by Irish Myths
blood about him on every side. And he put out his hand to Oisin,
and Oisin took it and gave out a very hard cry. And Osgar said: "It
is glad I am to see you safe, my father. " And Oisin had no answer
to give him. And just then Caoilte came where they were, and he
looked at Osgar. "What way are you now, my darling? " he said.
"The way you would like me to be," said Osgar.
Then Caoilte searched the wound, and when he saw how the
spear had tom its way through to the back, he cried out, and a
cloud came over him and his strength failed him. "O Osgar," he
said, "you are parted from the Fianna, and they themselves must
be parted from battle from this out," he said, "and they must pay
their tribute to the King of Ireland."
Then Caoilte and Oisin raised up Osgar on their shields and
brought him to a smooth green hill till they would take his dress
off. And there was not a hands-breadth of his white body that was
without a wound.
And when the rest of the Fianna saw what way Osgar was,
THE WEARING AWAY OF THE FIANNA
397
there was not a man of them that keened his own son or his
brother, but every one of them came keening Osgar.
And after a while, at noonday, they saw Finn coming towards
them, and what was left of the Sun-banner raised on a spear-shaft.
All of them saluted Finn then, but he made no answer, and he
came up to the hill where Osgar was. And when Osgar saw him
coming he saluted him, and he said: "I have got my desire in
death, Finn of the sharp arms." And Finn said: "It is worse the
way you were, my son, on the day of the battle at Beinn Edair
when the wild geese could swim on your breast, and it was my
hand that gave you healing. " "There can no healing be done for
me now for ever," said Osgar, "since the King of Ireland put the
spear of seven spells through my body. " And Finn said: "It is a
pity it was not I myself fell in sunny scarce Gabhra, and you going
east and west at the head of the Fianna." "And if it was yourself
fell in the battle," said Osgar, "you would not hear me keening
after you; for no man ever knew any heart in me," he said, "but a
heart of twisted horn, and it covered with iron. But the howling of
the dogs beside me," he said, "and the keening of the old fighting
men, and the crying of the women one after another, those are the
things that are vexing me." And Finn said: "Child of my child,
calf of my calf, white and slender, it is a pity the way you are. And
my heart is starting like a deer," he said, "and I am weak after you
and after the Fianna of Ireland. And misfortune has followed us,"
he said; "and farewell now to battles and to a great name, and
farewell to taking tributes; for every good thing I ever had is gone
from me now," he said.
And when Osgar heard those words he stretched out his
hands, and his eyelids closed. And Finn turned away from the
rest, and he cried tears down; and he never shed a tear through
the whole length of his lifetime but only for Osgar and for Bran.
And all that were left of the Fianna gave three sorrowful cries
after Osgar, for there was not one of the Fianna beyond him, unless it might be Finn or Oisin.
And it is many of the Fianna were left dead in Gabhra, and
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graves were made for them. And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was so
tall a man and so good a fighter, they made a very wide grave for
him, as was fitting for a king. And the whole length of the rath at
Gabhra, from end to end, it is that was the grave of Osgar, son of
Oisin, son of Finn.
And as to Finn himself, he never had peace or pleasure again
from that day.
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THE END OF THE FIANNA
CHAPTER I.
DEATH OF BRAN
One day Finn was hunting, and Bran went following after a fawn.
And they were coming towards Finn, and the fawn called out, and
it said: "If I go into the sea below I will never come back again;
and if I go up into the air above me, it will not save me from
Bran." For Bran would overtake the wild geese, she was that swift.
"Go out through my legs," said Finn then. So the fawn did
that, and Bran followed her; and as Bran went under him, Finn
squeezed his two knees on her, that she died on the moment.
And there was great grief on him after that, and he cried tears
down the same as he did when Osgar died.
And some said it was Finn's mother the fawn was, and that
it was to save his mother he killed Bran. But that is not likely,
for his mother was beautiful Muime, daughter of Tadg, son of
Nuada of the Tuatha de Danaan, and it was never heard that she
was changed into a fawn. It is more likely it was Oisin's mother
was in it.
But some say Bran and Sceolan are still seen to start at night
out of the thicket on the hill of Almhuin.
CHAPTER II.
THE CALL OF OISIN
One misty morning, what were left of the Fianna were gathered
together to Finn, and it is sorrowful and down-hearted they were
after the loss of so many of their comrades.
And they went hunting near the borders of Loch Lein, where
the bushes were in blossom and the birds were singing; and they
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were waking up the deer that were as joyful as the leaves of a tree
in summer-time.
And it was not long till they saw coming towards them from
the west a beautiful young woman, riding on a very fast slender
white horse. A queen's crown she had on her head, and a dark
cloak of silk down to the ground, having stars of red gold on it;
and her eyes were blue and as clear, as the dew on the grass, and a
gold ring hanging down from every golden lock of her hair; and
her cheeks redder than the rose, and her skin whiter than the
swan upon the wave, and her lips as sweet as honey that is mixed
through red wine.
And in her hand she was holding a bridle having a golden bit,
and there was a saddle worked with red gold under her. And as to
the horse, he had a wide smooth cloak over him, and a silver
crown on the back of his head, and he was shod with shining gold.
She came to where Finn was, and she spoke with a very kind,
gentle voice, and she said: "It is long my journey was, King of the
Fianna." And Finn asked who was she, and what was her country
and the cause of her coming. "Niamh of the Golden Head is my
name," she said; "and I have a name beyond all the woman of the
world, for I am the daughter of the King of the Country of the
Young. " "What was it brought you to me from over the sea,
Queen?" said Finn then. "Is it that your husband is gone from you,
or what is the trouble that is on you?" "My husband is not gone
from me," she said, "for I never went yet to any man. But 0 King
of the Fianna," she said, "I have given my love and my affection to
your own son, Oisin of the strong hands." "Why did you give
your love to him beyond all t
he troops of high princes that are
under the sun?" said Finn. "It was by reason of his great name,
and of the report I heard of his bravery and of his comeliness," she
said. "And though there is many a king's son and high prince gave
me his love, I never consented to any till I set my love on Oisin. "
When Oisin heard what she was saying, there was not a limb
of his body that was not in love with beautiful Niamh; and he
took her hand in his hand, and he said: "A true welcome before
THE EN D OF THE FIANNA
40 1
you to this country, young queen. It is you are the shining one,"
he said; "it is you are the nicest and the comeliest; it is you are
better to me than any other woman; it is you are my star and my
choice beyond the women of the entire world. " "I put on you the
bonds of a true hero," said Niamh then, "you to come away with
me now to the Country of the Young. " And it is what she said:
"It is the country is most delightful of all that are under the
sun; the trees are stooping down with fruit and with leaves and
with blossom.
"Honey and wine are plentiful there, and everything the eye
has ever seen; no wasting will come on you with the wasting
away of time; you will never see death or lessening.
"You will get feasts, playing and drinking; you will get sweet
music on the strings; you will get silver and gold and many jewels.
"You will get, and no lie in it, a hundred swords; a hundred
cloaks of the dearest silk; a hundred horses, the quickest in battle;
a hundred willing hounds.
"You will get the royal crown of the King of the Young that he
never gave to any one under the sun. It will be a shelter to you
night and day in every rough fight and in every battle.
"You will get a right suit of armour; a sword, gold-hilted, apt
for striking; no one that ever saw it got away alive from it.
"A hundred coats of armour and shirts of satin; a hundred
cows and a hundred calves; a hundred sheep having golden
fleeces; a hundred jewels that are not of this world.
"A hundred glad young girls shining like the sun, their voices
sweeter than the music of birds; a hundred armed men strong in
battle, apt at feats, waiting on you, if you will come with me to
the Country of the Young.
"You will get everything I have said to you , and delights
beyond them, that I have no leave to tell; you will get beauty,
strength and power, and I myself will be with you as a wife."
And after she had made that song, Oisin said: "O pleasant
golden-haired queen, you are my choice beyond the women of
the world; and I will go with you willingly," he said.
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And with that he kissed Finn his father and bade him farewell,
and he bade farewell to the rest of the Fianna, and he went up
then on the horse with Niarnh.
And the horse set out gladly, and when he came to the strand
he shook himself and he neighed three times, and then he made
for the sea. And when Finn and the Fianna saw Oisin facing the
wide sea, they gave three great sorrowful shouts. And as to Finn,
he said: "It is my grief to see you going from me; and I am without a hope," he said, "ever to see you corning back to me again."
CHAPTER Ill.
THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN
And indeed that was the last time Finn and Oisin and the rest of
the Fianna of Ireland were gathered together, for hunting, for battle, for chess-playing, for drinking or for music; for they all wore away after that, one after another.
As to Caoilte, that was old and had lost his sons, he used to be
fretting and lonesome after the old times. And one day that there
was very heavy snow on the ground, he made this complaint:-
" It is cold the winter is; the wind is risen; the fierce highcouraged stag rises up; it is cold the whole mountain is to-night, yet the fierce stag is calling. The deer of Slievecam of the gatherings does not lay his side to the ground; he no less than the stag of the top of cold Echtge hears the music of the wolves.
"I, Caoilte, and brown-haired Diarrnuid and pleasant lightfooted Osgar, we used to be listening to the music of the wolves through the end of the cold night. It is well the brown deer sleeps
with its hide to the hollow, hidden as if in the earth, through the
end of the cold night.
"To-day I am in my age, and I know but a few men; I used to
shake my spear bravely in the ice-cold morning. It is often I put
silence on a great army that is very cold to-night."
And after a while he went into a hill of the Sidhe to be healed
THE END OF THE FIANNA
403
of his old wounds. And whether he came back from there or not
is not known; and there are some that say he used to be talking
with Patrick of the Bells the same time Oisin was with him. But
that is not likely, or Oisin would not have made complaints about
his loneliness the way he did.
But a long time after that again, there was a king of Ireland
making a journey. And he and his people missed their way, and
when night-time came on, they were in a dark wood, and no path
before them.
And there came to them a very tall man, that was shining like a
burning flame, and he took hold of the bridle of the king's horse,
and led him through the wood till they came to the right road.
And the King of Ireland asked him who was he, and first he said:
"I am your candlestick" ; and then he said: "I was with Finn one
time." And the king knew it was Caoilte, son of Ronan, was in it.
And three times nine of the rest of the Fianna came out of the
west one time to Teamhair. And they took notice that now they
were wanting their full strength and their great name, no one
took notice of them or came to speak with them at all. And when
they saw that, they lay down on the side of the hill at Teamhair,
and put their lips to the earth and died.
And for three days and a month and a year from the time of the
destruction of the Fianna of Ireland, Loch Dearg was under mists.
And as to Finn, there are some say he died by the hand of a
fisherman; but it is likely that is not true, for that would be no
death for so great a man as Finn, son of Cumhal. And there are
some say he never died, but is alive in some place yet.
And one time a smith made his way into a cave he saw, that
had a door to it, and he made a key that opened it. And when he
went in he saw a very wide place, and very big men lying on the
floor. And one that was bigger than the rest was lying in the middle, and the Dord Fiann beside him; and he knew it was Finn and the Fianna were in it.
And the smith took hold of the Dord Fiann, and it is hardly he
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could lift it to his mouth, and he blew a very strong blast on it,
and the sound it made was so great, it is much the rocks did not
come down on him. And at the sound, the big men lying on the
ground shook from head to foot. He gave another blast then, and
they all turned on their elbows.
And great dread came on him when he saw that, and he threw
down the Dord Fia
nn and ran from the cave and locked the door
after him, and threw the key into the lake. And he heard them
crying after him, "You left us worse than you found us. " And the
cave was not found again since that time.
But some say the day will come when the Dord Fiann will be
sounded three times, and that at the sound of it the Fianna will
rise up as strong and as well as ever they were. And there are some
say Finn, son of Cumhal, has been on the earth now and again
since the old times, in the shape of one of the heroes of Ireland.
And as to the great things he and his men did when they were
together, it is well they have been kept in mind through the poets
of Ireland and of Alban. And one night there were two men minding sheep in a valley, and they were saying the poems of the Fianna while they were there. And they saw two very tall shapes
on the two hills on each side of the valley, and one of the tall
shapes said to the other: "Do you hear that man down below?
I was the second doorpost of battle at Gabhra, and that man
knows all about it better than myself."
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B O O K E L E V E N :
OISIN AND PATRICK
CHAPTER I.
OISIN'S STORY
As to Oisin, it was a long time after he was brought away by
Niamh that he came back again to Ireland. Some say it was hundreds of years he was in the Country of the Young, and some say it was thousands of years he was in it; but whatever time it was, it
seemed short to him.
And whatever happened him through the time he was away,
it is a withered old man he was found after coming back to Ireland, and his white horse going away from him, and he lying on the ground.
And it was S. Patrick had power at that time, and it was to him
Oisin was brought; and he kept him in his house, and used to be
teaching him and questioning him . And Oisin was no way
pleased with the way Ireland was then, but he used to be talking
of the old times, and fretting after the Fianna.
And Patrick bade him to tell what happened him the time he
left Finn and the Fianna and went away with Niamh. And it is the
story Oisin told:-"The time I went away with golden-haired
Niamh, we turned our backs to the land, and our faces westward,
and the sea was going away before us, and filling up in waves
after us. And we saw wonderful things on our journey," he said,
