CHAPTER XII

The Tale of Vivionn the Giantess

One day Finn and Goll, Keelta and Oscar, and others of the Fianna, were resting after the hunt on a certain hill now called the Ridge of the Dead Woman, and their meal was being got ready, when a girl of the kin of the giants came striding up and sat down among them.  “Didst thou ever see a woman so tall?” asked Finn of Goll.  “By my troth,” said Goll, “never have I or any other seen a woman so big.”  She took her hand out of her bosom and on her long slender fingers there were three gold rings each as thick as an ox’s yoke.  “Let us question her,” said Goll, and Finn said, “If we stood up, perchance she might hear us.”

So they all rose to their feet, but the giantess, on that, rose up too.  “Maiden,” said Finn, “if thou have aught to say to us or to hear from us, sit down and lean thine elbow on the hill-side.”  So she lay down and Finn bade her say whence she came and what was her will with them.  “Out of the World Oversea where the sun sets am I come,” she said, “to seek thy protection, O mighty Finn.”  “And what is thy name?” “My name is Vivionn of the Fair Hair, and my father Treon is called King of the Land of Lasses, for he has but three sons and nine and seven score daughters, and near him is a King who hath one daughter and eight score sons.  To one of these, AEda, was I given in marriage sorely against my will.  Three times now have I fled from him.  And this time it was fishermen whom the wind blew to us from off this land who told us of a mighty lord here, named Finn, son of Cumhal, who would let none be wronged or oppressed, but he would be their friend and champion.  And if thou be he, to thee am I come.”  Then she laid her hand in Finn’s, and he bade her do the same with Goll mac Morna, who was second in the Fian leadership, and she did so.

Then the maiden took from her head a jewelled golden helmet, and immediately her hair flowed out in seven score tresses, fair, curly and golden, at the abundance of which all stood amazed; and Finn said, “By the Immortals that we adore, but King Cormac and the poetess Ethne and the fair women-folk of the Fianna would deem it a marvel to see this girl.  Tell us now, maiden, what portion wilt thou have of meat and drink? will that of a hundred of us suffice thee?” The girl then saw Cnu, the dwarf harper of Finn, who had just been playing to them, and she said, “Whatever thou givest to yon little man that bears the harp, be it much or little, the same, O Finn, will suffice for me.”

Then she begged a drink from them, and Finn called his gillie, Saltran, and bade him fetch the full of a certain great goblet with water from the ford; now this goblet was of wood, and it held as much as nine of the Fianna could drink.  The maiden poured some of the water into her right hand and drank three sips of it, and scattered the rest over the Fianna, and she and they burst out laughing.  Finn said, “On thy conscience, girl, what ailed thee not to drink out of the goblet?” “Never,” she replied, “have I drunk out of any vessel but there was a rim of gold to it, or at least of silver.”