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Gods and Fighting Men by Lady I. A. Gregory

L >> Lady I. A. Gregory >> Gods and Fighting Men




Then Diarmuid went out of Rath Grania, and made no delay till he came to
the top of Beinn Gulbain, and he found Finn before him there, without
any one at all in his company. Diarmuid gave him no greeting, but asked
him was it he was making that hunt. Finn said it was not a hunt he was
making, but that he and some of the Fianna had gone out after midnight;
"and one of our hounds that was loose beside us, came on the track of a
wild boar," he said, "and they were not able to bring him back yet. And
there is no use following that boar he is after," he said, "for it is
many a time the Fianna hunted him, and he went away from them every time
till now, and he has killed thirty of them this morning. And he is
coming up the mountain towards us," he said, "and let us leave this hill
to him now."

"I will not leave the hill through fear of him," said Diarmuid. "It
would be best for you, Diarmuid," said Finn, "for it is the earless
Green Boar of Beinn Gulbain is in it, and it is by him you will come to
your death, and Angus knew that well when he put bonds on you not to go
hunting pigs." "I never knew of those bonds," said Diarmuid; "but
however it is, I will not quit this through fear of him. And let you
leave Bran with me now," he said, "along with Mac an Chuill." "I will
not," said Finn, "for it is often he met this boar before and could do
nothing against him." He went away then and left Diarmuid alone on the
top of the hill. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "you made this hunt
for my death, Finn; and if it is here I am to find my death," he said,
"I have no use in going aside from it now."

The boar came up the face of the mountain then, and the Fianna after
him. Diarmuid loosed Mac an Chuill from his leash then, but that did not
serve him, for he did not wait for the boar, but ran from him. "It is a
pity not to follow the advice of a good woman," said Diarmuid, "for
Grania bade me this morning to bring the Mor-alltach and the Gae Dearg
with me." Then he put his finger into the silken string of the Gae
Buidhe, and took a straight aim at the boar and hit him full in the
face; but if he did, the spear did not so much as give him a scratch.
Diarmuid was discouraged by that, but he drew the Beag-alltach, and made
a full stroke at the back of the boar, but neither did that make a wound
on him, but it made two halves of the sword. Then the boar made a brave
charge at Diarmuid, that cut the sod from under his feet and brought him
down; but Diarmuid caught hold of the boar on rising, and held on to
him, having one of his legs on each side of him, and his face to his
hinder parts. And the boar made away headlong down the hill, but he
could not rid himself of Diarmuid; and he went on after that to Ess
Ruadh, and when he came to the red stream he gave three high leaps over
it, backwards and forwards, but he could not put him from his back, and
he went back by the same path till he went up the height of the
mountain again. And at last on the top of the mountain he freed himself,
and Diarmuid fell on the ground. And then the boar made a rush at him,
and ripped him open, that his bowels came out about his feet. But if he
did, Diarmuid made a cast at him with the hilt of his sword that was in
his hand yet, and dashed out his brains, so that he fell dead there and
then. And Rath na h-Amhrann, the Rath of the Sword Hilt, is the name of
that place to this day.

It was not long till Finn and the Fianna of Ireland came to the place,
and the pains of death were coming on Diarmuid at that time. "It is well
pleased I am to see you that way, Diarmuid," said Finn; "and it is a
pity all the women of Ireland not to be looking at you now, for your
great beauty is turned to ugliness, and your comely shape to
uncomeliness." "For all that, you have power to heal me, Finn," said
Diarmuid, "if you had a mind to do it." "What way could I heal you?"
said Finn. "Easy enough," said Diarmuid, "for the time you were given
the great gift of knowledge at the Boinn, you got this gift with it,
that any one you would give a drink to out of the palms of your hands
would be young and well again from any sickness after it." "You are not
deserving of that drink from me," said Finn. "That is not true," said
Diarmuid; "it is well I deserve it from you; for the time you went to
the house of Dearc, son of Donnarthadh, and your chief men with you for
a feast, your enemies came round the house, and gave out three great
shouts against you, and threw fire and firebrands into it. And you rose
up and would have gone out, but I bade you to stop there at drinking and
pleasure, for that I myself would go out and put them down. And I went
out, and put out the flames, and made three red rushes round the house,
and I killed fifty in every rush, and I came in again without a wound.
And it is glad and merry and in good courage you were that night,
Finn," he said, "and if it was that night I had asked a drink of you,
you would have given it; and it would be right for you to give it to me
now." "That is not so," said Finn; "it is badly you have earned a drink
or any good thing from me; for the night you went to Teamhair with me,
you took Grania away from me in the presence of all the men of Ireland,
and you being my own guard over her that night."

"Do not blame me for that, Finn," said Diarmuid, "for what did I ever do
against you, east or west, but that one thing; and you know well Grania
put bonds on me, and I would not fail in my bonds for the gold of the
whole world. And you will know it is well I have earned a drink from
you, if you bring to mind the night the feast was made in the House of
the Quicken Tree, and how you and all your men were bound there till I
heard of it, and came fighting and joyful, and loosed you with my own
blood, and with the blood of the Three Kings of the Island of the
Floods; and if I had asked a drink of you that night, Finn, you would
not have refused it. And I was with you in the smiting of Lon, son of
Liobhan, and you are the man that should not forsake me beyond any other
man. And many is the strait has overtaken yourself and the Fianna of
Ireland since I came among you, and I was ready every time to put my
body and my life in danger for your sake, and you ought not to do this
unkindness on me now. And besides that," he said, "there has many a good
champion fallen through the things you yourself have done, and there is
not an end of them yet; and there will soon come great misfortunes on
the Fianna, and it is few of their seed will be left after them. And it
is not for yourself I am fretting, Finn," he said, "but for Oisin and
Osgar, and the rest of my dear comrades, and as for you, Oisin, you will
be left lamenting after the Fianna. And it is greatly you will feel the
want of me yet, Finn," he said; "and if the women of the Fianna knew I
was lying in my wounds on this ridge, it is sorrowful their faces would
be at this time."

And Osgar said then: "Although I am nearer in blood to you, Finn, than
to Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne, I will not let you refuse him this
drink; and by my word," he said, "if any prince in the world would do
the same unkindness to Diarmuid that you have done, it is only the one
of us that has the strongest hand would escape alive. And give him a
drink now without delay," he said.

"I do not know of any well at all on this mountain," said Finn. "That is
not so," said Diarmuid, "for there is not nine footsteps from you the
well that has the best fresh water that can be found in the world."

Then Finn went to the well, and he took the full of his two hands of the
water. But when he was no more than half-way back, the thought of Grania
came on him, and he let the water slip through his hands, and he said he
was not able to bring it. "I give my word," said Diarmuid, "it was of
your own will you let it from you." Then Finn went back the second time
to get the water, but coming back he let it through his hands again at
the thought of Grania. And Diarmuid gave a pitiful sigh of anguish when
he saw that. "I swear by my sword and by my spear," said Osgar, "that if
you do not bring the water without any more delay, Finn, there will not
leave this hill but yourself or myself." Finn went back the third time
to the well after what Osgar said, and he brought the water to Diarmuid,
but as he reached him the life went out of his body. Then the whole
company of the Fianna that were there gave three great heavy shouts,
keening for Diarmuid.

And Osgar looked very fiercely at Finn, and it is what he said, that it
was a greater pity Diarmuid to be dead than if he himself had died. And
the Fianna of Ireland had lost their yoke of battle by him, he said.
"Let us leave this hill," said Finn then, "before Angus and the Tuatha
de Danaan come upon us, for although we have no share in the death of
Diarmuid, he would not believe the truth from us." "I give my word,"
said Osgar, "if I had thought it was against Diarmuid you made the hunt
of Beinn Gulbain, you would never have made it"

Then Finn and the Fianna went away from the hill, and Finn leading
Diarmuid's hound Mac an Chuill. But Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and
Lugaidh's Son turned back again and put their four cloaks over Diarmuid,
and then they went after the rest of the Fianna.

And when they came to the Rath, Grania was out on the wall looking for
news of Diarmuid; and she saw Finn and the Fianna of Ireland coming
towards her. Then she said: "If Diarmuid was living, it is not led by
Finn that Mac an Chuill would be coming home." And she was at that time
heavy with child, and her strength went from her and she fell down from
the wall. And when Oisin saw the way she was he bade Finn and the others
to go on from her, but she lifted up her head and she asked Finn to
leave Mac an Chuill with her. And he said he would not, and that he did
not think it too much for him to inherit from Diarmuid, grandson of
Duibhne.

When Oisin heard that, he snatched the hound out of Finn's hand and gave
it to Grania, and then he followed after his people.

Then when Grania was certain of Diarmuid's death she gave out a long
very pitiful cry that was heard through the whole place, and her women
and her people came to her, and asked what ailed her to give a cry like
that. And she told them how Diarmuid had come to his death by the Boar
of Beinn Gulbain in the hunt Finn had made. "And there is grief in my
very heart," she said, "I not to be able to fight myself with Finn, and
I would not have let him go safe out of this place."

When her people heard of the death of Diarmuid they gave three great
heavy cries in the same way, that were heard in the clouds and the waste
places of the sky. And then Grania bade the five hundred that she had
for household to go to Beinn Gulbain for the body of Diarmuid.

And when they were bringing it back, she went out to meet them, and they
put down the body of Diarmuid, and it is what she said:

"I am your wife, beautiful Diarmuid, the man I would do no hurt to; it
is sorrowful I am after you to-night.

"I am looking at the hawk and the hound my secret love used to be
hunting with; she that loved the three, let her be put in the grave with
Diarmuid.

"Let us be glad to-night, let us make all welcome to-night, let us be
open-handed to-night, since we are sitting by the body of a king.

"And O Diarmuid," she said, "it is a hard bed Finn has given you, to be
lying on the stones and to be wet with the rain. Ochone!" she said,
"your blue eyes to be without sight, you that were friendly and generous
and pursuing. O love! O Diarmuid! it is a pity it is he sent you to your
death.

"You were a champion of the men of Ireland, their prop in the middle of
the fight; you were the head of every battle; your ways were glad and
pleasant.

"It is sorrowful I am, without mirth, without light, but only sadness
and grief and long dying; your harp used to be sweet to me, it wakened
my heart to gladness. Now my courage is fallen down, I not to hear you
but to be always remembering your ways. Och! my grief is going through
me.

"A thousand curses on the day when Grania gave you her love, that put
Finn of the princes from his wits; it is a sorrowful story your death is
to-day.

"Many heroes were great and strong about me in the beautiful plain;
their hands were good at wrestling and at battle; Ochone! that I did not
follow them.

"You were the man was best of the Fianna, beautiful Diarmuid, that
women loved. It is dark your dwelling-place is under the sod, it is
mournful and cold your bed is; it is pleasant your laugh was to-day; you
were my happiness, Diarmuid."

And she went back then into the Rath, and bade her people to bring the
body to her there.

Now just at this time, it was showed to Angus at Brugh na Boinne that
Diarmuid was dead on Beinn Gulbain, for he had kept no watch over him
the night before.

And he went on the cold wind towards Beinn Gulbain, and his people with
him, and on the way they met with Grania's people that were bringing the
body to the Rath.

And when they saw him they held out the wrong sides of their shields as
a sign of peace, and Angus knew them; and he and his people gave three
great terrible cries over the body of Diarmuid.

And Angus spoke then, and it is what he said: "I was never one night
since the time I brought you to Brugh na Boinne, being nine months old,
without keeping watch and protection over you till last night, Diarmuid,
grandson of Duibhne; and now your blood has been shed and you have been
cut off sharply, and the Boar of Beinn Gulbain has put you down,
Diarmuid of the bright face and the bright sword. And it is a pity Finn
to have done this treachery," he said, "and you at peace with him.

"And lift up his body now," he said, "and bring it to the Brugh in the
lasting rocks. And if I cannot bring him back to life," he said, "I will
put life into him the way he can be talking with me every day."

Then they put his body on a golden bier, and his spears over it pointed
upwards, and they went on till they came to Brugh na Boinne.

And Grania's people went to her and told her how Angus would not let
them bring the body into the Rath, but brought it away himself to Brugh
na Boinne. And Grania said she had no power over him.

And she sent out then for her four sons that were being reared in the
district of Corca Ui Duibhne. And when they came she gave them a loving
welcome, and they came into the Rath and sat down there according to
their age. And Grania spoke to them with a very loud, clear voice, and
it is what she said: "My dear children, your father has been killed by
Finn, son of Cumhal, against his own bond and agreement of peace, and
let you avenge it well upon him. And here is your share of the
inheritance of your father," she said, "his arms and his armour, and his
feats of valour and power; and I will share these arms among you
myself," she said, "and that they may bring you victory in every battle.
Here is the sword for Donnchadh," she said, "the best son Diarmuid had;
and the Gae Dearg for Eochaidh; and here is the armour for Ollann, for
it will keep the body it is put on in safety; and the shield for Connla.
And make no delay now," she said, "but go and learn every sort of skill
in fighting, till such time as you will come to your full strength to
avenge your father."

So they took leave of her then, and of their household.

And some of their people said: "What must we do now, since our lords
will be going into danger against Finn and the Fianna of Ireland?" And
Donnchadh, son of Diarmuid, bade them stop in their own places; "for if
we make peace with Finn," he said, "there need be no fear on you, and if
not, you can make your choice between ourselves and him." And with that
they set out on their journey.

But after a while Finn went secretly and unknown to the Fianna to the
place where Grania was, and he got to see her in spite of all her high
talk, and he spoke gently to her. And she would not listen to him, but
bade him to get out of her sight, and whatever hard thing her tongue
could say, she said it. But all the same, he went on giving her gentle
talk and loving words, till in the end he brought her to his own will.

And there is no news told of them, until such time as they came to where
the seven battalions of the Fianna were waiting for Finn. And when they
saw him coming, and Grania with him, like any new wife with her husband,
they gave a great shout of laughter and of mockery, and Grania bowed
down her head with shame, "By my word, Finn," said Oisin, "you will keep
a good watch on Grania from this out."

And some said the change had come on her because the mind of a woman
changes like the water of a running stream; but some said it was Finn
that had put enchantment on her.

And as to the sons of Diarmuid, they came back at the end of seven
years, after learning all that was to be learned of valour in the far
countries of the world. And when they came back to Rath Grania they were
told their mother was gone away with Finn, son of Cumhal, without
leaving any word for themselves or for the King of Ireland. And they
said if that was so, there was nothing for them to do. But after that
they said they would make an attack on Finn, and they went forward to
Almhuin, and they would take no offers, but made a great slaughter of
every troop that came out against them.

But at last Grania made an agreement of peace between themselves and
Finn, and they got their father's place among the Fianna; and that was
little good to them, for they lost their lives with the rest in the
battle of Gabhra. And as to Finn and Grania, they stopped with one
another to the end.




BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR.

CHAPTER I. TAILC, SON OF TREON


One time the Fianna were all gathered together doing feats and casting
stones. And after a while the Druid of Teamhair that was with them said:
"I am in dread, Finn of the Fianna, that there is some trouble near at
hand; and look now at those dark clouds of blood," he said, "that are
threatening us side by side overhead. And there is fear on me," he said,
"that there is some destruction coming on the Fianna."

Finn looked up then, and he saw the great cloud of blood, and he called
Osgar to look at it. "That need not knock a start from you," said Osgar,
"with all the strength there is in your arms, and in the men that are
with you." Then all the Fianna looked up at the cloud, and some of them
were glad and cheerful and some were downhearted.

Then the Druid bade Finn to call all his battalions together and to
divide them into two halves, that they could be watching for the coming
of the enemy.

So Finn sounded the Dord Fiann, and they answered with a shout, every
one hurrying to be the first. And Finn bade Osgar and Goll and Faolan to
keep watch through the night, and he bade Conan the Bald to stop in the
darkness of the cave of Liath Ard. "For it is you can shout loudest," he
said, "to warn us if you see the enemy coming." "That I may be pierced
through the middle of my body," said Conan, "if I will go watching for
troubles or for armies alone, without some more of the Fianna being with
me." "It is not fitting for you to refuse Finn," said Lugaidh's Son;
"and it is you can shout the loudest," he said, "if the enemies come
near the height." "Do not be speaking to me any more," said Conan, "for
I will not go there alone, through the length of my days, for Finn and
the whole of the Fianna." "Go then, Conan," said Osgar, "and Aodh Beag
will go with you, and you can bring dogs with you, Bran and Sceolan and
Fuaim and Fearagan; and let you go now without begrudging it," he said.

So Conan went then to Liath Ard, and Aodh Beag and Finn's hounds along
with him. And as to Finn, he lay down to sleep, and it was not long till
he saw through his sleep Aodh Beag his son, and he without his head. And
after that he saw Goll fighting with a very strong man. And he awoke
from his sleep, and called the Druid of the Fianna to him, and asked him
the meaning of what he saw. "I am in dread there is some destruction
coming on the Fianna," said the Druid; "but Aodh Beag will not be
wounded in the fight, or Goll," he said.

And it was not long till Finn heard a great shout, and he sounded the
Dord Fiann, and then he saw Conan running, and the hounds after him. And
Finn sounded the Dord Fiann again before Conan came up, and when he
came, Osgar asked him where was Aodh Beag. "He was at the door of the
cave when I left it," said Conan, "but I did not look behind me since
then," he said; "and it was not Aodh Beag was troubling me." "What was
troubling you then?" said Osgar. "Nothing troubles me but myself," said
Conan; "although I am well pleased at any good that comes to you," he
said.

Osgar went then running hard, till he came to the cave, and there he
found Aodh Beag with no fear or trouble on him at all, stopping there
till he would hear the noise of the shields. And Osgar brought him back
to where the Fianna were, and they saw a great army coming as if in
search of them.

And a beautiful woman, having a crimson cloak, came to them over the
plain, and she spoke to Finn, and her voice was as sweet as music. And
Finn asked her who was she, and who did she come looking for. "I am the
daughter of Garraidh, son of Dolar Dian, the Fierce," she said; "and my
curse upon the King of Greece that bound me to the man that is
following after me, and that I am going from, Tailc, son of Treon."
"Tell me why are you shunning him, and I will protect you in spite of
him," said Finn. "It is not without reason I hate him," said she, "for
he has no good appearance, and his skin is of the colour of coal, and he
has the head and the tail of a cat. And I have walked the world three
times," she said, "and I did not leave a king or a great man without
asking help from him, and I never got it yet." "I will give you
protection," said Finn, "or the seven battalions of the Fianna will fall
for your sake."

With that they saw the big strange man, Tailc, son of Treon, coming
towards them, and he said no word at all of greeting to Finn, but he
called for a battle on account of his wife.

So a thousand of the Fianna went out to meet him and his men; and if
they did they all fell, and not one of them came back again. And then
another thousand of the best men of the Fianna, having blue and green
shields, went out under Caoilte, son of Ronan, and they were worsted by
Tailc and his people. And then Osgar asked leave of Finn to go out and
fight the big man. "I will give you leave," said Finn, "although I am
sure you will fall by him." So Osgar went out, and he himself and Tailc,
son of Treon, were fighting through the length of five days and five
nights without food or drink or sleep. And at the end of that time,
Osgar made an end of Tailc, and struck his head off. And when the Fianna
saw that, they gave a shout of lamentation for those they had lost of
the Fianna, and two shouts of joy for the death of Tailc.

And as to the young woman, when she saw all the slaughter that had been
done on account of her, shame reddened her face, and she fell dead there
and then. And to see her die like that, after all she had gone through,
preyed more on the Fianna than any other thing.




CHAPTER II. MEARGACH'S WIFE


And while the Fianna were gathered yet on the hill where Tailc, son of
Treon, had been put down, they saw a very great champion coming towards
them, having an army behind him. He took no notice of any one more than
another, but he asked in a very rough voice where was Finn, the Head of
the Fianna. And Aodh Beag, that had a quiet heart, asked him who was he,
and what was he come for. "I will tell you nothing at all, child," said
the big man, "for it is short your years are, and I will tell nothing at
all to any one but Finn." So Aodh Beag brought him to where Finn was,
and Finn asked him his name. "Meargach of the Green Spears is my name,"
he said; "and arms were never reddened yet on my body, and no one ever
boasted of driving me backwards. And was it you, Finn," he said, "put
down Tailc, son of Treon?" "It was not by me he fell," said Finn, "but
by Osgar of the strong hand." "Was it not a great shame for you, Finn,"
said Meargach then, "to let the queen-woman that had such a great name
come to her death by the Fianna?" "It was not by myself or by any of the
Fianna she got her death," said Finn; "it was seeing the army lost that
brought her to her death. But if it is satisfaction for her death or the
death of Tailc you want," he said, "You can get it from a man of the
Fianna, or you can go quietly from this place." Then Meargach said he
would fight with any man they would bring against him, to avenge Tailc,
son of Treon.

And it was Osgar stood up against him, and they fought a very hard fight
through the length of three days, and at one time the Fianna thought it
was Osgar was worsted, and they gave a great sorrowful shout. But in the
end Osgar put down Meargach and struck his head off, and at that the
seven battalions of the Fianna gave a shout of victory, and the army of
Meargach keened him very sorrowfully. And after that, the two sons of
Meargach, Ciardan the Swift and Liagan the Nimble, came up and asked
who would come against them, hand to hand, that they might get
satisfaction for their father.

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