Old Celtic Romances Part 48

After Angus and Grania had gone, Dermat, addressing Finn from the tree, said--

"I will now go down from this tree; and I will slaughter many of thy hirelings before they slay me. For I see that thou art resolved to compa.s.s my death; and why should I fear to die now more than at a future time? There is, indeed, no escape for me, even should I pa.s.s from this place unharmed; since I can find no shelter in Erin from thy wrath.

Neither have I a friend in the far-off countries of this great world to give me protection, seeing that I have from time to time dealt defeat and slaughter among them, every one, for thy sake. For never have the Fena been caught in any strait or danger, that I did not venture my life for them and for thee. When we went to battle, moreover, I was always in front of you; and I was always behind you when leaving the field. And now I care no longer to seek to prolong my life; but of a certainty thou shalt purchase my death dearly, for I shall avenge myself by dealing destruction among thy hirelings."

"Dermat speaks truly," said Oscar; "and now let him have mercy and forgiveness; for he has suffered enough already."

"I swear that I will never grant him peace or forgiveness to the end of my life," answered Finn, "till he has given me the eric I seek from him for the injury he has done me; that is to say, his head."

"Shame it is to hear thee say so, and a sure mark of jealousy," answered Oscar. "And now I take the body and life of Dermat under the protection of my knighthood and valour; and I pledge the word of a true champion, that sooner shall the firmament fall on me, or the earth open up and swallow me, than that I shall let any man harm Dermat O'Dyna!"

Then, looking upwards, he said, "Come down now, Dermat, and thou shalt certainly go in safety from this place; for as long as I am alive, no man will dare to offer thee hurt!"

Then Dermat, choosing that side of the tree where the men stood nearest to the trunk, walked along a thick branch unseen, and, leaning on the shafts of his spears, he sprang forward and downward with a light, airy bound, and alighted outside the circle of those who stood round with joined hands; and in a moment he was beyond the reach of sword and spear. And Oscar joined him, looking back threateningly, so that no man of Finn's hirelings durst follow.

So the two heroes fared on together, crossing the Shannon; and nothing is told of what befell them till they reached Bruga of the Boyne, where they met Angus and Grania. And Grania was almost beside herself with joy when she saw Dermat without wound or hurt of any kind. And the two champions were welcomed by Angus; and Dermat related to him and Grania the whole story, how he had escaped from Finn and his hirelings, Oscar helping. And as Grania listened, her spirit almost left her, at the deadly peril Dermat had pa.s.sed through.

FOOTNOTES:

[CXXII.] Hy Ficra, now the barony of Tireragh, in Sligo.

[CXXIII.] The Lake of Lein of the Crooked Teeth, _i.e._ Loch Lein, or the Lakes of Killarney.

[CXXIV.] The Land of Promise, or Fairyland. (See note 8 at the end.)

[CXXV.] Quicken tree. (See note, page 177.)

[CXXVI.] Fomor, a giant. (See note, page 227.)

[CXXVII.] Slieve Cua, the ancient name of the highest of the Knockmeal-down mountains, in Waterford.

[CXXVIII.] Slieve Crot, the ancient name of the Galty mountains.

[CXXIX.] Slieve Gora, a mountainous district in the barony of Clankee, County Cavan.

[Cx.x.x.] Slieve Mucka, now Slievenamuck (the mountain of the pig), a long mountain ridge in Tipperary, separated from the Galties by the Glen of Aherlow. Slieve Luga, a mountainous district, formerly belonging to the O'Garas, in the barony of Costello, county Mayo. Slieve Mish, a mountain range west of Tralee.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ATTACK OF THE WITCH-HAG.

Now as regards Finn. After the departure of Dermat and Oscar, his heart was filled with anger and bitterness, and he vowed he would never rest till he had revenged himself on Dermat. And, leaving the Wood of Dooros, he marched eastward till he reached Allen. Making no delay, he ordered his trusted servants to make ready his best s.h.i.+p, and to put therein food and drink for a voyage. Then going on board, he put out to sea; and nothing is told of him till he reached the Land of Promise,[8] where his old nurse lived.

When he appeared before her, she gave him a joyful welcome. And after he had eaten and drunk, she asked him the cause of his journey, knowing that some weighty matter had brought him thither. So he told her the whole story of what Dermat O'Dyna had done against him; and said that he had come to seek counsel from her how he should act. "For," he said, "no strength or cunning of men can compa.s.s his death; magic alone can overmatch him."

Then the old woman told him that she would go with him next day and work magic against Dermat. Whereupon Finn was much rejoiced, and they rested that night.

Next day, they set out, Finn and his people and his nurse; and it is not told how they fared till they reached Bruga of the Boyne. And the men of Erin knew not that they had come thither, for the witch-hag threw a druidical mist round them, so that no man might see them.

It chanced that Dermat hunted that day in the forest, alone; for Oscar had gone from Bruga the day before. When this was known to the witch-hag, she caused herself to fly into the air by magic, on a water-lily, having by her spells turned the pale flat leaf into a broad millstone with a hole in the middle. And, rising over the tops of the trees, she floated on the clear, cold wind, till she had come straight over the hero. Then, standing on the flat millstone, she began to aim deadly poisoned darts at him through the hole. And no distress Dermat ever suffered could compare with this; for the darts stung him even through his s.h.i.+eld and armour, the witch having breathed venomous spells on them.

Seeing at last that there was no escape from death unless he could slay the witch-hag, he seized the Ga-derg, and, leaning backwards, flung it with sure aim at the millstone, so that it went right through the hole, and pierced the hag; and she fell dead at Dermat's feet. Then he beheaded her, and brought the head to Angus of the Bruga; and he related to him and to Grania how he had escaped that great danger.

CHAPTER IX.

PEACE AND REST AT LAST.

Angus arose next morning, and, going to Finn, asked him whether he would make peace with Dermat. Finn, seeing that he was worsted in every attempt against the hero, and that moreover he had lost his nurse and many of his men, told Angus that he was weary of the quarrel, and that he was fain to make peace on whatever terms Dermat should choose.

He next went to Tara to the king, Cormac, the grandson of Conn. Him he asked in like manner whether he was willing to grant Dermat peace and forgiveness; and Cormac answered that he was quite willing.

Then he came to Dermat and said, "Peace is better for thee: art thou willing now to be at peace with Finn and Cormac?"

And Dermat answered, "Gladly will I make peace, if they grant me such conditions as befit a champion and the husband of the princess Grania."

And when Angus asked what these conditions were, he answered--

"The cantred which my father had, that is to say, the cantred of O'Dyna,[Cx.x.xI.] without rent or tribute to the king of Erin; also the cantred of Ben-Damis,[Cx.x.xII.] namely, Ducarn of Leinster. These two to be granted to me by Finn; and he shall not hunt over them, nor any of his Fena, without my leave. And the king of Erin shall grant me the cantred of Kesh-Corran,[Cx.x.xIII.] as a dowry with his daughter. On these conditions will I make peace."

Angus went to Finn, and afterwards to the king, with these conditions.

And they granted them, and forgave Dermat all he had done against them during the time he was outlawed. So they made peace. And Cormac gave his other daughter to Finn to wife.

Dermat and Grania went to live in the cantred of Kesh-Corran, far away from Finn and Cormac; and they built a house for themselves, namely, Rath-Grania, in which they abode many years in peace. And Grania bore Dermat four sons and one daughter. And his possessions increased year by year, insomuch that people said that no man of his time was richer than Dermat, in gold and silver and jewels, in sheep, and in cattle-herds.

FOOTNOTES:

[Cx.x.xI.] The cantred of O'Dyna, now the barony of Corkaguiny, in Kerry.

(See note, page 237.)

[Cx.x.xII.] The cantred of Ben-Damis, or Ducarn of Leinster, probably the district round Douce mountain, in the county Wicklow.

[Cx.x.xIII.] The district round the mountain of Kesh-Corran, in Sligo.

CHAPTER X.

THE DEATH OF DERMAT.

Now when many years had pa.s.sed, Grania said one day to Dermat--