by W. B. Yeats
CONAN. Well, here are the shields. I must tell you the order they have to be hung in; and you will want to know the deeds of all these boasters, that you may tell them to the horse boys and the scullions... but no, I have seen you before. Yes, now I remember, you have been in Tara fifty years and have hung them many a time. Come, the sooner we bring the Fianna, the sooner we shall eat. [He turns to go out, coming back]. Well, there is good food on this table and all for the marriage of Finn and Grania. This boar was a fine beast, they fatten well on the acorns of Tara, and you have good big salmon in your river. Many a time I have had nothing but badger’s flesh and otter’s flesh when I have been in the woods with the Fianna, and the war about us. Give me a horn of ale. [He is given a horn of ale but the horn is not a big one and he flings it away in disgust. He is given a larger one]. Ah, you have a good life of it here, but I am tired running the messages of the Fianna. Have
I not legs to grow weary, and a body to sweat like another? I am hungry too, but I dare not put a knife in the meat till the Fianna are here.
NIALL. You are one of the Fianna and have just left them. You will be able to tell us when they will be here.
CONAN. I left them at the foot of the hill. A shepherd’s wife followed
Diarmuid and Diarmuid laughed at her. Goll took her part and
Finn took Diarmuid’s part for Finn and Diarmuid always stand together. Well, come, let us go hurry them. I will tell them about the boar’s head and the salmon. Yes, you have fine salmon in Tara.
[They go out].
BOY. The Fianna have a rough messenger.
NIALL. I would have none say that I have said it, but he is a man of little account among them.
BOY. Men wear sheep-skins in my country, but I had thought that the
Fianna wore fine clothes.
NIALL. I will tell you why the Fianna made him wear it one of these days, and why Finn made him one of the Fianna. Would you be one of them?
BOY. Yes, if I might be Finn, or Diarmuid, or Caoelte.
NIALL. They are famous for their battles; they are great men, but would you not be Conan the Bald if you could?
BOY. That man with the sheep skin?
NIALL. Well, he eats when he is hungry, and sleeps when he is sleepy and rails at whomever displeases him. Those great men have the best seats at the table, and the fairest women for their bed-fellows, and yet I would not... [He rushes across the stage to keep one of the men from hanging Goll’s shield at the lower end of the table.]
Would you put Goll son of Morna’s shield below Alvin’s and Fergus’s; would you have the roof tree burnt over our heads? It is the third shield from Finn’s. Let me see now, let me think, it was Cool Finn’s father who made this custom of the hanging up of every man’s shield above his place. No quarreling, everything settled. I was going to tell you who made the Fianna, Boy; it was Cool. He took a thousand men out of every kingdom, and made them into an army, and set them to watch the shores. No one is old enough except myself to remember those times. The men of Lochland and the men of Mona, and the men of Alba carrying off women here and sheep there, and leaving smoke and fire behind them, and nobody to meet them but men taken from the sheep-fold, and from the plough and from the smithy. Yes, that is where Caoelte’s shield hangs. I told you its place last time and you remembered it. [Returning to the Boy]. But I was telling you how the Fianna saved the women and sheep. They fight well, but they are proud. Ah, they are very proud. I was telling you Boy, how they hanged the king’s fool, and many and many a time they have made war on the king himself. Finn’s father, Cool, died fighting against Cormac’s father, Art the Melancholy, and it was for that death Finn kept out of the battle Cormac fought against the men of Mona. It has been this way always, and sometimes Eri has been like a shaking sod between them; but this marriage mends all.
[Enter Grania and Laban].
BOY. There is old Laban and the King’s daughter.
NIALL. Quick, quick put up the rest of the shields — Come away.
BOY. I have heard that there are women who live seven hundred years in the woods, spinning the threads of the long lived people of the woods, and then seven hundred years spinning for men. She is one of them. She has come back after these many years an old witch; they say she has more shapes than one.
[Niall and the Boy go out, and are followed by other serving men].
GRANIA. You cannot persuade me. I will not marry Finn.
LABAN. Hush! Hush!
GRANIA. But the Fianna are coming too; you will tell me about them, about the young men. Yes, their shields are here already.
LABAN. Conan has brought them.
GRANIA. YOU have promised to tell me about the Fianna. If you will not, Niall will.
LABAN. YOU have been in the woods with Niall lately, and he has shown you where bees make their nests, and you have come home with honeycomb and flowers.
GRANIA. But it was you who taught me the magic there is in the herbs. You took me to a place where Earth breathes out of a cave.
LABAN. I am too old to go far now.
GRANIA. Mother, there are some that say you will never be older than you are. And now we will go over to the shields, because you will not refuse me anything I ask. Niall would not refuse me anything.
LABAN. DO not call him. Let nobody know what is in your mind.
GRANIA. [Going to the table]. My father sits here, Finn son of Cool sits next to him, and here is my place next to Finn... but it will be empty.
LABAN. Hush! no man matters to you now but Finn.
GRANIA. YOU told me his hair was grey. Grey hair and brown hair were the same to me a month ago. A month ago I was in the woods...
LABAN. It was spring time when the young find many things among the woods.
GRANIA. I had climbed a little path, and stood on the hill, where the trees grow sparer, looking into the mist.
LABAN. And it was then that you thought about a young man.
GRANIA. The mist was hanging on the brow of the hill, and something seemed to be moving over the world and to come out of the mist. It was beautiful, mother. The world was singing and the singing came into my breasts. But come to the shields and tell me of the men who are to sit under them.
LABAN. I dare not, I dare not.
GRANIA. But you said that to-night would not be my marriage night.
LABAN. NO, no child I never said such a thing. Hush, lest they should hear you.
GRANIA. They who are wiser than you said it, Mother. The thread that you spun yesterday, the stars that we watched last night, the pebbles that we threw into the well this morning.
LABAN. Hush, your father will be here; there is no time now. I saw you talking to King Cormac this morning, why did you not tell him of this change?
GRANIA. I took his hands in mine, and thought to tell him.
LABAN. YOU should have told him.
GRANIA. But he would have sent a messenger, and I should not have seen the Fianna together.
LABAN. So that you might pick a man who would carry you away. It will be long before men come to the end of this mischief. The Fianna shall be broken in two because of it. Oh, why did Cormac shut his ears to what I told him? There will be flights and battles, ruin on ruin, and neither you nor I can do anything.
GRANIA. I would not be a trouble if I could help it. I would not set
Finn against any man. I would have Finn and my man friends. I would stand between them. I would hand them their ale. Whose shield is that, mother? That one with the red otter painted upon it.
LABAN. That shield with the red otter is the shield of Fergus. He is taller than all the others, his hair and his beard are brown, and he wears a crimson cloak over a white tunic.
GRANIA. Is he strong and stately? Would he make my heart beat?
LABAN. He is strong and stately, but there is grey in his beard. That red shield with the white deer’s head painted upon it is the shield of Usheen. He has yellow hair, and he has long white hands, with fingers hard at the tips
from plucking of harp strings, and they say that no woman has refused him her love.
GRANIA. IS he young?
LABAN. There are younger than he. That grey shield with the raven painted upon it, is the shield of Goll, the son of Morna. He is a great hunter, and his arms and legs are as strong as the posts of a door.
GRANIA. IS there mirth in his eyes?
LABAN. He has the quiet of the woods in his eyes. But I see your mind is not set upon one that is strong, but one that is young. That white shield with the green fish is the shield of Caoelte. They call him Caoelte the Swift-Footed, and he is young and a teller of battle tales. But that silver shield with the flying white heron upon it is the shield of Diarmuid. He is the youngest and comeliest of all. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and light limbs, and his skin is white but for freckles. He is courteous and he is merry with women. It is said of him that he will not be remembered for deeds of arms but as a true lover, and that he will die young.
GRANIA. Diarmuid, Diarmuid, a pleasant sounding name... Diarmuid a sweet sounding name.
LABAN. But, child, how think you that these things will come about?
GRANIA. I believe in your soothsaying, Mother, that a man as young as I am will come and carry me away.
LABAN. NO, no, Diarmuid will not break his oath to Finn. Diarmuid has saved Finn’s life three times and Finn has saved Diarmuid’s life once. They always stand together.
GRANIA. YOU said his hair was brown, and his eyes blue, and his limbs light, and his skin white but for freckles. It was for such a man that
I looked into the mist. But thinking of love makes the brain giddy.
LABAN. What can he do? He cannot overthrow Finn and his army.
GRANIA. [Waking from a reverie]. You must find a way, Mother, it is for you to find a way.
LABAN. They would hang me from the rafters, child, they would hang me.
GRANIA. YOU would baffle them: it would not be difficult for you.
But how shall I escape from Finn’s marriage bed? Shall I run into the woods?
LABAN. The woods are full of wolves.
GRANIA. I do not fear the wolves.
LABAN. They would follow you. You could not escape them. They would tear you to pieces.
GRANIA. If you would not have me go into the woods, find a way of escape.
LABAN. Why will you not marry Finn? You would be the greatest woman in Eri.
GRANIA. I will not marry Finn; and you, Mother, who has taken care of me since you could carry me in your arms, you would not have me run alone into the woods.
LABAN. The woods are lonely, Grania, you must not go. Hush! [Taking her aside]. Child, love has made you wise as the bird in the wood that seeks a mate. There is a way, listen! The greatest among the Fianna sit at table with Cormac and Finn; and Niall and another serving man will wait upon them... But do you say that you will pour out their ale for them, and let them not deny you this. You must say that there could be no denying you anything on your marriage night. Then come to me and I will find a way. Then I will bewitch the ale, and I will put a pale dust into it, and will make a spell over it. [Enter Cormac with two Councillors]. Hush, here is your father. [Laban sits down and begins to spin].
CORMAC. This is the wisest marriage, though I might have made a greater one. I might have married her to the King of Alba, but this marriage will keep our kingdom safe. [He turns and sees Grania].
My dear daughter, I have been looking for you. Let us sit together and talk to one another. To-night you go away from me, but you go with the chief man in Eri. [The Councillors withdraw]. Come, dear daughter, let us sit together. Why do you stand with fixed eyes, and I see you have not an ornament upon you.
GRANIA. I have forgotten them.
CORMAC. I should have wished to have seen you in your bracelets and your clasp with the emeralds. Will you wear them?
GRANIA. I can send for them and wear them for you, but I am not minded to wear them.
CORMAC. Why are you not minded to wear them? [Pause]. What has
Laban told you? She was telling you something when I came in.
GRANIA. Father you have often seen me wear my bracelets, and my clasp, and can love me without them, as can any other man. Father, listen, let us sit together, or let us talk as we walk hither and thither. I am going from this house where my mother lived and where I have always lived, with one you call the chief man in Eri, but whom
I have never seen, so I have been questioning her spindle, and you know all that she finds in her spindle is true.
CORMAC. And she has told you?
GRANIA. Only that I am going away into the woods.
CORMAC. You are troubled, my daughter, a woman is always troubled when her marriage is at hand. Maybe you think Finn too rough a man to marry — I might have married you to the King of Alba who is a man of peace: he sent messengers, but Finn is more worthy to be your husband.
GRANIA. I have not seen Finn.
CORMAC. The enemies of Eri have seen him; you know how he has held its borders against them. Finn and his Fianna have made Eri great, as when the Red Branch was at Emain Macha.
GRANIA. YOU wish me to marry as kings and queens marry, but I...
CORMAC. [Suspiciously]. You have set your heart upon some boy.
GRANIA. The Fianna are coming. I shall wed this night him who is the chief man among them in my eyes.
CORMAC. That is well, Finn is the chief man of Eri after the high king.
[A sound of trumpets outside. The Councillors of Cormac and the servants enter. The servants open the door. Niall stands by the door].
NIALL. Way for Finn and his Council.
[Enter Finn, Usheen, Caoelte, Diarmuid etc.].
CORMAC. Finn is welcome to my house.
FINN. AS the marriage law is, I declare the bride price upon the threshold. I give my word to guard this kingdom against all cattle spoilers, that are of the kingdom of Eri, and to guard it before my own country from the men of Lochland and the men of Mona; and I give my word to overthrow all kings of Eri that raise their hand against the high king. I cannot give a king’s gift for the Fianna have neither sheep nor cattle, nor towns nor villages, nor great store of silver and gold.
CORMAC. The bride price is worthy of Finn and of my daughter.
[Cormac takes Finn across the stage and presents him to Grania].
DIARMUID. [At the door]. And this is Grania.
USHEEN. Do not look at her, Diarmuid, king’s daughters are not for us.
NIALL. [In a loud voice]. Let the hot meats be brought in, way for the heads of the four troops of the Fianna...
[Enter a number of men, they stand about the door, Cormac leaves Finn and Grania and goes towards the door to welcome the Fianna].
GRANIA. There is a scar upon your cheek. That is the scar made by the sword of Forgael, when you overthrew the men of Aidne.
FINN. Has the tale of that battle come so far?
GRANIA. I have listened all my life to tales of your battles. [Taking his hand in both her hands]. This hand has overthrown many kings.
FINN. Grania must not praise me if she would not take my luck away.
GRANIA. Some day you will tell me about your battles.
[She turns away as if already weary of him].
FINN. Are my battles more to you than my love?
[Cormac brings Caoelte, Usheen and Diarmuid towards
Grania — Cormac and Finn go up the stage].
GRANIA. Ah, this is Usheen, I knew him by his harp of red yew. Will you sing us love songs to-night?
CAOELTE. I am Caoelte, and this is Diarmuid.
GRANIA. Welcome Caoelte, teller of battle tales. There is a tale you tell... [She stands looking at Diarmuid, forgetful of everything].
And this is Diarmuid. Has Diarmuid nothing to say to me?
DIARMUID. What should I say to you? I see you on your wedding night, Grania.
GRANIA. The wedding feast is spread and I shall be wedded and bedded before dawn if someone does not carry
me away.
DIARMUID. If someone does not carry you away!
GRANIA. I know your shield Diarmuid. It has a flying white heron upon it, and this is your sword.
[He gives her his sword and they stand looking at each other].
