Lady Augusta Gregory

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.

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  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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  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

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  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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  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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  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