Gods and Fighting Men eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 602 pages of information about Gods and Fighting Men.

Gods and Fighting Men eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 602 pages of information about Gods and Fighting Men.

Then Daire of the poems stood up before Grania, and sang the songs and good poems of her fathers to her.  And there was sitting near to Grania a knowledgeable man, a Druid of Finn’s people, and it was not long until they began to talk together.  “Tell me now,” said Grania, “who is that man on the right hand of Oisin?” “That is Goll, son of Morna,” said the Druid, “the ready fighter.”  “Who is that beside Goll?” said Grania.  “Osgar, son of Oisin,” said the Druid.  “And who is that thin-legged man beside Osgar?” “That is Caoilte, son of Ronan.”  “Who is that proud, hasty man beside Caoilte?” “Lugaidh’s Son of the Strong Hand.”  “Who is that sweet-worded man,” she said then, “with the dark hair, and cheeks like the rowan berry, on the left side of Oisin, son of Finn?” “That is Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne,” said the Druid, “that is the best lover of women in the whole world.”  “That is a good company,” said Grania.

And after the feast had gone on a while, their own feast was made for the dogs outside.  And the dogs began to fight with one another, and the noise was heard in the hall, and the chief men of the Fianna went to drive them away from one another.

Now Diarmuid was used to keep his cap always over the love-spot the woman had left on his forehead, for no woman could see that spot but she would give him her love.  And it chanced, while he was driving the dogs apart, the cap fell from him, and Grania was looking cut at him as it fell, and great love for him came on her there and then.  And she called her serving-maid to her, and bade her bring the great golden cup that held drink for nine times nine men from the sunny house.  And when the serving-maid brought the cup, she filled it with wine that had enchantment in it, and she said:  “Give the cup first to Finn, and bid him take a drink from it, and tell him it is I myself sent it to him.”  So the serving-maid did that, and Finn took the cup and drank out of it, and no sooner did he drink than he fell into a deep sleep.  And then the cup was given to the king, and the queen, and the sons of kings, and the whole company, but only Oisin and Osgar and Caoilte and Diarmuid, and Diorraing the Druid.  And all that drank of it fell into the same heavy sleep.

And when they were all in their sleep, Grania rose up softly from the seat where she was, and she turned her face to Diarmuid, and she said:  “Will you take my love, Diarmuid, son of Duibhne, and will you bring me away out of this house to-night?”

“I will not,” said Diarmuid; “I will not meddle with the woman that is promised to Finn.”  “If that is so,” said Grania, “I put you under Druid bonds, to bring me out of this house to-night before the awaking of Finn and of the King of Ireland from their sleep.”

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Gods and Fighting Men from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.