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

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 downhearted 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 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 women of the world, for I am the daughter of the

King of the Country of the Young." "What was it brought you to us 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 O 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 the 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 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.

 

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 Niamh.

 

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

coming back to me again."

 

CHAPTER III. (`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 high-couraged

stag rises up; it is cold the whole mountain is to-night, yet the fierce

stag is calling. The deer of Slievecarn 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 Diarmuid and pleasant light-footed 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 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 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

Fiann and ran from the caye 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