by Irish Myths
better for you to have Finn, son of Cumhal, as a lover than myself,
for I do not know any part or any western comer of Ireland that
will hide you. And if I do bring you with me," he said, "it is not as
a wife I will bring you, but I will keep my faith to Finn. And tum
back now to the town," he said, "and Finn will never get the news
of what you are after doing. " "It is certain I will not tum back,"
said Grania, "and I will never part with you till death parts us." "If
that is so, let us go on, Grania," said Diarmuid.
They went on then, and they were not gone far out from the
town when Grania said: "I am getting tired, indeed." "It is a good
time to be tired," said Diarmuid, "and go now back again to your
own house. For I swear by the word of a true champion," he said,
"I will never carry yourself or any other woman to the end of life
and time." "That is not what you have to do," said Grania, "for
my father's horses are in a grass field by themselves, and chariots
with them; and tum back now, and bring two horses of them, and
I will wait in this place till you come to me again."
Diarmuid went back then for the horses, and we have no
knowledge of their journey till they reached to the ford on the
Sionnan, that is called now Ath-luain.
And Diarmuid said then to Grania: "It is easier to Finn to follow our track, the horses being with us. " "If that is so," said Grania: "leave the horses here, and I will go on foot from this out."
Diarmuid went down to the river then, and he brought a horse
with him over the ford, and left the other horse the far side of the
river. And he himself and Grania went a good way with the stream
westward, and they went to land at the side of the province of
Connacht. And wherever they went, Diarmuid left unbroken
bread after him, as a sign to Finn he had kept his faith with him.
And from that they went on to Doire-da-Bhoth, the Wood of
the Two Huts. And Diarmuid cut down the wood round about
them, and he made a fence having seven doors of woven twigs,
and he set out a bed of soft rushes and of the tops of the birchtree for Grania in the very middle of the wood.
327
CHAPTER II.
THE PURSUIT
And as to Finn, son of Cumhal, I will tell out his story now.
All that were in Teamhair rose up early in the morning of the
morrow, and they found Diarmuid and Grania were wanting from
them, and there came a scorching jealousy and a weakness on
Finn. He sent out his trackers then on the plain, and bade them to
follow Diarmuid and Grania. And they followed the track as far as
the ford on the Sionnan, and Finn and the Fianna followed after
them, but they were not able to carry the track across the ford.
And Finn gave them his word that unless they would find the
track again without delay, he would hang them on each side of
the ford.
Then the sons of Neamhuin went up against the stream, and
they found a horse on each side of it, and then they went on with
the stream westward, and they found the track going along the
side of the Province of Connacht, and Finn and the Fianna of Ireland followed it on. And Finn said: "I know well where we will find Diarmuid and Grania now; it is in Doire-da-Bhoth they are."
Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diorraing were listening when
Finn said those words. And Osgar spoke to the others, and it is
what he said: "There is danger they might be there, and it would
be right for us to give them some warning; and look now, Osgar,
where is Bran the hound, for Finn himself is no dearer to him
than Diarmuid, and bid him go now with a warning to him."
So Osgar told Bran, and Bran understood him well, and she
went to the rear of the whole troop the way Finn would not see
her, and she followed on the track of Diarmuid and Grania till she
came to Doire-da-Bhoth, and she put her head into Diarmuid's
bosom, and he in his sleep.
Diarmuid started up out of his sleep then, and he awoke Grania, and said to her: "Here is Bran, Finn's hound, and she is come with a warning to tell us Finn himself is coming. " "Let us take
that warning, then," said Grania, "and make your escape." "I will
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
not take it," said Diarmuid, "for if I cannot escape Finn, I would
as soon he took me now as at any other time. " When Grania
heard that, great fear came on her.
Bran went away from them then, and when Oisin saw her
coming back, he said: "I am in dread Bran found no chance to get
to Diarmuid, and we should send him some other warning. And
look where is Fearghoin," he said, "Caoilte's serving-man." Now it
was the way with Fearghoin, every shout he would give would be
heard in the three nearest hundreds to him. So they made him
give out three shouts the way Diarmuid would hear him. And
Diarmuid heard him, and he said to Grania: "I hear Caoilte's serving-man, and it is with Caoilte he is, and it is along with Finn Caoilte is, and those shouts were sent as a warning to me." "Take
that warning," said Grania. "I will not take it," said Diarmuid,
"for Finn and the Fianna will come up with us before we leave
the wood." And fear and great dread came on Grania when she
heard him say that.
As for Finn, he did not leave off following the track till he
came to Doire-da-Bhoth, and he sent the sons of Neamhuin to
search through the wood, and they saw Diarmuid , and the
woman along with him. They came back then where Finn was,
and he asked them were Diarmuid and Grania in the wood?
"Diarmuid is in it," they said, "and there is some woman with
him, but we knew Diarmuid, and we do not know Grania." "May
no good come to the friends of Diarmuid for his sake," said Finn,
"and he will not quit that wood till he has given me satisfaction
for everything he has done to me."
"It is jealousy has put you astray, Finn," said Oisin; you to
think Diarmuid would stop here on the plain of Maen Mhagh,
and no close place in it but Doire-da-Bhoth, and you following
after him." "Saying that will do you no good," said Finn, "for I
knew well when I heard the three shouts Caoilte's serving-man
gave out, it was you sent them to Diarmuid as a warning. And
another thing," he said, "it was you sent my own hound Bran to
him. But none of those things you have done will serve you, for
DIARMUID AND GRANIA
329
he will not leave Doire-da-Bhoth till he gives me satisfaction
for everything he has done to me, and every disgrace he has put
on me." "It is great foolishness for you, Finn," said Osgar then,
"to be thinking Diannuid would stop in the middle of this plain
and you waiting here to strike the head off him." "Who but himself cut the wood this way," said Finn, "and made this close sheltered place with seven woven narrow doors to it. And 0 Diarmuid," he said out then, "which of us is the truth with, myself or Oisin?" "You never failed from your good judgment, Finn,"
said Diannuid, "and indeed I myself and Grania are here." Then
Finn called to his men to go around Diannuid and Grania, and to
take them.
Now it was shown at this time to Angus
Og, at Brugh na
Boinne, the great danger Diannuid was in, that was his pupil at
one time, and his dear foster-son. He set out then with the clear
cold wind, and did not stop in any place till he came to Doire-da
Bhoth. And he went unknown to Finn or the Fianna into the
place where Diannuid and Grania were, and he spoke kind words
to Diannuid, and he said: "What is the thing you have done,
grandson of Duibhne?" "It is," said Diannuid, "the daughter of
the King of Ireland that has made her escape with me from her
father and from Finn, and it is not by my will she came. " "Let
each of you come under a border of my cloak, so," said Angus,
"and I will bring you out of the place where you are without
knowledge of Finn or his people." "Bring Grania with you," said
Diannuid, "but I will never go with you; but if I am alive I will
follow you before long. And if I do not," he said, "give Grania to
her father, and he will do well or ill to her."
With that Angus put Grania under the border of his cloak, and
brought her out unknown to Finn or the Fianna, and there is no
news told of them till they came to Ros-da-Shoileach, the Headland of the Two Sallows.
And as to Diannuid, after Angus and Grania going from him,
he stood up as straight as a pillar and put on his armour and his
arms, and after that he went to a door of the seven doors he had
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
made, and he asked who was at it. "There is no enemy to you
here," they said, "for there are here Oisin and Osgar and the best
men of the sons of Baiscne along with us. And come out to us
now, and no one will have the daring to do any harm or hurt on
you. " "I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "till I see at what
door Finn himself is." He went then to another door of the seven
and asked who was at it. "Caoilte, son of Ronan, and the rest of
the sons of Ronan along with him; and come out to us now, and
we will give ourselves for your sake." "I will not go out to you,"
said Diarmuid, "for I will not put you under Finn's anger for any
well-doing to myself. " He went on to another door then and
asked who was at it. "There is Conan, son of Moma, and the rest
of the sons of Moma along with him; and it is enemies to Finn we
are, and you are a great deal more to us than he is, and you may
come out and no one will dare lay a hand on you." "I will not
indeed," said Diarmuid, "for Finn would be better pleased to see
the death of every one of you than to let me escape. " He went
then to another door and asked who was at it. "A friend and a
comrade of your own, Fionn, son of Cuadan, head of the Fianna
of Munster, and his men along with him; and we are of the one
country and the one soil, and we will give our bodies and our
lives for your sake." "I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid,
"for I would not like Finn to have a grudge against you for any
good you did to me. " He went then to another door and asked
who was at it. "It is Fionn, son of Glor, head of the Fianna of
Ulster, and his men along with him; and come out now to us and
there is no one will dare hurt or harm you." "I will not go out to
you," said Diarmuid, "for you are a friend to me, and your father
along with you, and I would not like the unfriendliness of Finn to
be put on you for my sake." He went then to another door, and he
asked who was at it. "There is no friend of yours here," they
said, "for there is here Aodh Beag the Little from Eamhuin, and
Aodh Fada the Long from Eamhuin, and Caol Crodha the Fierce,
and Goineach the Wounder, and Gothan the White-fingered, and
Aoife his daughter, and Cuadan the Tracker from Eamhuin; and
DIARMUID AND GRANIA
3 3 1
we are unfriendly people to you, and if you come out to us we
will not spare you at all, but will make an end of you." "It is a bad
troop is in it," said Diarmuid; "you of the lies and of the tracking
and of the one shoe, and it is not fear of your hands is upon me,
but because I am your enemy I will not go out."
He went then to the last of the seven doors and asked who was
at it. "No friend of yours," they said, "but it is Finn , son of
Cumhal, and four hundred paid fighting men along with him;
and if you will come out to us we will make opened marrow of
you. " "I give you my word, Finn," said Diarmuid, "that the door
you are at yourself is the first door I will pass out of. "
When Finn heard that, he warned his battalions on pain of
lasting death not to let Diarmuid past them unknown. But when
Diarmuid heard what he said, he rose on the staves of his spears
and he went with a very high, light leap on far beyond Finn and
his people, without their knowledge. He looked back at them
then, and called out that he had gone past them, and he put his
shield on his back and went straight on towards the west, and it
was not long before he was out of sight of Finn and the Fianna.
Then when he did not see any one coming after him, he turned
back to where he saw Angus and Grania going out of the wood,
and he followed on their track till he came to Ros-da-Shoileach.
He found Angus and Grania there in a sheltered, well-lighted
cabin, and a great blazing fire kindled in it, and the half of a wild
boar on spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the life of Grania all to
went out of her with joy before him.
Diarmuid told them his news from beginning to end, and they
ate their share that night, and they went to sleep till the coming of
the day and of the full light on the morrow. And Angus rose up
early, and he said to Diarmuid: "I am going from you now, grandson of Duibhne; and I leave this advice with you," he said, "not to go into a tree with one trunk, and you flying before Finn, and not
to be going into a cave of the earth that has but one door, and not
to be going to an island of the sea that has but one harbour. And in
whatever place you cook your share of food," he said, "do not eat
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
it there; and in whatever place you eat it, do not lie down there;
and in whatever place you lie down, do not rise up there on the
morrow. " He said farewell to them after that, and went his way.
CHAPTER III.
THE GREEN CHAMPIONS
Then Diarmuid and Grania went along the right bank of the Sionnan westward till they came to Garbh-abha-na-Fiann, the rough river of the Fianna. And Diarmuid killed a salmon on the brink of
the river, and put it to the fire on a spit. Then he himself and Grania went across the stream to eat it, as Angus bade them; and then they went westward to sleep.
They rose up early on the morrow, and they travelled straight
westward till they came to the marsh of Finnliath.
And on the marsh they met with a young man, having a good
shape and appearance, but without fitting dress or arms. Diarmuid greeted the young man, and asked news of him. "A fighting lad I am, looking for a master," he said, "and Muadhan is my
name. " "What would you do for me, young man? " said Diarmuid. "I would be a servant to you in the day, and watch for you in the night," he said. "I tell you
to keep that young man," said
Grania, "for you cannot be always without people."
Then they made an agreement with him, and bound one
another, and they went on together westward till they reached the
Carrthach river. And then Muadhan bade Diarmuid and Grania to
go up on his back till he would carry them over the stream.
"That would be a big load for you," said Grania. But he put
them upon his back and carried them over. Then they went on till
they came to the Beith, and Muadhan brought them over on his
back the same way. And they went into a cave at the side of Currach Cinn Adhmuid, the Woody Headland of the Bog, over Tonn Toime, and Muadhan made ready beds of soft rushes and tops of
the birch for them in the far end of the cave. And he went himself
DIARMUID AND GRANIA
3 3 3
into the scrub that was near, and took a straight long rod of a
quicken-tree, and he put a hair and a hook on the rod, and a holly
berry on the hook, and he went up the stream, and he took a
salmon with the first cast. Then he put on a second berry and
killed another fish, and he put on a third berry and killed the
third fish. Then he put the hook and the hair under his belt, and
struck the rod into the earth, and he brought the three salmon
where Diarmuid and Grania were, and put them on spits. When
they were done, Muadhan said: "I give the dividing of the fish to
you, Diarmuid. " "I would sooner you to divide it than myself,"
said Diarmuid. "I will give the dividing of the fish to you, so, Grania," said he. "I am better satisfied you to divide it," said Grania.
"If it was you that divided the fish, Diarmuid," said Muadhan,
"you would have given the best share to Grania; and if it was Grania divided it, she would have given you the best share; and as it is myself is dividing it, let you have the biggest fish, Diarmuid,
and let Grania have the second biggest, and I myself will have the
one is smallest."
They spent the night there, and Diarmuid and Grania slept in
the far part of the cave, and Muaclhan kept watch for them until
the rising of the day and the full light of the morrow.
Diarmuid rose up early; and he bade Grania keep watch for
Muadhan, and that he himself would go and take a walk around
the country. He went out then, and he went up on a hill that
