Gods and Fighting Men, Lady I. A Gregory [best e books to read TXT] 📗

pigs of the son of Lir; a ram and a

crimson sheep from Innis.

 

And along with all these he brought ten hounds of the hounds of the

Fianna, and a horse and a mare of the beautiful horses of Manannan.

 

And when Caoilte had gathered all these, he brought them to the one

place. But when he tried to keep them together, they scattered here and

there from him; the raven went away southward, and that vexed him

greatly, but he overtook it again in Gleann da Bheann, beside Loch

Lurcan. And then his wild duck went away from him, and it was not easy

to get it again, but he followed it through every stream to grey Accuill

till he took it by the neck and brought it back, and it no way willing.

 

And indeed through the length of his life Caoilte remembered well all he

went through that time with the birds, big and little, travelling over

hills and ditches and striving to bring them with him, that he might set

Finn his master free.

 

And when he came to Teamhair he had more to go through yet, for the king

would not let him bring them in before morning, but gave him a house

having nine doors in it to put them up in for the night. And no sooner

were they put in than they raised a loud screech all together, for a

little ray of light was coming to them through fifty openings, and they

were trying to make their escape. And if they were not easy in the

house, Caoilte was not easy outside it, watching every door till the

rising of the sun on the morrow.

 

And when he brought out his troop, the name the people gave them was

"Caoilte's Rabble," and there was no wonder at all in that.

 

But all the profit the King of Ireland got from them was to see them

together for that one time. For no sooner did Finn get his freedom than

the whole of them scattered here and there, and no two of them went by

the same road out of Teamhair.

 

And that was one of the best things Caoilte, son of Ronan, ever did. And

another time he ran from the wave of Cliodna in the south to the wave of

Rudraige in the north. And Colla his son was a very good runner too, and

one time he ran a race backwards against the three battalions of the

Fianna for a chessboard. And he won the race, but if he did, he went

backward over Beinn Edair into the sea.

 

And very good hearing Caoilte had. One time he heard the King of the

Luigne of Connacht at his hunting, and Blathmec that was with him said,

"What is that hunt, Caoilte?" "A hunt of three packs of hounds," he

said, "and three sorts of wild creatures before them. The first hunt,"

he said, "is after stags and large deer and the second hunt is after

swift small hares, and the third is a furious hunt after heavy boars."

"And what is the fourth hunt, Caoilte?" said Blathmec. "It is the

hunting of heavy-sided, low-bellied badgers." And then they heard coming

after the hunt the shouts of the lads and of the readiest of the men and

the serving-men that were best at carrying burdens. And Blathmec went

out to see the hunting, and just as Caoilte had told him, that was the

way it was.

 

And he understood the use of herbs, and one time he met with two women

that were very downhearted because their husbands had gone from them to

take other wives. And Caoilte gave them Druid herbs, and they put them

in the water of a bath and washed in it, and the love of their husbands

came back to them, and they sent away the new wives they had taken.

 

And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was of Finn's blood, and another of the

best men of the Fianna, he was put into Finn's arms as a child, and he

was reared up by Duban's daughter, that had reared eight hundred

fighting men of the Fianna, till his twelfth year, and then she gave him

all he wanted of arms and of armour, and he went to Chorraig Conluain

and the mountains of Slieve Bladhma, where Finn and the Fianna were at

that time.

 

And Finn gave him a very gentle welcome, and he struck his hand in

Finn's hand, and made his agreement of service with him. And he stopped

through the length of a year with the Fianna; but he was someway

sluggish through all that time, so that under his leading not more than

nine of the Fianna got to kill so much as a boar or a deer. And along

with that, he used to beat both his servants and his hounds.

 

And at last the three battalions of the Fianna went to where Finn was,

at the Point of the Fianna on the edge of Loch Lein, and they made their

complaint against Lugaidh's Son, and it is what they said: "Make your

choice now, will you have us with you, or will you have Lugaidh's Son by

himself."

 

Then Lugaidh's Son came to Finn, and Finn asked him, "What is it has put

the whole of the Fianna against you?" "By my word," said the lad, "I do

not know the reason, unless it might be they do not like me to be doing

my feats and casting my spears among them."

 

Then Finn gave him an advice, and it is what he said: "If you have a

mind to be a good champion, be quiet in a great man's house; be surly in

the narrow pass. Do not beat your hound without a cause; do not bring a

charge against your wife without having knowledge of her guilt; do not

hurt a fool in fighting, for he is without his wits. Do not find fault

with high-up persons; do not stand up to take part in a quarrel; have no

dealings with a bad man or a foolish man. Let two-thirds of your

gentleness be showed to women and to little children that are creeping

on the floor, and to men of learning that make the poems, and do not be

rough with the common people. Do not give your reverence to all; do not

be ready to have one bed with your companions. Do not threaten or speak

big words, for it is a shameful thing to speak stiffly unless you can

carry it out afterwards. Do not forsake your lord so long as you live;

do not give up any man that puts himself under your protection for all

the treasures of the world. Do not speak against others to their lord,

that is not work for a good man. Do not be a bearer of lying stories, or

a tale-bearer that is always chattering. Do not be talking too much; do

not find fault hastily; however brave you may be, do not raise factions

against you. Do not be going to drinking-houses, or finding fault with

old men; do not meddle with low people; this is right conduct I am

telling you. Do not refuse to share your meat; do not have a niggard for

your friend; do not force yourself on a great man or give him occasion

to speak against you. Hold fast to your arms till the hard fight is well

ended. Do not give up your opportunity, but with that follow after

gentleness."

 

That was good advice Finn gave, and he was well able to do that; for it

was said of him that he had all the wisdom of a little child that is

busy about the house, and the mother herself not understanding what he

is doing; and that is the time she has most pride in him.

 

And as to Lugaidh's Son, that advice stayed always with him, and he

changed his ways, and after a while he got a great name among the poets

of Ireland and of Alban, and whenever they would praise Finn in their

poems, they would praise him as well.

 

And Aoife, daughter of the King of Lochlann, that was married to Mal,

son of Aiel, King of Alban, heard the great praise the poets were giving

to Lugaidh's Son, and she set her love on him for the sake of those

stories.

 

And one time Mal her husband and his young men went hunting to

Slieve-mor-Monaidh in the north of Alban. And when he was gone Aoife

made a plan in her sunny house where she was, to go over to Ireland,

herself and her nine foster-sisters. And they set out and went over the

manes of the sea till they came to Beinn Edair, and there they landed.

 

And it chanced on that day there was a hunting going on, from Slieve

Bladhma to Beinn Edair. And Finn was in his hunting seat, and his

fosterling, brown-haired Duibhruinn, beside him. And the little lad was

looking about him on every side, and he saw a ship coming to the

strand, and a queen with modest looks in the ship, and nine women along

with her. They landed then, and they came up to where Finn was, bringing

every sort of present with them, and Aoife sat down beside him. And Finn

asked news of her, and she told him the whole story, and how she had

given her love to Lugaidh's Son, and was come over the sea looking for

him; and Finn made her welcome.

 

And when the hunting was over, the chief men of the Fianna came back to

where Finn was, and every one asked who was the queen that was with him.

And Finn told them her name, and what it was brought her to Ireland. "We

welcome her that made that journey," said they all; "for there is not in

Ireland or in Alban a better man than the man she is come looking for,

unless Finn himself."

 

And as to Lugaidh's Son, it was on the far side of Slieve Bladhma he was

hunting that day, and he was the last to come in. And he went into

Finn's tent, and when he saw the woman beside him he questioned Finn the

same as the others had done, and Finn told him the whole story. "And it

is to you she is come," he said; "and here she is to you out of my hand,

and all the war and the battles she brings with her; but it will not

fall heavier on you," he said, "than on the rest of the Fianna."

 

And she was with Lugaidh's Son a month and a year without being asked

for. But one day the three battalions of the Fianna were on the Hill of

the Poet in Leinster, and they saw three armed battalions equal to

themselves coming, against them, and they asked who was bringing them.

"It is Mal, son of Aiel, is bringing them," said Finn, "to avenge his

wife on the Fianna. And it is a good time they are come," he said, "when

we are gathered together at the one spot."

 

Then the two armies went towards one another, and Mal, son of Aiel,

took hold of his arms, and three times he broke through the Fianna, and

every time a hundred fell by him. And in the middle of the battle he and

Lugaidh's Son met, and they fought against one another with spear and

sword. And whether the fight was short or long, it was Mal fell by

Lugaidh's Son at the last.

 

And Aoife stood on a hill near by, as long as the battle lasted. And

from that out she belonged to Lugaidh's Son, and was a mother of

children to him.

 

BOOK TWO: FINN'S HELPERS CHAPTER I. (THE LAD OF THE SKINS)

Besides all the men Finn had in his household, there were some that

would come and join him from one place or another. One time