Part 5

There came then from a room twelve[4] hags, the ugliest man ever saw.

“Oh, the death-bands on you!” said Bioultach.

“Oh, Bioultach,” said the hag, “on us before this was the beauty of youth, but now the decay of age, as on yourself it will yet be. But I hope you will get the better of the giant.”

Bioultach took the little boat. “Now, Bioultach, the sea is not far from you. Place the boat on the water, and ask of God and the miracles of the leaden boat that in whatever place is the Bocaw More of the Land of Sorracha you may be there at morning.”

Bioultach placed the boat on the water. “I ask of God and the miracles of the leaden boat that in whatever place is the Bocaw More I may be there at morning.”

When the day whitened Bioultach was in front of an island, and the haven took fire around him and the boat began to melt. He saw the ragged green man rising from a stone, and he rubbing his eyes after a while of sleeping.

“Oh, Bioultach, you are badly off now, and I must make a gallon to put out the flame.”

“If I am here till you make a gallon, I shall be destroyed.”

“I shall not be long away.”

It was not long till he came. He threw three palmfuls of water on the flame and put it out.

“Ha, Bioultach, I hope you will not let the giant go to-day. He has no expectation that we will come to-day.”

When they went in the giant was about to be off; but the ragged green man caught him and threw him. Bioultach caught him and tied him well, better than he tied him the day before.

“Oh, Bioultach, you have tied me more tightly to-day than yesterday; but ease the tie a little.”

“It is better to sell than to buy,” said the ragged green man.

“Oh, if you are the son of a king by a queen, ease the knot. I am not asking you to set me free.”

Bioultach laid his hand to ease him, and away with the giant through the window, and away with Bioultach after him. He was but foolish to seek to get a hold of him. When the night fell Bioultach spread his tablecloth, and every sort of food and drink he wanted was upon it. He ate a great plenty, and he took the boat up. He laid it on the water. “I ask of God and the miracles of my boat that in whatever place is the Bocaw More I may be there in the morning.”

He was opposite an island, and the haven froze round him. It was not long till he saw the ragged green man coming from the side of a stone, and he rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, Bioultach, are you frozen there?”

“And here I shall stay.”

“Oh, you will not stay. I will go to the forge and make an axe to break the (ice).”

He came back, and an axe with him. They broke the stone of ice. Bioultach came out. “Now, Bioultach, as we have come on two days unknown to the giant, he will send out two ball players, with hurls of gold and balls of silver; you will think they are the two champions you left behind at the Island of the Torrent. If any limb of their limbs touches you, or the ball, you are a grey flagstone, and over you heaps of ice and snow, as big as if you were there for a hundred years.”

When they went up, he saw the two champions coming. It seemed to him it was Splendour and Splendour-of-the-Sun were there. They ran to him, and he was running to them in his delight. The ragged green man threw them, so that they failed. They took out the ball. A man of them struck the ball a blow, and it was coming straight to Bioultach. He put up his hand to keep off the ball from his eye. He was struck on the palm of the hand, and he fell, and became a grey flagstone, and a holly tree growing through him. When the ragged green man saw that he was destroyed, he bowed down and wept his fill; then he went back to the Island of the Torrent.

“Oh,” said the men to him, “is it not long that you have been within? But where is Bioultach?”

“Oh! go ye home. Bioultach is destroyed; he is away from you, a day and a year’s voyage before you could reach him. He is a grey flagstone, and over him are heaps of ice and snow.”

“We will not go home ever. We have no business at home, but we will be travelling till we get as far as he is.”

“Do ye think that together ye could tie the giant?”

“Oh, I do not know.”

“Well, I will bring you there in the space of an hour.”

He took them with him as far as Bioultach, till they saw him and wept together.

“Let us go in to see the Bocaw More.”

When they went in he was conversing with his wife.

“Oh! you have come, and your help is not with you.”

“Perhaps you are not a better man than my help.”

The ragged green man caught him and threw him. The two champions went to tie him, and he failed them. He sat down.

“Oh, musha, the death-bands on you both! Am I not sorry that ever I left harbour or haven with you? If you two tied him, I would keep a knee on him, and Bioultach would be alive to me at the end of an hour.”

“Oh, I think that I could tie him by myself.”

The ragged green man threw him, and the two champions went and tied him tightly.

“Oh! ease the knot on me a little.”

“You thief! we will not ease.”

“Oh, it is the good champions you are,” said the ragged green man; “I did not think it was possible to tie him; but you shall see yourselves that I shall have Bioultach now.”

He turned to the giant and cut fine pieces of his flesh, till he had the full of his hands, and he ran and squeezed the flesh down on the stone, and Bioultach arose alive again. They smothered him with kisses and drowned him with tears, and dried him with fine cloths silken, and with the hair of their heads; and when Bioultach stooped under the door, the tree that was growing on him fell.

“Oh, Bioultach,” said the giant, “tightly, tightly it is they have tied me; but do you ease the tie a little.”

“Oh, you thief!” said Bioultach, “I will not ease; but tell me where is Maunus?”

“Oh! he is in the Bake-house outside there.”

“How shall I get him out?”

“I will put out the flame with a whiff.”

Bioultach pulled the giant out, till he quenched the flame and Maunus came out.

“Where are the other two?”

“They are inside,” said the giant.

“Bring them to me,” said Bioultach.

They came out both.

“Can it be lighted when it is empty?” said Bioultach.

“Oh, it can,” said the giant.

“Kindle it,” said Bioultach.

The giant put three whiffs on it, and kindled it.

“Well, I put yourself into it now, and three drops on you for ever.”

“Oh! Bioultach,” said the ragged green man, “I will forgive you all that ever you did for putting the giant in. I was afraid you would not put him. But a thousand thanks to God that we have escaped him.”

Bioultach got healing water till he cured them; and they went on their way till they came to the Island of the Torrent, where the eight hundred men were on board the vessel.

“Oh! I believe I have forgotten. I did not go to the hag. I must go to her now.”

“Will you let me with you?” said the ragged green man.

“I will let you, and welcome. Let us leave the men here!”

Bioultach and the ragged green man went as far as the hag. When Bioultach went into the house, the cat put seven barrels of ashes out of her skin.

“Oh, may you be worse a year from to-day! you are gathering all that since I went away.”

Thereupon he sat down, and he did not know where the ragged green man was gone. It was not long till there came to him a beautiful woman, as beautiful as ever he saw, and she said,—

“Oh, Bioultach, thy hundred thousand welcomes! Good be with you. A thousand thanks to God that you accomplished the object of your journey.”

“Oh, what good is it to me, when the hag has a request to make of me?”

“Oh, good was the hag herself in the time of your difficulty.”

“Oh, I know it is myself she is asking to marry her,” said Bioultach.

“Oh! are you certain?” said she.

“Well, I would rather put the sword through my heart than marry her, after seeing you or the like of you.”

“Oh! Bioultach, you have your choice. I am the woman who has the request to make; and I will release you and bestow on you the boat for ever, marry or marry me not.”

“Oh! I will marry you, and a thousand welcomes. But I don’t know where my comrade is gone. The old clothes that were on him are like those I see thrown yonder.”

“Oh, you will see him, presently.”

There came to him eleven women, and he could not say which of them was the most beautiful. They sat down, and each one of them gave him welcome. There came a gentleman, who was the handsomest he ever saw, and took him by the hand.

“A hundred thousand welcomes to you, Bioultach! I am Keeal-an-Iaran, son of the King of Underwaves, who was under bonds to the Bocaw More; and my twelve sisters were hags, as you saw; and I without power to wear any but old clothes, as you saw. Nor could I raise a hand against him. But when I saw you coming, I heard there was not a man to be got as good as you, and I said it was possible we might get the better of him. But we would not get the better of him for ever, only that you let him out each time. But, the thief! that was the thing was worst for himself. And now I will go with you till I leave you safe at home; and my sister, if she is your choice. And if she is not, she will forgive you, and a thousand welcomes, as we are released from the hole in the earth where you saw us.”

“Oh, I will marry my own wife, and will take her home.”

Bioultach, and Keeal-an-Iaran, and the woman went on board the leaden boat till they came to the Island of the Torrent, and they took the eight hundred men and Maunus into the leaden boat. They took Splendour, son of the King of Greece, Splendour-of-the-Sun, son of the King of the Castle of the Stream, Blue Niall, son of the King of Spain, and Feathery Clerk, son of the King of the Western World, on board the leaden boat. The prow to sea they turned, the stern to shore, and they hoisted the great sails, etc., till they came to haven and harbour on the coast of Greece.

The King of Greece was out walking when he saw the hosts making for the court, and he recognised Bioultach.

“Oh, my daughter,” said he, “there are three husbands coming to you alive now; I don’t know to which of them you will be.”

“Oh, I do not know,” said the daughter.

Bioultach came, and all the champions, to the court, and the man of welcome was before them in the king. They passed the night, a third in story-telling, a third in conversation, and a third in soft sleep and deep slumber.

When Maunus arose he asked where was his wife.

“Oh, she is not your wife,” said Blue Niall, “but she is my wife.”

“Oh, she is my wife,” said Feathery Clerk.

By the laws of the land she belonged to Blue Niall.

“Well,” said Maunus, “I will make laws for myself. Any man who will not go for a day and a year into the Bake-house, and suffer three drops of the molten torrent, he shall not get the woman. But any man of you two who goes there, he must get the woman and welcome.”

“Oh, we will not go there, as we have got ourselves out of it.”

“I will go for a year,” said Maunus, “but I must get the woman when I come back.”

“Oh, we will bestow her on you, but you will not go there, nor any one else that we can keep out of it.”

Maunus got the wife; and they prepared a month’s fire and a year’s embers, till he and the daughter of the High King of Greece were married together; and they spent a fortnight after the month in celebrating the wedding with every sort of sport and play. When everything was ended, and each champion was going to his own home, Bioultach said,—

“I believe it is good and right for me to go home to see Erin, and my father and mother.”

“Oh, you are settled now.”

“Oh,” said Keeal-an-Iaran, “I will go with you to see you and my sister in your home.”

When Bioultach arose early, full of brightness, he rubbed palm to poll and palm to forehead, to let it be seen that he, as a lion in his valour, was the best in spirit, in beauty, and in courage. He went down to the sea, with his wife and her brother. They bade farewell to the king and the nobles of the court, and went on board the leaden boat. And they hoisted their great sails, etc., till to haven they came and harbour at Binn Edin Vik Shanla, the place where the first ship ever came to Erin.

They found the ford, I the stepping-stones. They were drowned, and I came safe.

[3] Or Left-handed. The Irish word means both.

[4] Eleven would apparently be the correct number.

_KING MANANAUN._

_Narrator, P. M’GRALE, Achill._

There was a king in Erin, whose name was King Mananaun. He was the king of druidism and enchantments and devilscraft. A daughter was born to him, whose name was Pampogue, and she had twelve women attending her, and twelve maids serving her. There was another king in Erin, whose name was King Keeluch, and to him was born a son, whose name was Kaytuch. He took the son to the old wise man, and asked him where he should put his son to learn druidism and devilscraft, so that neither man nor weapon should get victory over him. The old wise man told him to put him with King Mananaun; that he was the best man of druidism to be found. “And a year from this night” (said he) “there was a daughter born to him, and there are twelve women attending her, and twelve maids serving her, and his son would have the same.”

There was a third king, whose name was Londu, son of the King of Gur, and to him a son was born; and he also went to the wise old man to ask him where was the best place to put his son to learn druidism and devilscraft, and the wise old man told him to put him with King Mananaun.

The three were going to school together when Pampogue was sixteen years old, Kaytuch fifteen, and Londu fourteen. They were coming home from school, and they went into the smith’s forge; and Kaytuch took a bar of iron and twisted it in his hand, and he threw it to Londu, and told him to straighten it. And he took a nail and asked the other prince what he would take to leave his hand on the anvil, and to leave the nail on his hand, and a blow of the great sledge-hammer to be struck on the nail; and (the other) said he would give it, if he would allow him a blow without defence in the first battle between them; and Kaytuch said he would allow it, and he drove the nail through the palm of Londu into the anvil. And she laughed, and went out and home to her father’s house.

When the smith saw what was done in the forge he asked Londu what he would give him to loose him. He said that he was a poor gentleman, but that if he ever came into his heirship he would give him the price of his service. The smith took hammering with him, and hammered at the top of the nail, and he put something under the palm and raised it up. He went to the house of the king and said not a word; but the king knew all.

In the morning the king wrote to their fathers, and bade them come to dinner the next day; and the two kings came and consumed the feast, and asked was it gold or silver was wanting to him? if it was they would give it. And he said it was not, but that there was a dispute between their two sons, and he would like them to settle it. “And I know” (said he) “it is jealousy is the cause.” The fathers said that whatever he would do they were satisfied. “I will open the doors, and I will put the three inside. Let one man come out by one door, and the other man by the other door, and whichever of them she follows, let her be his.”

When the fathers were gone he put the three into the house and opened the doors, and she followed Kaytuch. When Londu went out he saw Kaytuch, and asked if he remembered that he had a blow without defence to get on him in their first battle. Kaytuch said, in his opinion this was no battle.

“No battle at all is there greater than a fight about a woman.”

Kaytuch dropped his hands, and Londu drew his sword, and cut the head off him. Londu asked her, “Will you take me now he is dead?” She refused, and said she would not marry him. She took Kaytuch and put him in a box, and herbs of the hill about him. She went then and fitted out a ship great and gallant, till she raised the great sails, speckled, spotted, as long, as high as the top of the mast; and she left not a rope without breaking, an oar without tearing, with the crawling, creeping creatures, the little beasts, the great beasts of the deep sea coming up on the handle and blade of the oar, till she let two thirds (of the sail) go, and one third held in, till the eels were whistling, the froth down, and the sand above; till she overtook the red wind of March that was before her, and the red wind of March that was after did not overtake her; and she was sailing nine months before she came to land.

She came near land and cast anchor, and she saw two men coming, and they carrying a dead man with them. In the morning the three were going, and in the evening two were coming, carrying the dead man again, and it was like that for three days. One of the men went out in a currach, and asked her who she was, or what she was seeking. “If it’s a husband that’s wanting to you, come and you will get one.”

She told him to be off, or she would sink himself and his old currach.[5] He went and told his brothers how she spoke, and the second of them went and she said the like to him. Said the third man “it is like this I have ever found you.” He went out himself and spoke to her, and said “God save you, young maiden! Is it harm for me to ask who you are, or how far you are going.”

“I will tell you. But will you tell me? Every evening there are two carrying a dead man, and three go away alive in the morning.”

“I will tell you that, young queen, and welcome. When my father and mother were living my father was a king, and when he died, there came Fawgawns and Blue-men on us, and banished us out of two islands; and we are on the top of the third island with them, and as many of them as we kill are alive to fight us again in the morning; and every day they kill one of us, and we bring him to life again with the healing water.”

“With me is a champion, the best that ever struck blow with sword; and I promise you his help for a day if you bring him to life.”

The man went in, and brought the healing water, and rubbed it to the wound; and Kaytuch arose alive again; and he rubbed his eyes with his hands and said “Great was the sleep that was on me”; and she laughed and told him everything from the time the young king cut his head off. “I took you on board ship, and we were sailing for nine months before we came here; and I promised your help for a day to this man if he would bring you to life; but you will not go for a month until you grow strong.”

So he and she spent the night together—a third in talking, a third in story-telling, and a third in soft rest and deep slumber, till the whiteness of the day came upon the morrow.

Then he arose and washed his hands and face and ate his breakfast, and went out on the island and came to the house, and asked where they gave battle. Said they to him: “If you were a good champion you would have searched the place, and you would know in what place they give battle.”

That made him angry, and he went away and followed the little path that led from the house. He did not go far when he saw the blackness of the hill with people coming towards him. He ran through them as runs a hawk through flocks of wild birds, or a hound through flocks of sheep, till he made a heap of their heads, a heap of their feet, and a heap of their arms and clothes. They would be a prize for him if he thought them any good.

He stretched himself among the dead to see who else was coming. He was not long stretched before he saw an old man and an old woman coming, and a pot and a feather with them; and they threw a dash on the men on this side and that, and they (were) rising alive like midges. He told them to make no more alive till he killed those they had brought to life. He killed every one of them, and the old man and the old woman; and the old woman put him under bond to tell the hag of the church that he had killed the Hag of Slaughter and Slaughter himself. He went with himself along the road till he met with a tall, toothless, rusty hag. He asked her if she was the hag of the church; she said it was she. “I give you notice that I have killed the Hag of Slaughter and Slaughter himself.” She gave him a hundred welcomes, and she told him she had been three years in hell to learn druidism and devilscraft; for it was foretold her that he would come against them that way.

“Go home, and I forgive you.” He said he would not go. Said she to him, “Use your sword.” He drew a blow of the sword at her and struck her, and there was a dint in the sword that spoiled it for striking, and he put it up in the sheath.

“I forgive you now, and go home.” He said he would not go. “Throw me into a hole of water.” He threw her; and she was three quarters of an hour in the hole, and he on top of her to keep her down. She got up as fresh as she was before he threw her down.

“I forgive you, Kaytuch.”

“I forgive not you.”

“Throw me down into a pot of brimstone.”

He threw her; and she was three quarters of an hour in it. She arose as fresh as she was at first. “I forgive you now.”

“I forgive not you. Defend yourself now.”

He drew his sword on her and struck her, but there was no good in the sword. She put her hands over and took hold of his skin, and put her nails into his blood, and took the full of her fist of his flesh with her. He was about to give up, when the bird spoke to him, to pull her head from its roots. He leaped high, and stood on her shoulders, and took hold of her head, and pulled it from its roots. She put druidism on him then. “Tell the Lamb of Luck that you have killed the Hag of Slaughter and Slaughter himself and the Hag of the Church.”

He went along the path, and he came to a great field, and in the field was nothing but a tree, and a big rock of stone, and the lamb. “Are you the Lamb of Luck?”

“I am.”

“I give you notice I have killed the Hag of Slaughter and Slaughter himself and the Hag of the Church.”

The lamb came running to him; and there came near him nothing but the wind, and he fell on the ground; and when he got up he went to the tree, and he and the lamb were running round the tree. He ran from the tree, and leaped round the rock. It was nine perches high and the same in breadth. The lamb leaped through the rock, and put his head into it; and when his head was fastened in the rock, Kaytuch came and cut the head off with his sword. The lamb put him under spells: “Tell the cat of Hoorebrikë[6] that you have killed the Hag of Slaughter and Slaughter himself and the Lamb of Luck.” He met the cat of Hoorebrikë at the edge of a glen, and he asked, “Are you the cat of Hoorebrikë?”

“I am.”

He struck a blow of his sword at the cat and split it, and when the sword went through the cat fastened together again. He drew a second blow at the cat, and split it from the snout to the tip of the tail, and the cat fastened again. When he was drawing the third blow, the cat leaped and put the tip of her tail into his side, and there was a barb of poison at the tip of the tail, and it took the heart of Kaytuch out; and Kaytuch took hold of the cat, and thrust his fist into her mouth, and took her heart and entrails out in his hand, and the cat and Kaytuch fell dead.

And one of the three men said, “Let us rise out, and let us help that man.” Said another of them, “Oh! it was for a day; let it be for a day, and him do the work of the day himself; that they would go to help him on the next day.” They rose out and went with themselves after him, and as they were going they found the slaughter made, till they came and found himself and the cat killed. They took hold of the heart and insides that were in his fist, and put them into his belly again. They rubbed the healing water on him, and he was as well as he was ever before.