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| ISBN-13: | 9780486311333 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 10/06/2012 |
| Series: | Celtic, Irish |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 608 |
| File size: | 703 KB |
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Hero-Tales of Ireland
By Jeremiah Curtin
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1999 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-31133-3
CHAPTER 1
ELIN GOW, THE SWORDSMITH FROM ERIN, AND THE COW GLAS GAINACH.
ONCE King Under the Wave went on a visit to the King of Spain, for the two were great friends. The King of Spain was complaining, and very sorry that he had not butter enough. He had a great herd of cows; but for all that, he had not what butter he wanted. He said that he'd be the richest man in the world if he had butter in plenty for himself and his people.
"Do not trouble your mind," said King Under the Wave. "I will give you Glas Gainach, — a cow that is better than a thousand cows, and her milk is nearly all butter."
The King of Spain thanked his guest for the promise, and was very glad. King Under the Wave kept his word; he sent Glas Gainach, and a messenger with instructions how to care for the cow, and said that if she was angered in any way she would not stay out at pasture. So the king took great care of her; and the report went through all nations that the King of Spain had the cow called Glas Gainach.
The King of Spain had an only daughter, and he was to give the cow with the daughter; and the cow was a great fortune, the best dower in the world at that time. The king said that the man who would do what he put on him would get the daughter and the cow.
Champions came from every part of the world, each man to try his fortune. In a short time hundreds and thousands of men lost their heads in combat. The king agreed then that any man who would serve seven years, and bring the cow safe and sound every day of that time to the castle, would have her.
In minding the cow, the man had to follow her always, never go before her, or stop her, or hold her. If he did, she would run home to the castle. The man must stop with her when she wanted to get a bite or a drink She never travelled less than sixty miles a day, eating a good bite here and a good bite there, and going hither and over.
The King of Spain never told men how to mind the cow; he wanted them to lose their heads, for then he got their work without wages.
One man would mind her for a day; another would follow her to the castle for two days; a third might go with her for a week, and sometimes a man could not come home with her the first day. The man should be loose and swift to keep up with Glas Gainach. The day she walked least she walked sixty miles; some days she walked much more.
It was known in Erin that there was such a cow, and there was a smith in Cluainte above here, three miles north of Fintra, and his name was Elin Gow. He was the best man in Erin to make a sword or any weapon of combat. From all parts of Erin, and from other lands also, young princes who were going to seek their fortunes came to him to have him make swords for them. Now what should happen but this? It came to him in a dream three nights in succession that he was to go for Glas Gainach, the wonderful cow. At last he said, "I will go and knock a trial out of her; I will go toward her."
He went to Tramor, where there were some vessels. It was to the King of Munster that he went, and asked would he lend him a vessel. Elin Gow had made many swords for the king. The king said that he would lend the vessel with willingness, and that if he could do more for him he would do it. Elin Gow got the vessel, and put stores in it for a day and a year. He turned its prow then to sea and its stern to land, and was ploughing the main ocean till he steered into the kingdom of Spain as well as if he had had three pilots, and there was no one but himself in it. He let the wind guide the ship, and she came into the very harbor of the province where the king's castle was.
When Elin Gow came in, he cast two anchors at the ocean side and one at the shore side, and settled the ship in such a way that there was not a wave to strike her, nor a wind to rock her, nor a crow to drop on her; and he left her so that nothing would disturb her, and a fine, smooth strand before her: he left her fixed for a day and a year, though he might not be absent an hour.
He left the vessel about midday, and went his way walking, not knowing where was he or in what kingdom. He met no man or beast in the place. Late in the evening he saw, on a broad green field at a distance, a beautiful castle, the grandest he had ever set eyes on.
When he drew near the castle, the first house he found was a cottage at the wayside; and when he was passing, who should see him but a very old man inside in the cottage. The old man rose up, and putting his two hands on the jambs of the door, reached out his head and hailed him. Elin Gow turned on his heel; then the old man beckoned to him to enter.
There were four men in front of the castle, champions of valor, practising feats of arms. Flashes of light came from their swords. These men were so trained that they would not let a sword-stroke touch any part of their bodies.
"Come in," said the old man; "maybe you would like to have dinner. You have eaten nothing on the way."
"That was a mistake of my own," said Elin Gow; "for in my ship are provisions of all kinds in plenty."
"Never mind," said the old man; "you will not need them in this place;" and going to a chest, he took out a cloth which he spread on a table, and that moment there came on it food for a king or a champion. Elin Gow had never seen a better dinner in Erin.
"What is your name and from what place are you?" asked the old man of his guest.
"From Erin," said he, "and my name is Elin Gow. What country is this, and what castle is that out before us?"
"Have you ever heard talk of the kingdom of Spain?" asked the old man.
"I have, and 't is to find it that I left home."
"Well, this is the kingdom of Spain, and that building beyond is the castle of the king."
"And is it here that Glas Gainach is?"
"It is," said the old man. "And is it for her that you left Erin?"
"It is then," said Elin Gow.
"I pity you," said the old man; "it would be fitter for you to stop at home and mind something else than to come hither for that cow. 'T is not hundreds but thousands of men that have lost their heads for her, and I am in dread that you'll meet the same luck."
"Well, I will try my fortune," said Elin Gow. "'T is through dreams that I came."
"I pity you," said the old man, "and moreover because you are from Erin. I am half of your country, for my mother was from Erin. Do you know now how this cow will be got?"
"I do not," said Elin Gow; "I know nothing in the world about it."
"You will not be long," said the old man, "without knowledge. I'll tell you about her, and what conditions will be put on you by the king. He will bind you for the term of seven years to bring the cow home safe and sound to his castle every evening. If you fail to bring her, your head will be cut off that same evening. That is one way by which many kings' sons and champions that came from every part of the world were destroyed. There are spikes all around behind the castle, and a head on each spike of them. You will see for yourself to-morrow when you go to the castle, and a dreadful sight it is, for you will not be able to count the heads that are there on the spikes. I will give you now an advice that I have never given any man before this, but I have heard of you from my mother. You would be a loss to the country you came from. You are a great man to make swords and all kinds of weapons for champions.
"The king will not tell you what to do, but I'll tell you: you'll be as swift as you can when you go with the cow; keep up with her always. The day she moves least she will travel thirty miles going and thirty miles coming, and you will have rest only while she'll be feeding, and she will take only a few minutes here and a few minutes there; wherever she sees the best place she'll take a bite; and do not disturb her wherever she turns or walks, and do not go before her or drive her. If you do what I say, there will be no fear of you, if you can be so swift as to keep up with the cow."
"I am not in dread of falling back," said Elin Gow.
"Then there will be no fear of you at all," said the old man.
Elin Gow remained in the cottage that night. In the morning the old man spread his cloth on the table; food and drink for a king or a champion were on it that moment. Elin Gow ate and drank heartily, left good health with the old man, and went to the castle. The king had a man called the Tongue-speaker, who met and announced every stranger. "Who are you or why do you come to the castle?" asked this man of Elin Gow.
"I wish to speak to the king about Glas Gainach."
"Oh," said the speaker, "you are badly wanted, for it is three days since the last man that was after her lost his head. Come, and I will show it to you on the spike, and I am in dread your own head will be in a like place."
"Never mind," said Elin Gow; "misfortune cannot be avoided. We will do our best."
The Tongue-speaker went to the king then, and said, "There is a man outside who has come for Glas Gainach."
The king went out, and asked Elin Gow what he wanted or what brought him. He told him, as he told the speaker, that it was for the cow he had come.
"And is it in combat or in peace that you want to get her?"
"'T is in peace," said Elin Gow.
"You can try with swords or with herding, whichever you wish."
"We will choose the herding," said Elin Gow.
"Well," said the king, "this is how we will bind ourselves. You are to bring Glas Gainach here to me every evening safe and sound during seven years, and, if you fail, 't is your head that you will lose. Do you see those heads on the spikes there behind? 'T is on account of Glas Gainach they are there. If you come home with the cow every night, she will be yours when seven years are spent, — I bind myself to that," said the king.
"Well," said Elin Gow, "I am satisfied with the conditions."
Next morning Glas Gainach was let out, and both went together all day, she and Elin Gow. She went so swiftly that he threw his cap from him; he could not carry it half the day. All the rest he had was while she was feeding in any place. He was after her then till she came home, and he brought her back as safe and sound as in the morning. The king came out and welcomed him, saying, "You've taken good care of her; many a man went after her that did not bring her home the first day."
"Life is sweet," said Elin Gow; "I did the best hand I could. I know what I have to get if I fail to bring her."
The king gave Elin Gow good food and drink, so that he was more improving than failing in strength, and made his way and brought the cow every day till he had the seven years spent; then he said to the king, "My time is up; will I get the cow?"
"Oh, why not?" said the king. "You will: you have earned her well; you have done more than any man who walked the way before. See now how many have lost their heads; count them. You are better than any of them. I would not deny or break my word or agreement. You were bound to bring her, and I am bound to give her. Now she is yours and not mine, but if she comes back here again, don't have any eye after her; you'll not get her."
"That will do," said Elin Gow. "I will take good care not to let her come to you. I minded her the last seven years."
"Well," said the king, "I don't doubt you."
They gave the cow food that morning inside; did not let her out at all. Elin Gow bound the cow in every way he wished, to bring her to the vessel. He used all his strength, raised the two anchors on the ocean side, pulled in the vessel to put the cow on board. When Elin Gow was on board, he turned the stem of the ship toward the sea, and the stern toward land. He was sailing across the wide ocean till he came to Tramor, the port in Erin from which he had started when going to Spain. Elin Gow brought Glas Gainach on shore, took her to Cluainte, and was minding her as carefully as when he was with the King of Spain:
Elin Gow was the best man in Erin to make swords and all weapons for champions; his name was in all lands. The King of Munster had four sons, and the third from the oldest was Cian. He was neither dreaming nor thinking of anything night or day but feats of valor; his grandfather, Art Mac Cuin, had been a great champion, and was very fond of Cian. He used to say, "Kind father and grandfather for him; he is not like his three brothers."
When twenty years old, Cian said, "I will go to try my fortune. My father has heirs enough. I would try other kingdoms if I had a sword."
"You may have my sword," said the father.
Cian gave the sword a trial, and at the first turn he broke it. "No sword will please me," said Cian, "unless, while grasping the hilt with the blade pointed forward, I can bend the blade till its point touches my elbow on the upper side, then let it spring back and bend it again till the point touches my elbow on the under side."
"There is not a man in Erin who could make a sword like that," said the father, "but Elin Gow, and I am full sure that he will not make it at this time, for he is minding Glas Gainach. He earned her well, and he will guard her; seven years did he travel bareheaded without hat or cap, — a thing which no man could do before him. It would be useless to go to him, for he has never worked a stroke in the forge since he brought Glas Gainach to Erin, and he would not let her go. He would make the sword but for that. It's many a sword he made for me."
"Well, I will try him," said Cian. "I will ask him to make the sword."
Cian started, and never stopped till he stood before Elin Gow at Cluainte, and told him who he was.
Elin Gow welcomed the son of the king, and said, "Your father and I were good friends in our young years. It was often I made swords and other weapons for him. And what is it that brought you to-day?"
"It is a sword I want. I wish to go and seek my fortune in some foreign land. I want a good sword, and my father says you are the best man in Erin to make one."
"I was," said Elin Gow; "and I am sorry that I cannot make you one now. I am engaged in minding Glas Gainach; and I would not trust any one after her but myself, and I have enough to do to mind her."
Cian told how the sword was to be made.
"Oh," said Elin Gow, "I would make it in any way you like but for the cow, and I would not wish to let your father's son go away without a sword. I will direct you to five or six smiths that are making swords now, in place of me since I went for Glas Gainach."
He gave the names, and the king's son went away.
None of them could make the sword in the way Cian wanted. He came back to Elin Gow.
"You have your round made?" said Elin Gow.
"I have," said Cian, "but in vain; for none of them would make the sword in the way asked of him."
"Well, I do not wish to let you go. I will take the risk."
"Very well," said Cian; "I will go after Glas Gainach to-morrow, while you are making the sword, and if I don't bring her, you may have my head in the evening."
"Well," said Elin Gow, "I am afraid to trust you, for many a champion lost his head on account of her before; but I'll run the risk. I must make the sword for you."
The king's son stopped that night with Elin Gow, who gave him the best food and drink he had, and let out Glas Gainach before him next morning, and told him not to come in front of her in any place where she might want to feed or drink. He advised him in every way how to take care of her. Away went Cian with the cow, and he was doing the right thing all day. She moved on always, and went as far as Caorha, southwest of Tralee, the best spot of land in Kerry for grass. When she had eaten enough, she turned toward home, and Cian was at her tail all the day. When he and Glas Gainach were five miles this side of Tralee, near the water at Derrymor, where she used to drink, Cian saw her going close to deep water; he came before her, and turned her back; and what did she do but jump through the air like a bird, and then she went out through the sea and left him. He walked home sad and mournful, and came to Elin Gow's house. The smith asked him had he the cow, and he said, "I have not. I was doing well till I came to Derrymor, and she went so near deep water that I was afraid she would go from me. I stopped her, and what did she do but fly away like a bird, and go out through the sea."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Hero-Tales of Ireland by Jeremiah Curtin. Copyright © 1999 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION"ELIN GOW, THE SWORDSMITH FROM ERIN, AND THE COW GLAS GAINACH"
MOR'S SONS AND THE HERDER FROM UNDER THE SEA
SAUDAN OG AND THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF SPAIN; YOUNG CONAL AND THE YELLOW KING'S DAUGHTER
THE BLACK THIEF AND KING CONAL'S THREE HORSES
"THE KING'S SON FROM ERIN, THE SPRISAWN, AND THE DARK KING"
THE AMADAN MOR AND THE GRUAGACH OF THE CASTLE OF GOLD
THE KING'S SON AND THE WHITE-BEARDED SCOLOG
DYEERMUD ULTA AND THE KING IN SOUTH ERIN
"CUD, CAD, AND MICAD, THREE SONS OF THE KING OF URHU"
"CAHAL, SON OF KING CONOR, IN ERIN, AND BLOOM OF YOUTH, DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF HATHONY"
COLDFEET AND THE QUEEN OF LONESOME ISLAND
"LAWN DYARRIG, SON OF THE KING OF ERIN, AND THE KNIGHT OF TERRIBLE VALLEY"
BALOR ON TORY ISLAND
"BALOR OF THE EVIL EYE AND LUI LAVADA, HIS GRANDSON"
"ART, THE KING'S SON, AND BALOR BEIMENACH, TWO SONS-IN-LAW OF KING UNDER THE WAVE"
SHAWN MACBREOGAN AND THE KING OF THE WHITE NATION
THE COTTER'S SON AND THE HALF SLIM CHAMPION
"BLAIMAN, SON OF APPLE, IN THE KINGDOM OF THE WHITE STRAND"
FIN MACCOOL AND THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF THE WHITE NATION
"FIN MACCOOL , THE THREE GIANTS, AND THE SMALL MEN"
"FIN MACCOOL, CEADACH OG, AND THE FISH-HAG"
"FIN MACCOOL, FAOLAN, AND THE MOUNTAIN OF HAPPINESS"
"FIN MACCOOL, THE HARD GILLA, AND THE HIGH KING"
THE BATTLE OF VENTRY
NOTES