A Book of Myths Part 13

Yet so she spoke that she might try to deceive her own heart, that even then was chilled by the black shadow of an approaching evil. Then came another shout, and yet a third. And when they heard the third shout, there was no doubt left in their minds, for they all knew the voice for that of Fergus, the son of Rossa the Red. And when Ardan hastened down to the harbour to greet him, Deirdre confessed to Naoise why she had refused at first to own that it was a voice from Erin that she heard.

"I saw in a dream last night," she said, "three birds that flew hither from Emain Macha, carrying three sips of honey in their beaks. The honey they left with us, but took away three sips of blood."

And Naoise said: "What then, best beloved, dost thou read from this dream of thine?"

And Deirdre said: "I read that Fergus comes from Conor with honeyed words of peace, but behind his treacherous words lies death."

As they spake, Ardan and Fergus and his following climbed up the height where the bog-myrtle and the heather and sweet fern yielded their sweetest incense as they were wounded under their firm tread.

And when Fergus stood before Deirdre and Naoise, the man of her heart, he told them of Conor's message, and of the peace and the glory that awaited them in Erin if they would but listen to the words of welcome that he brought.

Then said Naoise: "I am ready." But his eyes dared not meet the sea-blue eyes of Deirdre, his queen.

"Knowest thou that my pledge is one of honour?" asked Fergus.

"I know it well," said Naoise.

So in joyous feasting was that night spent, and only over the heart of Deirdre hung that black cloud of sorrow to come, of woe unspeakable.

When the golden dawn crept over the blue hills of Loch Etive, and the white-winged birds of the sea swooped and dived and cried in the silver waters, the galley of the Sons of Usna set out to sea.

And Deirdre, over whom hung a doom she had not the courage to name, sang a song at parting:

THE LAY OF DEIRDRE.

"Beloved land, that Eastern land, Alba, with its wonders. O that I might not depart from it, But that I go with Naoise.

Beloved is Dunfidgha and Dun Fin; Beloved the Dun above them; Beloved is Innisdraighende;[18] And beloved Dun Suibhne.[19]

Coillchuan! O Coillchuan! Where Ainnle would, alas! resort; Too short, I deem, was then my stay With Ainnle in Oirir Alban.

Glenlaidhe![20] O Glenlaidhe! I used to sleep by its soothing murmur; Fish, and flesh of wild boar and badger, Was my repast in Glenlaidhe.

Glenmasan! O Glenmasan![21] High its herbs, fair its boughs. Solitary was the place of our repose On gra.s.sy Invermasan.

Gleneitche![22] O Gleneitche! There was raised my earliest home. Beautiful its woods on rising, When the sun struck on Gleneitche.

Glen Urchain![23] O Glen Urchain! It was the straight glen of smooth ridges, Not more joyful was a man of his age Than Naoise in Glen Urchain.

Glendaruadh![24] O Glendaruadh! My love each man of its inheritance. Sweet the voice of the cuckoo, on bending bough, On the hill above Glendaruadh.

Beloved is Draighen and its sounding sh.o.r.e; Beloved is the water o'er the pure sand. O that I might not depart from the east, But that I go with my beloved!"

Translated by W. F. Skene, LL.D.

Thus they fared across the grey-green sea betwixt Alba and Erin, and when Ardan and Ainle and Naoise heard the words of the song of Deirdre, on their hearts also descended the strange sorrow of an evil thing from which no courage could save them.

At Ballycastle, opposite Rathlin Island, where a rock on the sh.o.r.e ("Carraig Uisneach") still bears the name of the Sons of Usna, Fergus and the returned exiles landed. And scarcely were they out of sight of the sh.o.r.e when a messenger came to Fergus, bidding him to a feast of ale at the dun of Borrach. Then Fergus, knowing well that in this was the hand of Conor and that treachery was meant, reddened all over with anger and with shame. But yet he dared not break his geasa, even although by holding to it the honour he had pledged to the three brothers for their safe-conduct and that of Deirdre was dragged through the mire. He therefore gave them his sons for escort and went to the feast at the dun of Borrach, full well knowing that Deirdre spoke truth when she told him sadly that he had sold his honour. The gloomy forebodings that had a.s.sailed the heart of Deirdre ere they had left Loch Etive grew ever the stronger as they went southwards. She begged Naoise to let them go to some place of safety and there wait until Fergus had fulfilled his geasa and could rejoin them and go with them to Emain Macha. But the Sons of Usna, strong in the knowledge of their own strength, and simply trustful of the pledged word of Conor and of Fergus, laughed at her fears, and continued on their way. Dreams of dread portent haunted her sleep, and by daytime her eyes in her white face looked like violets in the snow. She saw a cloud of blood always hanging over the beautiful Sons of Usna, and all of them she saw, and Illann the Fair, with their heads shorn off, gory and awful. Yet no pleading words could prevail upon Naoise. His fate drove him on.

"To Emain Macha we must go, my beloved," he said. "To do other than this would be to show that we have fear, and fear we have none."

Thus at last did they arrive at Emain Macha, and with courteous welcome Conor sent them word that the house of the heroes of the Red Branch was to be theirs that night. And although the place the king had chosen for their lodgment confirmed all the intuitions and forebodings of Deirdre, the evening was spent by in good cheer, and Deirdre had the joy of a welcome there from her old friend Lavarcam. For to Lavarcam Conor had said: "I would have thee go to the House of the Red Branch and bring me back tidings if the beauty of Deirdre has waned, or if she is still the most beautiful of all women."

And when Lavarcam saw her whom she had loved as a little child, playing chess with her husband at the board of ivory and gold, she knew that love had made the beauty of Deirdre blossom, and that she was now more beautiful than the words of any man or woman could tell. Nor was it possible for her to be a tool for Conor when she looked in the starry eyes of Deirdre, and so she poured forth warning of the treachery of Conor, and the Sons of Usna knew that there was truth in the dreams of her who was the queen of their hearts. And even as Lavarcam ceased there came to the eyes of Deirdre a vision such as that of Cathbad the Druid on the night of her birth.

"I see three torches quenched this night," she said. "And these three torches are the Three Torches of Valour among the Gael, and their names are the names of the Sons of Usna. And more bitter still is this sorrow, because that the Red Branch shall ultimately perish through it, and Uladh itself be overthrown, and blood fall this way and that as the whirled rains of winter."

Fiona Macleod.

Then Lavarcam went her way, and returned to the palace at Emain Macha and told Conor that the cruel winds and snows of Alba had robbed Deirdre of all her loveliness, so that she was no more a thing to be desired. But Naoise had said to Deirdre when she foretold his doom: "Better to die for thee and for thy deathless beauty than to have lived without knowledge of thee and thy love," and it may have been that some memory of the face of Deirdre, when she heard these words, dwelt in the eyes of Lavarcam and put quick suspicion into the evil heart of the king. For when Lavarcam had gone forth, well pleased that she had saved her darling, Conor sent a spy--a man whose father and three brothers had fallen in battle under the sword of Naoise--that he might see Deirdre and confirm or contradict the report of Lavarcam. And when this man reached the house of the Red Branch, he found that the Sons of Usna had been put on their guard, for all the doors and windows were barred. Thus he climbed to a narrow upper window and peered in. There, lying on the couches, the chess-board of ivory and gold between them, were Naoise and Deirdre. So beautiful were they, that they were as the deathless G.o.ds, and as they played that last game of their lives, they spoke together in low voices of love that sounded like the melody of a harp in the hands of a master player. Deirdre was the first to see the peering face with the eyes that gloated on her loveliness. No word said she, but silently made the gaze of Naoise follow her own, even as he held a golden chessman in his hand, pondering a move. Swift as a stone from a sling the chessman was hurled, and the man fell back to the ground with his eyeball smashed, and found his way to Emain Macha as best he could, shaking with agony and snarling with l.u.s.t for revenge. Vividly he painted for the king the picture of the most beautiful woman on earth as she played at the chess-board that he held so dear, and the rage of Conor that had smouldered ever since that day when he learned that Naoise had stolen Deirdre from him, flamed up into madness. With a bellow like that of a wounded bull, he called upon the Ultonians to come with him to the House of the Red Branch, to burn it down, and to slay all those within it with the sword, save only Deirdre, who was to be saved for a more cruel fate.

In the House of the Red Branch, Deirdre and the three brothers and the two sons of Fergus heard the shouts of the Ultonians and knew that the storm was about to break. But, calm as rocks against which the angry waves beat themselves in vain, sat those whose portion at dawn was to be cruel death. And Naoise and Ainle played chess, with hands that did not tremble. At the first onslaught, Buinne the Red, son of Fergus, sallied forth, quenched the flames, and drove back the Ultonians with great slaughter. But Conor called to him to parley and offered him a bribe of land, and Buinne, treacherous son of a treacherous father, went over to the enemy. His brother, Illann the Fair, filled with shame, did what he could to make amends. He went forth, and many hundreds of the besieging army fell before him, ere death stayed his loyal hand. At his death the Ultonians again fired the house, and first Ardan and then Ainle left their chess for a fiercer game, and glutted their sword blades with the blood of their enemies. Last came the turn of Naoise. He kissed Deirdre, and drank a drink, and went out against the men of Conor, and where his brothers had slain hundreds, a thousand fell before his sword.

Then fear came into the heart of Conor, for he foresaw that against the Sons of Usna no man could prevail, save by magic. Thus he sent for Cathbad the Druid, who was even then very near death, and the old man was carried on a litter to the House of the Red Branch, from which the flames were leaping, and before which the dead lay in heaps.

And Conor besought him to help him to subdue the Sons of Usna ere they should have slain every Ultonian in the land. So by his magic Cathbad raised a hedge of spears round the house. But Naoise, Ardan, and Ainle, with Deirdre in their centre, sheltered by their s.h.i.+elds, burst suddenly forth from the blazing house, and cut a way for themselves through the hedge as though they sheared green wheat. And, laughing aloud, they took a terrible toll of lives from the Ultonians who would have withstood them. Then again the Druid put forth his power, and a noise like the noise of many waters was in the ears of all who were there. So suddenly the magic flood arose that there was no chance of escape for the Sons of Usna. Higher it mounted, ever higher, and Naoise held Deirdre on his shoulder, and smiled up in her eyes as the water rose past his middle. Then suddenly as it had come, the flood abated, and all was well with the Ultonians who had sheltered on a rising ground. But the Sons of Usna found themselves entrapped in a mora.s.s where the water had been. Conor, seeing them in his hands at last, bade some of his warriors go and take them. But for shame no Ultonian would go, and it was a man from Norway who walked along a dry spit of land to where they stood, sunk deep in the green bog. "Slay me first!" called Ardan as he drew near, sword in hand. "I am the youngest, and, who knows, my death may change the tides of fate!"

And Ainle also craved that death might be dealt to him the first. But Naoise held out his own sword, "The Retaliator," to the executioner.

"Mannanan, the son of Lir, gave me my good sword," he said. "With it strike my dear brothers and me one blow only as we stand here like three trees planted in the soil. Then shall none of us know the grief and shame of seeing the other beheaded." And because it was hard for any man to disobey the command of Naoise, a king of men, the Norseman reached out his hand for the sword. But Deirdre sprang from the shoulder of Naoise and would have killed the man ere he struck. Roughly he threw her aside, and with one blow he sh.o.r.e off the heads of the three greatest heroes of Alba.

For a little while there was a great stillness there, like the silence before the coming of a storm. And then all who had beheld the end of the fair and n.o.ble Sons of Usna broke into great lamentation. Only Conor stood silent, gazing at the havoc he had wrought. To Cuchulainn, the mighty champion, a good man and a true, Deirdre fled, and begged him to protect her for the little span of life that she knew yet remained to her. And with him she went to where the head of Naoise lay, and tenderly she cleansed it from blood and from the stains of strife and stress, and smoothed the hair that was black as a raven's wing, and kissed the cold lips again and again. And as she held it against her white breast, as a mother holds a little child, she chanted for Naoise, her heart, and for his brothers, a lament that still lives in the language of the Gael.

"Is it honour that ye love, brave and chivalrous Ultonians? Or is the word of a base king better than n.o.ble truth? Of a surety ye must be glad, who have basely slain honour In slaying the three n.o.blest and best of your brotherhood.

Let now my beauty that set all this warring aflame, Let now my beauty be quenched as a torch that is spent-- For here shall I quench it, here, where my loved one lies, A torch shall it be for him still through the darkness of death."

Fiona Macleod's Translation.

Then, at the bidding of Cuchulainn, the Ultonian, three graves were dug for the brothers, but the grave of Naoise was made wider than the others, and when he was placed in it, standing upright, with his head placed on his shoulders, Deirdre stood by him and held him in her white arms, and murmured to him of the love that was theirs and of which not Death itself could rob them. And even as she spoke to him, merciful Death took her, and together they were buried. At that same hour a terrible cry was heard: "The Red Branch perisheth! Uladh pa.s.seth! Uladh pa.s.seth!" and when he had so spoken, the soul of Cathbad the Druid pa.s.sed away.

To the land of the Ultonians there came on the morrow a mighty host, and the Red Branch was wiped out for ever. Emain Macha was cast into ruins, and Conor died in a madness of sorrow.

And still, in that land of Erin where she died, still in the lonely cleuchs and glens, and up the mist-hung mountain sides of Loch Etive, where she knew her truest happiness, we can sometimes almost hear the wind sighing the lament: "Deirdre the beautiful is dead ... is dead!"

"I hear a voice crying, crying, crying: is it the wind I hear, crying its old weary cry time out of mind?

The grey wind weeps, the grey wind weeps, the grey wind weeps: Dust on her breast, dust on her eyes, the grey wind weeps."

Fiona Macleod.

FOOTNOTES: [14] Now Dunskaith.

[15] Fairies.

[16] The Hill of Howth, at Dublin Bay.

[17] Dale of the Waterfall: now Dalness.

[18] Inistrynich.

[19] Dun Sween.

[20] Glen Lug.

[21] At the head of Holy Loch, Argylls.h.i.+re.

[22] Glen Etive.

[23] Glenorchy.

[24] Glendaruel.

INDEX.

Acheron, 37 Achilles, 71 Acrisius, 105, 121, 122, 123 Adam, 220 Adonis, 178, 192, 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 208 Advocates' Library, 306 Aed, 290, 299, 300, 304, 305 AEgean Sea, 36, 90, 106, 121, 145, 146, 186 AEgean Islands, 172 AEolus, 144 AEsculapius, 88 AEsop, 169 Ainle, 313, 315, 316, 317, 322, 325, 329, 330, 331 Ainnle, 324 Aix, 287 Aix-la-Chapelle, 287 Ajax, 71 Alba, 295, 299, 307, 311, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 325, 327, 331 Alban, Oirir, 324 Alexander the Great, 135 Alpheus, 102, 103, 104 Althaea, 69, 71, 75 Amphion, 124, 128 Anapus, 101 Andromeda, 119, 120, 123 Angelo, Michael, 203 Anglo-Saxon, 245 Angrbotha, 236 Aphrodite, 5, 13, 14, 15, 42, 46, 47, 49, 56, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 79, 81, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 Apollo, 5, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 139, 140, 141, 142, 145, 164, 165, 173, 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192, 267 Apollo Belvidere, 11 Apollo, Phoebus, 19 Appin, 317 Arachne, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89 Arcadia, 71, 77, 78, 197, 211 Arcadian, 75 Archilochus, 223 Ard, Loch, 320 Ardan, 312, 315, 316, 317, 322, 323, 325, 329, 330, 331 Arethusa, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 Argo, 39 Argonauts, 39 Argos, 105, 122, 128 Aristaeus, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160 Aristophanes, 169 Argylls.h.i.+re, 324 Arnold, Matthew, 228, 239, 240 Aros, 317 Artemis, 26, 27 Arthur, King, 268 Aschere, 256 Asgard, 230, 231, 235, 239, 240, 242 Asia, 135 Atalanta, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81 Athene, Pallas, 3, 4, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 115, 120, 182 Athens, 181, 182 Atlas, 114, 115, 117 Aude the Fair, 282, 287 Aurora, 20, 21 Australia, 220 Awe, Loch, 320 Bacchantes, 40 Bacchus, 40, 136, 138 Baldrsbra, 234 Baldur, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243 Ballycastle, 325 Bann, 301 Bartholomew, 88 Baviere, Naismes de, 272 Belvidere, Apollo, 11 Ben Cruachan, 318 Ben Etair, 317 Benmullet, 295 Beowulf, 229, 244, 245, 246, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265 Beowulf's Barrow, 264 Beowulfesby, 245 Bertha, 269, 271, 272 Bion, 206 Blancandrin, 268, 274 Blaye, 287 Bodb the Red, 289, 290, 291, 296, 301 Boreas, 212 Borrach, 321, 325, 326 Bowlby Cliff, 244, 245 Branch, Red, 307, 308, 320, 321, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333 Breton, 267 Brisingamen, 229, 255, 260 Britain, 244, 268 Brittany, 267 Brocken, 233 Browning, E. B., 209, 218 Buinne the Red, 322, 329 Byron, 10 Calliope, 32 Calvary, 216 Calvinism, 215 Calydon, 69, 70, 71, 78 Calydonian Hunt, 69, 72, 76 Campbell, Thos., 266 Carlyle, Thos., 215, 216, 266 Carmichael, Alexander, 307 Carraig Uisneach, 325 Carricknarone, 299, 300 Ca.s.siopeia, 123 Castor, 71 Cathbad, 307, 309, 310, 311, 327, 330, 332 Caucasus, Mt., 8 Celts, 289, 306 Cepheus, 123 Cerberus, 34 Ceyx, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 153 Champions of the Red Branch, 307, 308 Chanson de Roland, 266 Chaos, 2 Charlemagne, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 280, 281, 282, 286, 287 Charles, King, 282 Charon, 37, 38 Chemmis, 117 Chinese, 208 Christian, 272, 275, 295, 303 Christianity, 215, 227, 232 Cimmerian Mountains, 148 Circe, 226 Claros, 145 Clio, 129 Clymene, 16, 17, 18, 24 Clytie, 189 Cocytus, 59, 63, 64, 104, 115, 167, 207 Coillchuan, 324 Colophon, 83, 86, 87 Conall, 321 Conchubar, 307 Conn, 290, 295, 299, 304, 305 Connaught, 304 Conor, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 313, 316, 317, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 333 Copenhagen, 244 Cordova, 268, 274 Corinth, 192, 193 Crete, 182, 183 Cruachan, Ben, 318 Cuchulainn, 321, 331, 332 Cyane, 163 Cyclades, 107 Cycnus, 24 Cynthian, 126 Cyprus, 11, 13, 60, 194, 202, 204 Cyrene, 155, 156, 157 Cytherea, 206 Cytherian sh.o.r.es, 203 Daedalus, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 187, 188 Dail-an-eas, 318 Dalness, 318 Danae, 105, 106, 107, 121 Danades, 35 Dane, 233, 248, 250, 257, 259 Danish, 250, 251, 256 Dante, 16 Daphne, 42, 43, 44 Darthool, 306 Darvra, Lake, 293, 295, 296, 297 Dasent, 236 David, 272 Day, 2 Dearshul, 319 Decca, 304 Dedannans, 289, 291, 297, 301 Deirdre, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333 Delos, 172, 186 Demeter, 84, 162, 165, 166, 167, 168 Denmark, 245, 251 Derg, Lough, 290, 291 Derravaragh, Lough, 293 Destiny, The Winged, 223 Diana, II., 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 43, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, 90, 97, 99, 101, 103, 116, 125, 126, 127, 128, 130, 164, 173, 175, 190, 198, 200, 203, 204, 210 Diana Vernon, 26 Douzeperes, 268, 269, 272, 274, 275, 277, 282, 283, 286, 287 Draighen, 325 Druid, 307, 309, 310, 327, 330, 332 Druid's runes, 295 Druids, 294 Dryden, 45 Dryope, 210, 211 Dublin Bay, 317 Dunfidgha, 324 Dun Fin, 324 Dunskaith, 311 Dun Suibhne, 324 Dun Sween, 324 Durendala, 276, 284, 285 Echo, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 210 Edinburgh, 306 Egypt, 39, 117, 193 Egyptian, 217 Egyptians, 117 Emain Macha, 314, 323, 326, 327, 328, 333 Emerson, 243 Endymion, 26, 28, 29, 30 England, 344 Enna, 104 Epaphos, 16, 17, 21 Epimethus, 2, 5, 6, 7 Epirus, 70 Erdgeist, 216 Erebus, 2 Erida.n.u.s, 24 Erin, 289, 290, 295, 297, 298, 299, 301, 302, 307, 308, 311, 317, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 333 Erris, 295 Eros, 2, 42, 47, 48, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 62, 66, 67, 91, 202, 203 Essa, 317 Etair, Ben, 317 Ethiopia, 118, 119, 120 Ethiopians, 23 Etive, Glen, 325 Etive, Loch, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 333 Etna, 101, 103 Euboean Sea, 122 Eumenides, 194 Europa, 87 Europe, 289 Eurydice, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 115, 159 Eva, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296 Eve, 290, 291 Evenos, 91, 92, 93, 94 Faust, 216 Fechin, St., 222 Felim, 307, 308, 309 Fensalir, 238 Fergus, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 329 Ficra, 290, 295, 299, 304, 305 Finola, 290, 292, 293, 294, 298, 299, 300, 301, 303, 304, 305 Fiori Maggio, 103 Firedrake, 261, 262, 263, 264 Fleece, Golden, 39, 70 Florence, 124 Fontarabian, 282 France, 266, 275, 278, 279, 280, 282, 286 Franks, 267, 273, 276, 277, 279, 280 Freya, 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 235, 238, 239, 255 Friday, 277 Frieslanders, 260 Frigga, 228 Furies, 35, 194, 196 Gabriel, 286 Gael, 300, 306, 307, 322, 332 Gaelic, 319 Galahad, 234 Galatea, 13, 14, 15 Ganelon, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 287 Gautier, Sir, 277, 282 Geasa, 326 Germanic language, 244 Germany, 233 Glendaruadh, 325 Glendaruel, 325 Gleneitche, 325 Glenlaidhe, 324 Glenmasan, 324 Glenmasan MS., 306 Glenorchy, 325 Goar, St., 224 Goethe, 216 Golden Fleece, 39, 70 Gordias, 134, 135 Gorgons, 113, 114, 115, 116, 120, 121, 123 Goths, 248, 249, 250, 252, 253, 260, 264, 265 Gothland, 249, 250, 252, 260 Graeae, 112 Greece, 26, 71, 72, 74, 154, 192, 193, 210, 223, 229, 234, 289 Greek, 100, 128, 160 Greeks, 3, 215 Green Islands, 307 Gregory, Lady, 307, 309 Grendel, 247, 248, 250, 253, 254, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 262 Hades, 34, 35, 36, 39, 65, 67, 167, 194 Halcyon birds, 153 Halcyone, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 153 Hamlet, 124 Hardred, 260 Hastings, 266 Hauteclaire, 278 Hecate, 164, 205 Heine, 220, 223, 226 Hel, 236, 239, 240, 241 Heliades, 24 h.e.l.las, 217 h.e.l.lenistic, 218 Henry VI, King, 144 Heorot, 246, 248, 251, 256 Hera, 169, 170, 175 Heredia, De, 208 Hermes, 5, 111, 112, 116, 120, 210, 211 Hermoder, 239, 240 Hesiod, 4 Hesperides, Garden of the, 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 137 Hesperus, 144 Hlidskialf, 231 Hodur, 238, 239 Holy Loch, 324 Homeric Hymns, 210 Howth, Hill of, 317 Hrothgar, 246, 247, 248, 250, 251, 254, 255, 256, 257 Hyacinthus, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133 Hyde, Dr. Douglas, 307 Hygeia, 88 Hygelac, 248, 260 Hyleus, 74 Hymen, 33 Ibycus, 192, 194, 195, 196 Icarus, 181, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188 Ice Giants, 230 Ida, Mount, 185 Idas, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99 Idmon, 83, 86 Illann the Fair, 322, 326, 329 Ingelow, Jean, 167 Inis Glora, 295, 301, 302, 303, 304 Iniskea, 302 Inistrynich, 324 Innisdraighende, 324 Invermasan, 324 Ionia, 145, 147 Ionian Sea, 217 Ireland, 289, 306 Iris, 148, 149 Ivros Domnann, 295, 301 Ixion, 35 Jason, 39, 70, 71, 73 Jerusalem, 216 Jonathan, 272 Jove, 4, 25, 49, 64 Joyce, 305 Judas, 274 Julius Caesar, 261 Juno, 146, 148, 150 Jupiter, 8, 95, 210 Keats, 129, 180 Keos, 106 Kemoc, 303, 304, 305 Kingsley, Charles, 105, 232 Ladon, 200 Lang, Andrew, 27 Langobarden, 232 Larguen, 304, 305 Larissa, 122 Latmos, Mount, 27, 30 Latona, 125, 126, 127, 128, 169, 170, 171, 172 Lavarcam, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 327, 328 Lebynthos, 186 Leinster, Book of, 306 Lethe, 149 Leto, 169 Libetlera, 41 Libya, 23, 116 Libyan, 39 Light, 2 Liguria, 24 Lilith, 220 Lir, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 296, 297, 298, 300, 301, 302, 303, 305 Loki, 234, 236, 237, 238, 239, 242 Lombardy, 232 Lomond, Loch, 320 London Bridge, 221 Long Loch, 320 Longbeards, 232 Longfellow, 234, 241, 243, 244 Lora, Falls of, 318 Lorelei, 220, 223, 224, 225 Love, 2 Lowell, 10, 38 Luna, 27 Lycia, 170 Lycormas, 93, 94 Lydia, 83, 88, 128 Lyra, 41 Lysimeleia, 101 Macleod, Fiona, 31, 197, 218, 219, 223, 301, 306, 307, 315, 332, 333 Madonna, 227 Mahommed, 267 Mannanan, 292, 331 Marpessa, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 Marsiglio, 267 Marsile, 267, 268, 272, 274, 275, 279, 280, 281 Mary, Virgin, 227 Mayo, 295 Meander, 183 Meath, West, 293 Medusa, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 115, 116, 120 Meleager, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80 Michael, St., 286 Midas, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 141, 142, 143, 198, 210 Milanion, 79, 80, 81 Milesians, 297 Milo, 10 Milon, 269, 271 Milton, 8, 38, 217 Minos, 182, 183, 188 Montjoie, 279, 281 Moore, Thos., 289 Morgue, 221 Morpheus, 149, 150, 151 Morris, William, 49, 50, 58, 68, 115 ---- Lewis, 29, 67, 165, 168, 202, 207 Moschus, 87 Mount Olympus, 41, 81 Mowgli, 214 Moyle, 289, 295, 298, 301, 317 Mull, 317 Munster, 304 Muses, 41, 129 Musset, De, 218 Nageling, 250, 251 Naiades, 25 Naismes de Baviere, 272 Nanna, 235, 241 Naoise, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332 Narcissus, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180 Nelson, 100 Neptune, 93, 94, 99 Nereids, 188 Nestor, 71, 72 Nibelungs, 224 Niflheim, 236, 237, 239 Niobe, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128 Norman, 233, 266 Norseman, 331 Nors.e.m.e.n, 228, 229, 234 North Channel, 295 North Cape, 260 North Sea, 244 Norway, 233, 331 Odin, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236, 237 Odysseus, 221, 226 Oea, 319 OEneus, 69, 70 Oise, 214, 215 Olifant, 276, 280, 284, 285 Oliver, 272, 277, 278, 280, 281, 282, 283, 287 Olivier, 266, 282 Olympians, 6, 9, 60, 112, 129, 180, 211 Olympus, 3, 4, 5, 24, 45, 46, 49, 67, 68, 86, 95, 105, 108, 122, 126, 135, 140, 155, 166, 171, 185, 187, 191, 203, 207, 210, 211 Olympus, Mount, 130 Orion's Belt, 228 Orpheus, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 159, 210 Orphics, 39, 40, 41 Ortygia, 100, 104 Otuel, Sir, 288 Ovid, 25, 45, 86, 197 Pactolus, 83, 138 Pagan, 285 Paganism, 215, 216 Pallas Athene, 3, 83, 84, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 115, 120 Palodes, 217 Pan, 59, 63, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219 Pandora, 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 Pantheism, 215, 216 Paphian, 206 Paphos, 15, 203 Paros, 223 Parthenian Hill, 71 Patrick, St., 295, 302 Paxae, 217 Paynim, 280, 283 Peleus, 71 Peneus, 42, 43, 44, 45 Perdrix, 182 Perseus, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123 Persephone, 80, 161, 164, 165, 167 Phaeton, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Phillips, Stephen, 96 Phineus, 120 Phlegethon, 194 Phoebus, 129 Phoebus Apollo, 18, 19 Phoenicians, 120 Phrygia, 134, 135, 136, 142 Pied Piper, 212 Pirithous, 71 Pitys, 210, 212 Pleiades, 27, 90 Plemmgrium, 101 Plexippus, 71 Pluto, 23, 35, 36, 37, 38, 64, 80, 103, 115, 120, 162, 163, 165, 166, 167, 210 Pollux, 71 Polydectes, 106, 107, 109, 110, 121 Pomona, 210 Poseidon, 146, 172, 186, 192, 222 Praxiteles, 124 Prometheus, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 Proserpine, 35, 36, 64, 65, 66, 161, 162, 163, 165, 166, 167, 192 Proteus, 100, 157, 158, 159 Psyche, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 210 Purgatorio, 16 Pygmalion, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 102 Pyrenees, 275 Quail Island, 101 Rachel, 128 Rainschevaux, 266 Raphael, St., 286 Rathlin Island, 325 Red Branch, Champions of, 307, 308, 320, 321, 332, 333 Red Branch, House of, 327, 328, 329, 330 Retaliator, The, 331 Rheims, Bishop of, 272 Rhine, 224, 225 Ringhorn, 240 Roland, 266, 267, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288 Rollant, 266 Roman de Rose, 266 Roman Empire, 267 Romans, 27 Roncevall, 266 Roncesvalles, 267, 274, 275, 276, 277, 281, 282, 286 Rossa the Red, 321, 323 Round Table, 268 Rowland, 282 Runcyvale, 288 Sackville, Lady Margaret, 197 Saeland, 244, 265 Samos, 107, 186 Samson, 160 Saracens, 267, 274, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 282, 283, 285, 286 Saragossa, 267, 272 Saxon, 233 Scandinavia, 227, 245 Scotland, 220, 306 Scott, Sir Walter, 26, 282 Scyld Scefing, 245, 246 Seine, 221 Selene, 27, 210 Seriphos, 106, 109, 120, 121 Seumas, 218, 223 Sgathaig, 311 Shakespeare, 31, 124, 134, 192, 204, 223, 261 Shannon, 290 Sharp, William, 301 Shee Finnaha, 289, 290, 296, 302 Sh.e.l.ley, 9, 104, 161 Sicily, 36, 100, 104, 162, 163, 167, 186, 188 Silenus, 136 Simonides, 106 Sipylus, Mount, 128 Sirens, 226 Sisyphus, 35 Skene, W. F., 307 Skye, Isle of, 311 Sleipnir, 236 Socrates, 153 Somnus, 148, 149, 150 Spain, 267 Spartan, 129 Spenser, 88 Striven, Loch, 320 Styx, 19, 63, 64 Sweden, 233 Swedes, 249 Swinburne, 74 Sylvan deities, 214 Synge, J. M., 307 Syracuse, 100, 101 Syria, 216 Syrinx, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 210 Taenarus, 34 Taillefer, 266 Tailleken, 295 Talus, 182 Tantalus, 35, 124 Telamon, 71, 73 Tennyson, 27, 154, 216 Termagaunt, 267 Thames, 221 Thamus, 217 Theban, 124 Thebes, 124, 125, 126 Theseus, 71 Thessaly, 144, 146, 147, 152 Thrace, 32, 33, 38, 39 Tiberius, 216 t.i.tan, 8, 9, 35 t.i.tans, 2, 4, 117, 124 Toxeus, 71 Trachine, 150 Triton, 100 Tussypere, 288 Turpin, 266, 277, 279, 280, 282, 283, 284, 287 Tymolus, 83, 87 Tyrian, 86 Uffizi Palace, 124 Ulster, 307 Ultonians, 307, 313, 320, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333 Uladh, 332 Ulva, 222 Urchain, Glen, 325 Usna, Sons of, 306, 311, 312, 313, 315, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333 Valhalla, 228, 267 Vali, 237 Vandals, 231 Vatican, 11 Veillantif, 276, 282 Venus, 11, 26, 202 Vernon, Diana, 26 Versailles, 11 Virgil, 194 Vulcan, 4 Wace, 266 Wagmund, 264 Walpurgis Night, 233 Wess.e.x, 244 Westminster, 221 Whitby, 244 Wiglaf, 263, 264 William the Conqueror, 266 Winged Destiny, The, 223 Winilers, 231, 232 Wolf Woman, 258, 260, 262, 263 Yeats, W. B., 307 Yorks.h.i.+re, 244, 265 Zeus, 3, 4, 8, 9, 22, 24, 30, 34, 86, 95, 105, 106, 107, 112, 120, 123, 124, 166, 169, 170, 172, 202, 206 Zephyr, 129 Zephyrus, 51, 54, 59, 71, 103, 131, 133, 180 Transcriber's Note Minor typographical errors (omitted punctuation, omitted or transposed letters, etc.) have been amended without note. Inconsistent hyphenation and accent use has been made consistent within the main text, again without note. Any inconsistencies between quotations and the main text remain as printed.

There is a lot of archaic language in this text, which remains as printed. The author also used alternative spelling in places (e.g. Epimethus rather than the more usual Epimetheus); this remains as printed. There is a reference to Michael Angelo on page 203 and in the Index, by which the author presumably meant Michelangelo; this has also been left as printed.

The following amendments have been made: Page 268--were amended to was--"... with Saragossa still unconquered was too much to hope for."

Page 304--Kemoc amended to Larguen--"Then Larguen, in furious anger, ..."

Ill.u.s.trations have been moved so that they are not in mid-paragraph. The frontispiece ill.u.s.tration has been moved to follow the t.i.tle page.

OE and oe ligatures have not been retained in this version.

Index entries have been made consistent with the main text, as follows: Page 334--Aristaeus amended to Aristaeus; Athene, Pallas amended to Athene, Pallas.

Page 335--page reference 230 amended to 300 in Carricknarone entry; page reference 313 added to Deirdre entry.

Page 336--page reference 344 amended to 244 in England entry; Eridamus amended to Erida.n.u.s.

Page 337--page reference 86 added to Idmon entry; Inis Rea amended to Iniskea.

Page 338--Nades amended to Naiades; page references 319 and 325 added to Naoise entry; Oeneus amended to OEneus; entry for Olivier originally had page references duplicating the entry for Oliver, these have been amended to the actual references in the text; page reference 119 added to Perseus entry.

Page 339--page reference 19 added to Phaeton entry; Pirithons amended to Pirithous; Rachael amended to Rachel; Roncevalles amended to Roncesvalles; Shee Finaha amended to Shee Finnaha; Sisyplus amended to Sisyphus; Taillekin amended to Tailleken.

Page 340--Tiberias amended to Tiberius; Uffizzi Palace amended to Uffizi Palace; Uluadh amended to Uladh.