidhe Fionnachaidh."

Then Caoilte put his hand within the rim of his shield, and he took out

of it a copper rod he had, and he made a cast of it at the bird, that

brought it down on the floor of the hall. "Did any one ever make a

better cast than that?" said Ilbrec. "By my word," said Caoilte, "there

is no one of us in the Fianna has any right to boast against another."

Then Ilbrec took down a sharp spear, having thirty rivets of gold in it,

from its place, and he said: "That is the Spear of Fiacha, son of

Congha, and it is with that Finn made an end of Aillen, son of Midhna,

that used to burn Teamhair. And keep it beside you now, Caoilte," he

said, "till we see will Lir come to avenge his bird on us."

Then they took up their horns and their cups, and they were at drinking

and pleasure, and Ilbrec said: "Well, Caoilte," he said, "if Lir comes

to avenge his bird on us, who will you put in command of the battle?" "I

will give the command to Derg there beyond," said he. "Will you take it

in hand, Derg?" said the people of the hill. "I will take it," said

Derg, "with its loss and its gain."

So that is how they spent the night, and it was not long in the morning

till they heard blowing of horns, and rattling of chariots, and clashing

of shields, and the uproar of a great army that came all about the hill.

They sent some of their people out then to see were there many in it,

and they saw three brave armies of the one size. "It would be a great

vexation to me," said Aedh Nimbrec, the Speckled, then, "we to get our

death and Lir's people to take the hill." "Did you never hear, Aedh,"

said Caoilte, "that the wild boar escapes sometimes from both hounds and

from wolves, and the stag in the same way goes away from the hounds with

a sudden start; and what man is it you are most in dread of in the

battle?" he said. "The man that is the best fighter of all the Men of

Dea," said they all, "and that is Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh." "The

thing I have done in every battle I will not give up to-day," said

Caoilte, "to meet the best man that is in it hand to hand." "The two

that are next to him in fighting," they said then, "are Donn and Dubh."

"I will put down those two," said Derg.

Then the host of the Sidhe went out to the battle, and the armies

attacked one another with wide green spears and with little casting

spears, and with great stones; and the fight went on from the rising of

the day till midday. And then Caoilte and Lir met with one another, and

they made a very fierce fight, and at the last Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh

fell by the hand of Caoilte.

Then the two good champions Dubh and Donn, sons of Eirrge, determined to

go on with the battle, and it is how they fought, Dubh in the front of

the whole army, and Donn behind all, guarding the rear. But Derg saw

that, and he put his finger into the thong of his spear and made a cast

at the one that was nearest him, and it broke his back and went on into

the body of the other, so that the one cast made an end of the two. And

that ended the battle, and all that was left of the great army of Lir

went wearing away to the north. And there was great rejoicing in the

hill at Ess Ruadh, and Ilbrec took the spoils of the beaten army for his

people, and to Caoilte he gave the enchanted spear of Fiacha, together

with nine rich cloaks and nine long swords with hilts and guards of

gold, and nine hounds for hunting. And they said farewell to one

another, and Caoilte left his blessing to the people of the hill, and he

brought their thanks with him. And as hard as the battle had been, it

was harder again for Derg to part from his comrade, and the day he was

parted from Finn and from all the Fianna was no sadder to him than this

day.

It was a long time after that Caoilte went again to the hill of Ilbrec

at Ess Ruadh, and this is the way it happened.

It was in a battle at Beinn Edair in the east that Mane, son of the King

of Lochlann, made a cast at him in the middle of the battle with a

deadly spear. And he heard the whistling of the spear, and it rushing to

him; and he lifted his shield to protect his head and his body, but that

did not save him, for it struck into his thigh, and left its poison in

it, so that he had to go in search of healing. And it is where he went,

to the hill of the Sidhe at Ess Ruadh, to ask help of Bebind, daughter

of Elcmar of Brugh na Boinne, that had the drink of healing of the

Tuatha de Danaan, and all that was left of the ale of Goibniu that she

used to be giving out to them.

And Caoilte called to Cascorach the Musician, son of Caincenn, and bade

him bring his harp and come along with him. And they stopped for a night

in the hill of the Sidhe of Druim Nemed in Luigne of Connacht, and from

that they went forward by Ess Dara, the Fall of the Oaks, and Druim

Dearg na Feinne, the Red Ridge of the Fianna, and Ath Daim Glas, the

Ford of the Grey Stag, and to Beinn Gulbain, and northward into the

plain of Ceitne, where the Men of Dea used to pay their tribute to the

Fomor; and up to the Footstep of Ess Ruadh, and the High Place of the

Boys, where the boys of the Tuatha de Danaan used to be playing their

hurling. And Aedh of Ess Ruadh and Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh were at the door

of the hill, and they gave Caoilte a true welcome. "I am glad of that

welcome," said Caoilte. And then Bebind, daughter of Elcmar of Brugh na

Boinne, came out, and three times fifty comely women about her, and she

sat down on the green grass and gave three loving kisses to the three,

to Caoilte and to Cascorach and to Fermaise, that had come with them out

of the hill of the Sidhe in Luigne of Connacht. And all the people of

the hill welcomed them, and they said: "It is little your friendship

would be worth if you would not come to help us and we in need of help."

"It was not for bravery I was bade come," said Cascorach; "but when the

right time comes I will make music for you if you have a mind to hear

it." "It is not for deeds of bravery we are come," said Fermaise, "but

we will give you our help if you are in need of it." Then Caoilte told

them the cause of his journey. "We will heal you well," said they. And

then they all went into the hill and stayed there three days and three

nights at drinking and pleasure.

And indeed it was good help Caoilte and Cascorach gave them after that.

For there was a woman-warrior used to come every year with the ships of

the men of Lochlann to make an attack on the Tuatha de Danaan. And she

had been reared by a woman that knew all enchantments, and there was no

precious thing in all the hills of the Sidhe but she had knowledge of

it, and would bring it away. And just at this time there came a

messenger to the door of the hill with news that the harbour was full of

ships, and that a great army had landed, and the woman-warrior along

with it.

And it was Cascorach the Musician went out against her, having a shield

he got the loan of from Donn, son of Midhir; and she used high words

when she saw so young a man coming to fight with her, and he alone. But

he made an end of her for all her high talk, and left her lying on the

strand with the sea foam washing up to her.

And as to Caoilte, he went out in a chariot belonging to Midhir of the

Yellow Hair, son of the Dagda, and a spear was given him that was called

Ben-badb, the War-Woman, and he made a cast of the spear that struck the

King of Lochlann, that he fell in the middle of his army, and the life

went from him. And Fermaise went looking for the king's brother, Eolus,

that was the comeliest of all the men of the world; and he knew him by

the band of gold around his head, and his green armour, and his red

shield, and he killed him with a cast of a five-pronged spear. And when

the men of Lochlann saw their three leaders were gone, they went into

their ships and back to their own country. And there was great joy

through the whole country, both among the men of Ireland and the Tuatha

de Danaan, the men of Lochlann to have been driven away by the deeds of

Caoilte and Fermaise and Cascorach.

And that was not all they did, for it was at that time there came three

flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad in the north, and began

eating the green grass before the hill of the Sidhe. "What birds are

those?" said Caoilte. "Three flocks they are that come and destroy the

green every year, eating it down to the bare flag-stones, till they

leave us no place for our races," said Ilbrec. Then Caoilte and his

comrades took up three stones and threw them at the flocks and drove

them away. "Power and blessings to you," said the people of the Sidhe

then, "that is a good work you have done. And there is another thing you

can do for us," they said, "for there are three ravens come to us every

year out of the north, and the time the young lads of the hill are

playing their hurling, each one of the ravens carries off a boy of them.

And it is to-morrow the hurling will be," they said.

So when the full light of day was come on the morrow, the whole of the

Tuatha de Danaan went out to look at the hurling; and to every six men

of them was given a chess-board, and a board for some other game to

every five, and to every ten men a little harp, and a harp to every

hundred men, and pipes that were sharp and powerful to every nine.

Then they saw the three ravens from the north coming over the sea, and

they pitched on the great tree of power that was on the green, and they

gave three gloomy screeches, that if such a thing could be, would have

brought the dead out of the earth or the hair off the head of the

listeners; and as it was, they took the courage out of the whole

gathering.

Then Cascorach, son of Caincenn, took a man of the chessmen and made a

cast at one of the ravens that struck his beak and his throat, and made

an end of him; and Fermaise killed the second of them, and Caoilte the

third of them in the same way.

"Let my cure be done now," said Caoilte, "for I have paid my fee for it,

and it is time." "You have paid it indeed," said Ilbrec. "And where is

Bebind, daughter of Elcmar?" he said. "I am here," said she.

"Bring Caoilte, son of Ronan, with you into some hidden place," he said,

"and do his cure, and let him be well served, for he has driven every

danger from the Men of Dea and from the Sons of the Gael. And let

Cascorach make music for him, and let Fermaise, son of Eogabil, be

watching him and guarding him and attending him."

So Elcmar's daughter went to the House of Arms, and her two sons with

her, and a bed of healing was made ready for Caoilte, and a bowl of pale

gold was brought to her, and it full of water. And she took a crystal

vessel and put herbs into it, and she bruised them and put them in the

water, and gave the bowl to Caoilte, and he drank a great drink out of

it, that made him cast up the poison of the spear that was in him. Five

drinks of it he took, and after that she gave him new milk to drink; but

with the dint of the reaching he was left without strength through the

length of three days and three nights.

"Caoilte, my life," she said then, "in my opinion you have got relief."

"I have got it indeed," he said, "but that the weakness of my head is

troubling me." "The washing of Flann, daughter of Flidais, will be done

for you now," she said, "and the head that washing is done for will

never be troubled with pain, or baldness, or weakness of sight." So that

cure was done to him for a while; and the people of the hill divided

themselves into three parts; the one part of their best men and great

nobles, and another of their young men, and another of their women and

poets, to be visiting him and making mirth with him as long as he would

be on his bed of healing. And everything that was best from their

hunting, it was to him they would bring it.

And one day, when Elcmar's daughter and her two sons and Cascorach and

Fermaise were with Caoilte, there was heard a sound of music coming

towards them from the waters of Ess Ruadh, and any one would leave the

music of the whole world for that music. And they put their harps on the

corners of the pillars and went out, and there was wonder on Caoilte

that they left him. And he took notice that his strength and the

strength of his hands was not come to him yet, and he said: "It is many

a rough battle and many a hard fight I went into, and now there is not

enough strength in me so much as to go out along with the rest," and he

cried tears down.

And the others came back to him then, and he asked news of them. "What

was that sound of music we heard?" he said. "It was Uaine out of the

hill of the Sidhe, at the Wave of Cliodna in the south," said they; "and

with her the birds of the Land of Promise; and she is musician to the

whole of that country. And every year she goes to visit one of the hills

of the Sidhe, and it is our turn this time." Then the woman from the

Land of Promise came into the house, and the birds came in along with

her, and they pitched on the pillars and the beams, and thirty of them

came in where Caoilte was, began singing together. And Cascorach took

his harp, and whatever he would play, the birds would sing to it. "It is

much music I have heard," said Caoilte, "but music so good as that I

never heard before."

And after that Caoilte asked to have the healing of his thigh done, and

the daughter of Elcmar gave herself to that, and all that was bad was

sucked from the wound by her serving people till it was healed. And

Caoilte stopped on where he was for three nights after that.