Lady Augusta Gregory

by Irish Myths

  "And that is the meaning of the poem," said Brian.

  "I would praise your poem," said the king, "if there was not so

  much about my pig-skin in it; and you have no good sense, man

  of poetry," he said, "to be asking that thing of me, and I would not

  give it to all the poets and the learned men and the great men of

  the world, since they could not take it away without my consent.

  But I will give you three times the full of the skin of gold as the

  price of your poem," he said.

  "May good be with you, king," said Brian, "and I know well it

  was no easy thing I was asking, but I knew I would get a good

  ransom for it. And I am that covetous," he said, "I will not be satisfied without seeing the gold measured myself into the skin."

  The king sent his servants with them then to the treasurehouse to measure the gold. "Measure out the full of it to my brothers first," said Brian, "and then give good measure to myself,

  since it was I made the poem. "

  But when the skin was brought out, Brian made a quick sudden snatch at it with his left hand, and drew his sword and made a stroke at the man nearest him, and made two halves of him.

  And then he kept a hold of the skin and put it about himself, and

  the three of them rushed out of the court, cutting down every

  armed man before them, so that not one escaped death or wounding. And then Brian went to where the king himself was, and the king made no delay in attacking him, and they made a hard fight

  of it, and at the end the King of Greece fell by the hand of Brian,

  son of Tuireann.

  The three brothers rested for a while after that, and then they

  said they would go and look for some other part of the fine. "We will

  go to Pisear, King of Persia," said Brian, "and ask him for a spear. "

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  So they went into their boat, and they left the blue streams of

  the coast of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have

  the apples and the skin. " And they stopped nowhere till they

  came to the borders of Persia.

  "Let us go to the court with the appearance of poets," said

  Brian, "the same as we went to the King of Greece. " "We are content to do that," said the others, "as all turned out so well the last time we took to poetry; not that it is easy for us to take to a calling that does not belong to us."

  So they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they were as well

  treated as they were at the other court; and when the time came

  for poems Brian rose up, and it is what he said:

  "It is little any spear looks to Pisear; the battles of enemies are

  broken, it is not too much for Pisear to wound every one of them.

  "A yew, the most beautiful of the wood, it is called a king, it is

  not bulky. May the spear drive on the whole crowd to their

  wounds of death."

  "That is a good poem," said the king, "but I do not understand why my own spear is brought into it, 0 Man of Poetry from Ireland. "

  "It is because it is that spear o f your own I would wish to get

  as the reward of my poem," said Brian. "It is little sense you have

  to be asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my

  court never showed greater respect for poetry than now, when

  they did not put you to death on the spot. "

  When Brian heard that talk from the king, he thought of the

  apple that was in his hand, and he made a straight cast and hit

  him in the forehead, so that his brains were put out at the back of

  his head, and he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help bravely till they had made an end of all

  they met of the people of the court. And then they found the

  spear, and its head in a cauldron of water, the way it would not set

  fire to the place.

  And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look

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  for the rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one

  another what way should they go. "We will go to the King of the

  Island of Siogair," said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses

  and the chariot the Ildanach asked of us."

  They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and

  it is proud the three champions were after all they had done. And

  they went on till they were come to the court of the King of Siogair.

  "It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with

  the appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make

  friends with the king, the way we will get to know in what place

  the horses and the chariot are kept. " And when they had settled

  on that they went forward to the lawn before the king's house.

  The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and

  came through the fair that was going on there, and they saluted

  the king, and he asked who were they. "We are trained fighting

  men from Ireland," they said, "and we are earning wages from the

  kings of the world. " "Is it your wish to stop with me for a while?"

  said the king. "That is what we are wanting," said they. So then

  they made an agreement and took service with him.

  They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they

  never saw the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is

  a bad way we are in, to have no more news of the horses now

  than the first day we came to the place. " "What is best for us to

  do now? " said his brothers. "Let us do this," said_ Brian, "let us

  take our arms and gather our things together, and go to the king

  and tell him we will leave the country and this part of the world

  unless he will show us those horses. "

  So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them

  what did they mean by getting themselves ready for a journey.

  "You will hear that, high king," said Brian; "it is because trained

  fighting men from Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in

  them by the kings they guard, and we are used to be told the

  secrets and the whispers of any person we are with, and that is

  not the way you have treated us since we came to you. For you

  have two horses and a chariot that are the best in the world, as we

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  have been told, and we have not been given a sight of them yet."

  "It would be a pity you to go on that account," said the king,

  "when I would have showed them to you the first day, if I had

  known you had a wish to see them. And if you have a mind to see

  them now," he said, "you may see them; for I think there never

  came soldiers from Ireland to this place that were thought more

  of by myself and by my people than yourselves."

  He sent for the horses then, and they were yoked to the chariot, and their going was as fast as the cold spring wind, and the sea was the same as the land to them.

  And Brian was watching the horses closely, and on a sudden

  he took hold of the chariot and took the chariot driver out and

  dashed him against the nearest rock, and made a leap into his

  place himself, and made a cast of the Persian spear at the king,

  that went through his heart. And then he and his brothers scattered the people before them, and brought away the chariot.

  "We will go now
to Easal, the King of the Golden Pillars," said

  Brian, "to look for the seven pigs the Ildanach bade us bring him."

  They sailed on then without delay or drawback to that high

  country. And it is the way the people of that country were, watching their harbours for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told in all parts, how they had been sent out of

  Ireland by force, and how they were bringing away with them all

  the gifted treasures of the whole world.

  Easal came to the edge of the harbour to meet them, and he

  asked was it true what he heard, that the king of every country

  they had gone to had fallen by them. Brian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to them for it. "What was it made you do that? " said Easal. Brian told him then it was the oppression

  and the hard sentence of another had put them to it; and he told

  him all that had happened, and how they had put down all that

  offered to stand against them until that time.

  "What did you come to this country now for?" said the king.

  "For the pigs belonging to yourself," said Brian; "for to bring

  them away with us is a part of the fine." "What way do you think

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  to get them?" said the king. "If we get them with good-will," said

  Brian, ''we are ready to take them thankfully; and if we do not, we

  are ready to do battle with yourself and your people on the head

  of them, that you may fall by us, and we may bring away the pigs

  in spite of you." "If that is to be the end of it," said the king, "it

  would be a pity to bring my people into a battle." "It would be a

  pity indeed," said Brian.

  Then the king whispered and took advice with his people

  about the matter, and it is what they agreed, to give up the pigs of

  their own free will to the sons of Tuireann, since they could not see

  that any one had been able to stand against them up to that time.

  Then the sons of Tuireann gave their thanks to Easal, and

  there was wonder on them to have got the pigs like that, when

  they had to fight for every other pan of the fine. And more than

  that, they had a share of their blood in every other place till then.

  Easal brought them to his own house that night, and they

  were served with food, and drink, and good beds, and all they

  could wish for. And they rose up on the morrow and came into

  the king's presence, and the pigs were given to them. "It is well

  you have done by us, giving us these pigs," said Brian, "for we did

  not get any share of the fine without fighting but these alone."

  And he made a poem for the king then, praising him, and putting

  a great name on him for what he had done.

  "What journey are you going to make now, sons of Tuireann?"

  said Easal. "We are going," they said, "to the country of Ioruaidh,

  on account of a whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said

  Easal, "and that is to bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh,

  for a daughter of mine is his wife, and I would wish to persuade

  him to give you the whelp without a battle. " "That will please us

  well," they said.

  So the king's ship was made ready, and we have no knowledge

  of what happened till they came to the delightful, wonderful coast

  of Ioruaidh. The people and the armies were watching the harbours and landing-places before them, and they knew them at once and shouted at them.

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  Then Easal went on shore peaceably, and he went to where his

  son-in-law, the king, was, and told him the story of the sons of

  Tuireann from beginning to end. "What has brought them to this

  country?" said the King of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you

  have," said Easal. "It was a bad thought you had coming with

  them to ask it," said the king, "for the gods have not given that

  much luck to any three champions in the world, that they would

  get my hound by force or by good-will. " "It would be better for

  you to let them have the hound," said Easal, "since they have put

  down so many of the kings of the world. "

  But all he could say was only idleness to the king. So he went

  then to where the sons of Tuireann were, and gave them the

  whole account. And when they heard the king's answer, they

  made no delay, but put quick hands on their arms, and offered to

  give battle to the army of Ioruaidh. And when they met, there was

  a brave battle fought on both sides. And as for the sons of Tuireann, they began to kill and to strike at the men of Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar and

  Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the

  other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was

  before Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of

  Ioruaidh in the battle pen where he was. And then the two brave

  champions began a fierce fight together, and they did not spare

  one another in it. And at the last Brian overcame the king, and

  bound him, and brought him through the middle of the army, till

  he came to the place where Easal was, and it is what he said:

  "There is your son-in-law for you, and I swear by my hand of valour, I would think it easier to kill him three times than to bring him to you once like this."

  So then the whelp was given to the sons of Tuireann, and the

  king was unbound, and peace was made between them. And

  when they had brought all this to an end, they bade farewell to

  Easal and to all the rest.

  Now as to Lugh of the Long Hand, it was showed to him that

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  the sons of Tuireann had got all the things that were wanting to

  him against the battle with the Fomor; and on that he sent a

  Druid spell after them to put forgetfulness on them of the rest

  of the fine that they had not.got. And he put a great desire and

  longing on them to go back to Ireland; so they forgot that a part

  of the fine was wanting to them, and they turned back again

  toward home.

  And it is the place where Lugh was at the time, at a gathering

  of the people for a fair on the green outside Teamhair, and the

  King of Ireland along with him. And it was made known to Lugh

  that the sons of Tuireann were landed at Brugh na Boinn. And he

  went into the city of Teamhair, and shut the gate after him, and he

  put on Manannan's smooth armour, and the cloak of the daughters of Flidais, and he took his own arms in his hand.

  And the sons of Tuireann came where the king was, and they

  were made welcome by him and by the Tuatha de Danaan. And

  the king asked them did they get the fine. "We did get it," said

  they; "and where is Lugh till we give it to him?" "He was here a

  while ago," said the king. And the whole fair was searched for

  him, but he was not found.

  "I know the place where he is," said Brian; "for it has been

  made known to him that we are come to Ireland, and these

  deadly arms with us, and he is gone into Teamhair to avoid us."

  Messengers were sent to him then, and it is the answer he gave

  them that he would not come, but that the fine should be given to

  the king.

  So the sons of Tuireann did that, and w
hen the king had taken

  the fine they all went to the palace in Teamhair; and Lugh came

  out on the lawn and the fine was given to him, and it is what he

  said: "There is a good payment here for any one that ever was

  killed or that ever will be killed. But there is something wanting

  to it yet that it is not lawful to leave out. And where is the cooking-spit?" he said; "and where are the three shouts on the hill that you did not give yet? "

  And when the sons of Tuireann heard that there came clouds

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  of weakness on them. And they left the place and went to their

  father's house that night, and they told him all they had done, and

  the way Lugh had treated them.

  There was grief and darkness on Tuireann then, and they spent

  the night together. And on the morrow they went to their ship,

  and Ethne, their sister, with them, and she was crying and lamenting, and it is what she said:

  "It is a pity, Brian of my life, it is not to Teamhair your going is,

  after all the troubles you have had before this, even if I could not

  follow you.

  "O Salmon of the dumb Boinn, 0 Salmon of the Life River,

  since I cannot keep you here I am loath to part from you.

  "O Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh, the man that stands best in

  the fight, if you come back again, I think it will not be pleasing to

  your enemy.

  "Is there pity with you for the sons of Tuireann leaning now

  on their green shields? Their going is a cause for pity, my mind is

  filled up with it.

  "You to be to-night at Beinn Edair till the heavy coming of the

  morning, you who have taken forfeits from brave men, it is you

  have increased our grief.

  "It is a pity your journey is from Teamhair, and from the pleasant plains, and from great Uisnech of Midhe; there is nothing so pitiful as this."

  After that complaint they went out on the rough waves of the

  green sea; and they were a quarter of a year on the sea without

  getting any news of the island.

  When Brian put on his water dress and he made a leap, and he

  was a long time walking in the sea looking for the Island of the

  Fair-Haired Women, and he found it in the end. And he went

  looking for the court, and when he came to it, all he found was a

  troop of women doing needlework and embroidering borders.

  And among all the other things they had with them, there was the