by Irish Myths
But Diarmuid took a berry of the tree, and aimed at the one of
the chessmen that ought to be moved, and Oisin moved it and
turned the game against by that move. It was not long before the
game was going against Oisin the second time, and when Diarmuid saw that he threw another berry at the chessman it was right to move, and Oisin moved it and turned the game against
Finn in the same way. And the third time Finn was getting the
game from Oisin, and Diarmuid threw the third berry on the man
that would give the game to Oisin, and the Fianna gave a great
DIARMUI D AND G RA N IA
349
shout when the game was won. Finn spoke then, and it is what
he said: "It is no wonder you to win the game, Oisin, and you
having the help of Osgar, and the watchfulness of Diorraing, and
the skill of Lugaidh's Son, and the teaching of the grandson of
Duibhne with you . " "That is a great sign of jealousy in you ,
Finn," said Osgar, "to think Diarmuid would stop in this tree, and
you so near him." "Which of us has the truth, Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," Finn said out then, "myself or Osgar? " "You never lost your good judgment, Finn," said Diarmuid then; "and I
myself and Grania are here, in the bed of the Surly One of Lochlann. " Then Diarmuid rose up and gave three kisses to Grania in the sight of Finn and the Fianna. And a scorching jealousy and a
weakness came on Finn when he saw that, and he said: "It was
worse to me, Diarmuid, the seven battalions of the Fianna to see
what you did at Teamhair, taking away Grania the night you were
yourself my guard. But for all that," he said, "you will give your
head for the sake of those three kisses."
With that Finn called to the four hundred paid fighting men
that were with him that they might make an end of Diarmuid;
and he put their hands into one another's hands around that
quicken-tree, and bade them, if they would not lose their lives,
not to let Diarmuid pass out through them. And he said that to
whatever man would take Diarmuid, he would give his arms and
his armour, and a place among the Fianna of Ireland.
Then one of the Fianna, Garbh of Slieve Cua, said it was Diarmuid had killed his own father, and he would avenge him now, and he went up the quicken-tree to make an end of him.
Now, about that time it was made known to Angus Og, in
Brugh na Boinne, the danger Diarmuid was in, and he came to his
help, unknown to the Fianna. And when Garbh of Slieve Cua was
coming up the tree, Diarmuid gave him a kick of his foot, and he
fell down among the hired men, and they struck off his head, for
Angus Og had put the appearance of Diarmuid on him. But after
he was killed, his own shape came on him again, and the Fianna
knew that it was Garbh was killed.
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IRISH MYfHS AND LEGENDS
Then Garbh of Slieve Crot said it was Diarmuid had killed his
father, and he went up to avenge him, and the same thing happened. And in the end all the nine Garbhs, of Slieve Guaire, and Slieve Muice, and Slieve Mor, and Slieve Lugha, and Ath Fraoch,
and Slieve Mis and Drom-mor, went trying to take Diarmuid's life
and lost their own lives, every one of them having the shape and
appearance of Diarmuid when he died. And Finn was very sorry
and discouraged when he saw that these nine men had come to
their death.
Then Angus said he would bring away Grania with him. "Do
so," said Diarmuid; "and if I am living at evening I will follow
you. Then Angus said farewell to Diarmuid, and he put his Druid
cloak about Grania and about himself, and they went away in the
safety of the cloak, unknown to Finn and the Fianna, till they
came to Brugh na Boinne.
Then Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, spoke, and it is what
he said: "I will come down to you, Finn, and to the Fianna. And I
will do death and destruction on you and on your people, for I
am certain your mind is made up to give me no rest, but to bring
me to my death in some place. And I have nowhere to go from
this danger," he said, "for I have no friend or comrade under
whose protection I could go in any far part of the great world, for
it is often I fought against the men of the great world for love of
you. For there never came battle or fight, danger or trouble on
you, but I would go into it for your sake and the sake of the
Fianna; and not only that, but I would fight before you and after
you. And I give my word, Finn," he said, "you will pay hard for
me, and you will not get me as a free gift. " "It is the truth Diarmuid is speaking," said Osgar, "and give him forgiveness now, and peace." "I will not do that,' said Finn, "to the end of life and time;
and he will not get peace or rest for ever till I get satisfaction from
him for every reproach he has put on me. " "It is a great shame
and a great sign of jealousy you to say that," said Osgar. "And I
give the word of a true champion," he said, "that unless the skies
come down upon me, or the earth opens under my feet, I will not
DIARMUID AND GRAN IA
3 5 1
let you or any one of the Fianna of Ireland give him cut or wound;
and I take his body and his life under the protection of my valour,
and I will keep him safe against all the men of Ireland. " "Those
are big words you have, Osgar," said Goll then, "to say you would
bring a man away in spite of all the men of Ireland. " "It is not you
will raise them up against me, Goll," said Osgar, "for none of
them would mind what you would say. " "If that is what you are
saying, you champion of great fights," said Goll, "let us see now
what you can do." "You will have to go through with the fight
you have taken on yourself," said Corrioll, son of Goll, in a loud
voice. And Osgar answered him fiercely: "If I do I will shorten
your bones, and your father's bones along with them. And come
down now, Diarmuid," he said, "since Finn has no mind to leave
you in peace, and I promise on my body and my life there will no
harm be done to you to-day. "
Then Diarmuid stood up on a high bough of the boughs of the
tree, and he rose with a light leap by the shaft of his spear, and lit
on the grass far beyond Finn and the Fianna. And he himself and
Osgar went towards one another, in spite of the Fianna that went
between them, and Diarmuid struck down those that were in his
way; and as to Osgar, the throwing of his spears as he scattered
the Fianna was like the sound of the wind going through a valley,
or water falling over flag-stones. And Conan, that was always bitter, said: "Let the sons of Baiscne go on killing one another. " But Finn, when he saw Diarmuid was gone from him, bade them put
their weapons up, and tum back again to Almhuin.
And he sent those of his men that could be healed to places of
healing, and the nine Garbhs, and the others of his men that were
killed, he put into wide-sodded graves. And it is tired and downhearted and sorrowful he was after that, and he made an oath he would take no great rest till he would have avenged on Diarmuid
all that he had done.
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CHAPTER V.
THE QUARREL
And as to Osgar and Diarmuid, they went on, and no cut or wound
/>
on them, to where Angus and Grania were at Brugh na Boinne; and
there was a good welcome before them, and Diarmuid told them
the whole story from beginning to end, and it is much that Grania
did not die then and there, hearing all he had gone through.
And then she and Diarmuid set out again, and they went and
stopped for a while in a cave that was near the sea.
And one night while they were there a great storm came on, so
that they went into the far part of the cave. But bad as the night
was, a man of the Fomor, Ciach, the Fierce One, his name was,
came over the western ocean in a currach, with two oars, and he
drew it into the cave for shelter. And Diarmuid bade him welcome, and they sat down to play chess together. And he got the best of the game, and what he asked as his winnings was Grania
to be his wife, and he put his arms about her as if to bring her
away. And Grania said: "I am this long time going with the third
best man of the Fianna, and he never came as near as that to me."
And Diarmuid took his sword to kill Ciach, and there was
anger on Grania when she saw that, and she had a knife in her
hand and she struck it into Diarmuid's thigh. And Diarmuid made
an end of the Fomor, and he said no word to Grania, but ran out
and away through the storm.
And Grania went following after him, and calling to him, but
there was great anger on him and he would not answer her. And
at last at the break of day she overtook him, and after a while they
heard the cry of a heron, and she asked him what was it made the
heron cry out.
"Tell me that," she said, "Grandson of Duibhne, to whom I
gave my love." And Diarmuid said: "O Grania, daughter of the
High King, woman who never took a step aright, it is because she
was frozen to the rocks she gave that cry." And Grania was asking
forgiveness of him, and he was reproaching her, and it is what he
DIA RMUID AND GRANIA
3 5 3
said: "O Grania of the beautiful hair, though you are more beautiful than the green tree under blossom, your love passes away as quickly as the cold cloud at break of day. And you are asking a
hard thing of me now," he said, "and it is a pity what you said to
me, Grania, for it was you brought me away from the house of my
lord, that I am banished from it to this day; and now I am troubled through the night, fretting after its delight in every place.
"I am like a wild deer, or a beast that is astray, going ever and
always through the long valleys; there is great longing on me to
see one of my kindred from the host.
"I left my own people that were brighter than lime or snow;
their heart was full of generosity to me, like the sun that is high
above us; but now they follow me angrily, to every harbour and
every strand.
"I lost my people by you, and my lord, and my large bright
ships on every sea; I lost my treasure and my gold; it is hunger
you gave me through your love.
"I lost my country and my kindred; my men that were used to
serve me; I lost quietness and affection; I lost the men of Ireland
and the Fianna entirely.
"I lost delight and music; I lost my own right doing and my
honour; I lost the Fianna of Ireland, my great kinsmen, for the
sake of the love you gave me.
"O Grania, white as snow, it would have been a better choice
for you to have given hatred to me, or gentleness to the Head of
the Fianna."
And Grania said: "O Diarrnuid of the face like snow, or like the
down of the mountains, the sound of your voice was dearer to me
than all the riches of the leader of the Fianna.
"Your blue eye is dearer to me than his strength, and his gold
and his great hall; the love-spot on your forehead is better to me
than honey in streams; the time I first looked on it, it was more to
me than the whole host of the King of Ireland.
"My heart fell down there and then before your high beauty;
when you came beside me, it was like the whole of life in one day.
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
"O Diarmuid of the beautiful hands, take me now the same as
before ; it was with me the fault was entirely; give me your
promise not to leave me."
But Diarmuid said: "How can I take you again, you are a
woman too fond of words; one day you give up the Head of the
Fianna, and the next day myself, and no lie in it.
"It is you parted me from Finn, the way I fell under sorrow
and grief; and then you left me yourself, the time I was full
of affection."
And Grania said: "Do not leave me now this way, and my love
for you ever growing like the fresh branches of the tree with the
kind long heat of the day. "
But Diarmuid would not give in to her, and he said: "You are a
woman full of words, and it is you have put me under sorrow. I
took you with myself, and you struck at me for the sake of the
man of the Fomor. "
They came then to a place where there was a cave, and water
running by it, and they stopped to rest; and Grania said: "Have
you a mind to eat bread and meat now, Diarmuid? "
"I would eat it indeed if I had it," said Diarmuid.
"Give me a knife, so," she said, "till I cut it. " "Look for the knife
in the sheath where you put it yourself," said Diarmuid.
She saw then that the knife was in his thigh where she had
struck it, for he would not draw it out himself. So she drew it out
then; and that was the greatest shame that ever came upon her.
They stopped then in the cave. And the next day when they
went on again, Diarmuid did not leave unbroken bread like he
had left every other day as a sign to Finn that he had kept his
faith with him, but it was broken bread he left after him.
3 5 5
CHAPTER VI.
THE WANDERERS
And they went on wandering after that, all through Ireland, hiding from Finn in every place, sleeping under the cromlechs, or with no shelter at all, and there was no place they would dare to
stop long in. And wherever they went Finn would follow them,
for he knew by his divination where they went. But one time he
made out they were on a mountain, for he saw them with heather
under them; and it was beside the sea they were , asleep on
heather that Diarmuid had brought down from the hills for their
bed; and so he went searching the hills and did not find them.
And Grania would be watching over Diarmuid while he slept,
and she would make a sleepy song for him, and it is what she
would be saying:
"Sleep a little, a little little, for there is nothing at all to fear,
Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne; sleep here soundly, soundly,
Diarmuid, to whom I have given my love.
"It is I will keep watch for you, grandchild of shapely Duibhne;
sleep a little, a blessing on you, beside the well of the strong field;
my lamb from above the lake, from the banks of the strong streams.
"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the South, of Dididach of
the high poets, the time he took away old Morann's daughter, for
all Conall could do against him.
"Let your
sleep be like the sleep in the North, of fair comely
Fionnchadh of Ess Ruadh, the time he took Slaine with bravery as
we think, in spite of Failbhe of the Hard Head.
"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the West, of Aine, daughter
of Gailian, the time she went on a journey in the night with
Dubhthach from Doirinis, by the light of torches.
"Let your sleep be like the sleep in the East, of Deaghadh the
proud, the brave fighter, the time he took Coincheann, daughter
of Binn, in spite of fierce Decheall of Duibhreann.
"O heart of the valour of the lands to the west of Greece, my
heart will go near to breaking if I do not see you every day. The
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IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS
parting of us two will be the parting of two children of the one
house; it will be the parting of life from the body, Diarmuid, hero
of the bright lake of Carman."
And then to rouse him she would make another song, and it is
what she would say: "Caoinche will be loosed on your track; it is
not slow the running of Caoilte will be; do not let death reach to
you, do not give yourself to sleep for ever.
"The stag to the east is not asleep, he does not cease from bellowing; though he is in the woods of the blackbirds, sleep is not in his mind; the hornless doe is not asleep, crying after her speckled
fawn; she is going over the bushes, she does not sleep in her home.
"The cuckoo is not asleep, the thrush is not asleep, the tops of
the trees are a noisy place; the duck is not asleep, she is made
ready for good swimming; the bog lark is not asleep to-night on
the high stormy bogs; the sound of her clear voice is sweet; she is
not sleeping between the streams."
One time they were in a cave of Beinn Edair, and there was an
old woman befriending them and helping them to keep a watch.
And one day she chanced to go up to the top of Beinn Edair, and
she saw an armed man coming towards her, and she did now
know him to be Finn; and when he was come near she asked
what was he looking for. "It is looking for a woman I am come,"
he said, "and for a woman's love. And will you do all I will ask
you?" he said.
"I will do that," she said; for she thought it was her own love
he was asking.
"Tell me then," he said, "where is Diarmuid, grandson of
