Lady Augusta Gregory

by Irish Myths

no sooner had he laid his hand on them than their bird skins fell

  off, and what was in their place was three lean, withered old men

  and a thin withered old woman, without blood or flesh.

  And Lairgnen gave a great start at that, and he went out from

  the place. It is then Fionnuala said to Mochaomhog: "Come and

  baptize us now, for it is short till our death comes; and it is certain

  you do not think worse of parting with us than we do of parting

  with you. And make our grave afterwards," she said, "and lay

  Conn at my right side and Fiachra on my left side, and Aodh

  before my face, between my two arms. And pray to the God of

  Heaven," she said, "that you may be able to baptize us. "

  The children of Lir were baptized then, and died and were

  buried as Fionnuala had desired; Fiachra and Conn one at each

  side of her, and Aodh before her face. And a stone was put over

  them, and their names were written in Ogham, and they were

  keened there, and heaven was gained for their souls.

  And that is the fate of the children of Lir so far.

  PART T w o :

  T H E F I AN N A

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  B O O K O N E :

  FINN, SON OF CUMHAL

  CHAPTER I.

  THE COMING OF FINN

  At the time Finn was born his father Cumhal, of the sons of Baiscne, Head of the Fianna of Ireland, had been killed in battle by the sons of Morna that were fighting with him for the leadership.

  And his mother, that was beautiful long-haired Muirne, daughter

  of Tadg, son of Nuada of the Tuatha de Danaan and of Ethlinn,

  mother of Lugh of the Long Hand, did not dare to keep him with

  her; and two women, Bodhmall, the woman Druid, and Liath

  Luachra, came and brought him away to care him.

  It was to the woods of Slieve Bladhma they brought him, and

  they nursed him secretly, because of his father's enemies, the sons

  of Morna, and they kept him there a long time.

  And Muirne, his mother, took another husband that was king

  of Carraighe; but at the end of six years she came to see Finn,

  going through every lonely place till she came to the wood, and

  there she found the little hunting cabin, and the boy asleep in it,

  and she lifted him up in her arms and kissed him, and she sang a

  little sleepy song to him; and then she said farewell to the women,

  and she went away again.

  And the two women went on caring him till he came to sensible years; and one day when he went out he saw a wild duck on the lake with her clutch, and he made a cast at her that cut the

  wings off her that she could not fly, and he brought her back to

  the cabin, and that was his first hunt.

  And they gave him good training in running and leaping and

  swimming. One of them would run round a tree, and she having

  a thorn switch, and Finn after her with another switch, and each

  one trying to hit at the other; and they would leave him in a field,

  and hares along with him, and would bid him not to let the hares

  FINN, SON OF CUM HAL

  163

  quit the field, but to keep before them whichever way they would

  go; and to teach him swimming they would throw him into the

  water and let him make his way out.

  But after a while he went away with a troop of poets, to hide

  from the sons of Moma, and they hid him in the mountain of

  Crotta Cliach; but there was a robber in Leinster at that time,

  Fiacuil, son of Codhna, and he came where the poets were in

  Fidh Gaible and killed them all. But he spared the child and

  brought him to his own house, that was in a cold marsh. But the

  two women, Bodhmall and Liath, came looking for him after a

  while, and Fiacuil gave him up to them, and they brought him

  back to the same place he was before.

  He grew up there, straight and strong and fair-haired and

  beautiful. And one day he was out in Slieve Bladhma, and the two

  women along with him, and they saw before them a herd of the

  wild deer of the mountain. "It is a pity," said the old women, "we

  not to be able to get a deer of those deer." "I will get one for you,"

  said Finn; and with that he followed after them, and caught two

  stags of them and brought them home to the hunting cabin. And

  after that he used to be hunting for them every day. But at last

  they said to him: "It is best for you to leave us now, for the sons of

  Moma are watching again to kill you."

  So he went away then by himself, and never stopped till he

  came to Magh Life, and there he saw young lads swimming in a

  lake, and they called to him to swim against them. So he went

  into the lake, and he beat them at swimming. "Fair he is and well

  shaped," they said when they saw him swimming, and it was

  from that time he got the name of Finn, that is, Fair. But they got

  to be jealous of his strength, and he went away and left them.

  He went on then till he came to Loch Lein, and he took service there with the King of Finntraigh; and there was no hunter like him, and the king said: "If Cumhal had left a son, you would

  be that son."

  He went from that king after, and he went into Carraighe, and

  there he took service with the king, that had taken his mother

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  IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS

  Muirne for his wife. And one day they were playing chess together, and he won seven games one after another. "Who are you at all?" said the king then. "I am a son of a countryman of the

  Luigne of Teamhair," said Finn. "That is not so," said the king,

  "but you are the son that Muime my wife bore to Cumhal. And

  do not stop here any longer," he said, "that you may not be killed

  under my protection. "

  From that h e went into Connacht looking for his father's

  brother, Crimall, son of Trenmor; and as he was going on his way

  he heard the crying of a lone woman. He went to her, and looked

  at her, and tears of blood were on her face. "Your face is red with

  blood, woman," he said. "I have reason for it," said she, "for my

  only son is after being killed by a great fighting man that came on

  us. " And Finn followed after the big champion and fought with

  him and killed him. And the man he killed was the same man

  that had given Cumhal his first wound in the battle where he got

  his death, and had brought away his treasure-bag with him.

  Now as to that treasure-bag, it is of a crane skin it was made,

  that was one time the skin of Aoife, the beautiful sweetheart of

  Ilbrec, son of Manannan, that was put into the shape of a crane

  through jealousy. And it was in Manannan's house it used to be,

  and there were treasures kept in it, Manannan's shirt and his

  knife, and the belt and the smith's hook of Goibniu, and the

  shears of the King of Alban, and the helmet of the King of

  Lochlann, and a belt of the skin of a great fish, and the bones of

  Asal's pig that had been brought to Ireland by the sons of Tuireann. All those treasures would be in the bag at full tide, but at the ebbing of the tide it would be empty. And it went from Manannan

  to Lugh, son of Ethlinn, and after that to Cumhal, that was husband to Muime, Ethlinn's daughter.

  And Finn took the bag and brought it with him till he found

  Crimall, that was now an old man, living i
n a lonely place, and

  some of the old men of the Fianna were with him, and used to go

  hunting for him. And Finn gave him the bag, and told him his

  whole story.

  FINN. SON OF CUMHAL

  165

  And then he said farewell to Crimall, and went on to learn

  poetry from Finegas, a poet that was living at the Boinn, for the

  poets thought it was always on the brink of water poetry was

  revealed to them. And he did not give him his own name, but he

  took the name of Deimne. Seven years, now, Finegas had stopped

  at the Boinn, watching the salmon, for it was in the prophecy that

  he would eat the salmon of knowledge that would come there,

  and that he would have all knowledge after. And when at the last

  the salmon of knowledge came, he brought it to where Finn was,

  and bade him to roast it, but he bade him not to eat any of it. And

  when Finn brought him the salmon after a while he said: "Did

  you eat any of it at all, boy? " "I did not," said Finn; "but I burned

  my thumb putting down a blister that rose on the skin, and after

  doing that, I put my thumb in my mouth. " "What is your name,

  boy?" said Finegas. "Deimne," said he. "It is not, but it is Finn

  your name is, and it is to you and not to myself the salmon was

  given in the prophecy. " With that he gave Finn the whole of the

  salmon, and from that time Finn had the knowledge that came

  from the nuts of the nine hazels of wisdom that grow beside the

  well that is below the sea.

  And besides the wisdom he got then, there was a second wisdom came to him another time, and this is the way it happened.

  There was a well of the moon belonging to Beag, son of Buan, of

  the Tuatha de Danaan, and whoever would drink out of it would

  get wisdom, and after a second drink he would get the gift of foretelling. And the three daughters of Beag, son of Buan, had charge of the well, and they would not part with a vessel of it for anything less than red gold. And one day Finn chanced to be hunting in the rushes near the well, and the three women ran out to hinder him from coming to it, and one of them that had a vessel of the water in her hand, threw it at him to stop him, and a share of

  the water went into his mouth. And from that out he had all the

  knowledge that the water of that well could give.

  And he learned the three ways of poetry; and this is the poem

  he made to show he had got his learning well:-

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  IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS

  "It is the month of May is the pleasant time; its face is beautiful; the blackbird sings his full song, the living wood is his holding, the cuckoos are singing and ever singing; there is a welcome before the brightness of the summer.

  "Summer is lessening the rivers, the swift horses are looking

  for the pool; the heath spreads out its long hair, the weak white

  bog-down grows. A wildness comes on the heart of the deer; the

  sad restless sea is asleep.

  "Bees with their little strength carry a load reaped from the

  flowers; the cattle go up muddy to the mountains; the ant has a

  good full feast.

  "The harp of the woods is playing music; there is colour on the

  hills, and a haze on the full lakes, and entire peace upon every sail.

  "The corncrake is speaking, a loud-voiced poet; the high lonely waterfall is singing a welcome to the warm pool, the talking of the rushes has begun.

  "The light swallows are darting; the loudness of music is

  around the hill; the fat soft mast is budding; there is grass on the

  trembling bogs.

  "The bog is as dark as the feathers of the raven; the cuckoo

  makes a loud welcome; the speckled salmon is leaping; as strong

  is the leaping of the swift fighting man.

  "The man is gaining; the girl is in her comely growing power;

  every wood is without fault from the top to the ground, and every

  wide good plain.

  "It is pleasant is the colour of the time; rough winter is gone;

  every plentiful wood is white; summer is a joyful peace.

  "A flock of birds pitches in the meadow; there are sounds in

  the green fields, there is in them a clear rushing stream.

  "There is a hot desire on you for the racing of horses; twisted

  holly makes a leash for the hound; a bright spear has been shot

  into the earth, and the flag-flower is golden under it.

  "A weak lasting little bird is singing at the top of his voice; the

  lark is singing clear tidings; May without fault, of beautiful colours.

  FINN . SON OF CUM HAL

  167

  "I have another story for you; the ox is lowing, the winter is

  creeping in, the summer is gone. High and cold the wind, low the

  sun, cries are about us; the sea is quarrelling.

  "The ferns are reddened and their shape is hidden; the cry of

  the wild goose is heard; the cold has caught the wings of the

  birds; it is the time of ice-frost, hard, unhappy. "

  And after that, Finn being but a young lad yet, made himself

  ready and went up at Samhain time to the gathering of the High

  King at Teamhair. And it was the law at that gathering, no one to

  raise a quarrel or bring out any grudge against another through

  the whole of the time it lasted. And the king and his chief men,

  and Goll, son of Morna, that was now Head of the Fianna, and

  Caoilte, son of Ronan, and Conan, son of Morna, of the sharp

  words, were sitting at a feast in the great house of the Middle

  Court; and the young lad came in and took his place among

  them, and none of them knew who he was.

  The High King looked at him then, and the horn of meetings

  was brought to him, and he put it into the boy's hand, and asked

  him who was he.

  "I am Finn, son of Cumhal," he said, "son of the man that

  used to be head over the Fianna, and king of Ireland; and I am

  come now to get your friendship, and to give you my service. "

  "You are son of a friend, boy," said the king, "and son of a man

  I trusted."

  Then Finn rose up and made his agreement of service and of

  faithfulness to the king; and the king took him by the hand and

  put him sitting beside his own son, and they gave themselves to

  drinking and to pleasure for a while.

  Every year, now, at Samhain time, for nine years, there had

  come a man of the Tuatha de Danaan out of Sidhe Finnachaidh in

  the north, and had burned up Teamhair. Aillen, son of Midhna,

  his name was, and it is the way he used to come, playing music

  of the Sidhe, and all the people that heard it would fall asleep.

  And when they were all in their sleep, he would let a flame of

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  IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS

  fire out of his mouth, and would blow the flame till all Teamhair

  was burned.

  The king rose up at the feast after a while, and his smooth

  horn in his hand, and it is what he said: "If I could find among

  you, men of Ireland, any man that would keep Teamhair till the

  break of day to-morrow without being burned by Aillen, son of

  Midhna, I would give him whatever inheritance is right for him to

  have, whether it be much or little. "

  But the men o f Ireland made no answer, for they knew well

  that at the sound of the sweet pitiful music made by that comely

  ma
n of the Sidhe, even women in their pains and men that were

  wounded would fall asleep.

  It is then Finn rose up and spoke to the King of Ireland. "Who

  will be your sureties that you will fulfil this?" he said. "The kings

  of the provinces of Ireland," said the king, "and Cithruadh with

  his Druids. " So they gave their pledges, and Finn took in hand to

  keep Teamhair safe till the breaking of day on the morrow.

  Now there was a fighting man among the followers of the

  King of Ireland, Fiacha, son of Conga, that Cumhal, Finn's father,

  used to have a great liking for, and he said to Finn: "Well, boy," he

  said, "what reward would you give me if I would bring you a

  deadly spear, that no false cast was ever made with? " "What

  reward are you asking of me? " said Finn. "Whatever your right

  hand wins at any time, the third of it to be mine," said Fiacha,

  "and a third of your trust and your friendship to be mine." "I will

  give you that," said Finn. Then Fiacha brought him the spear,

  unknown to the sons of Moma or to any other person, and he

  said: "When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the

  covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and

  the power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you."

  Then Finn rose up before all the men of Ireland, and he made

  a round of the whole of Teamhair. And it was not long till he

  heard the sorrowful music, and he stripped the covering from the

  head of the spear, and he held the power of it to his forehead. And

  Aillen went on playing his little harp, till he had put every one in

  FINN, SON OF CUMHAL

  169

  their sleep as he was used; and then he let a flame of fire out from

  his mouth to bum Teamhair. And Finn held up his fringed crimson cloak against the flame, and it fell down through the air and went into the ground, bringing the four-folded cloak with it deep

  into the earth.

  And when Aillen saw his spells were destroyed, he went back

  to Sidhe Finnachaidh on the top of Slieve Fuad; but Finn followed after him there, and as Aillen was going in at the door he made a cast of the spear that went through his heart. And he

  struck his head off then, and brought it back to Teamhair, and

  fixed it on a crooked pole and left it there till the rising of the sun

  over the heights and invers of the country.

  And Aillen's mother came to where his body was lying, and