Books: The King of Ireland\'s Son
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Padraic Colum >> The King of Ireland\'s Son
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It was so with all the other cats. They finished lapping their milk and Morag
showed them the red ribbon satchel. They let her put it round each of ' their
necks and then they sprang off the table, and marched off more scornful and
overbearing than before.
Six of the fierce yellow cats climbed into the branches of the Fairy Rowan
Tree; six stayed in the kitchen; six went into Crom Duv's chamber, and six
went to march round the house, three taking each side. No sound came from the
cats that were within or without. Morag drew a ball of cotton across the
floor, and the cats that were in the kitchen gave no sign of seeing it. "The
sight has left their eyes," said Morag. "Then," said Flann, "I will climb the
Fairy Rowan Tree and bring down two berries." "Be sure you bring down two, my
dear, my dear," said Morag.
They went out to the courtyard and Flann began to climb the Fairy Rowan Tree
with all suppleness, strength and cunning. The cats that were below felt him
going up the tree and the cats that were above humped themselves up. Flann
passed the first branch on which a cat was crouched. He went above where the
rowan berries were, and bending down he picked two of them and put them into
his mouth.
He came down quickly with the cats tearing at him. Others had come out of the
house and were mewing and spitting in the courtyard. Only one had fastened
itself on Flann's jerkin, and this one would not let go. "Come into the wood,
come into the wood," said Morag. "Now we must stand between the house and the
mound, and wait till the Pooka rides by." Flann put the two berries into her
hand, they jumped across the chain, and ran from the house of the Giant Crom
Duv.
VII
They went into the wood, Flann and Morag, and the Little Red Hen was under
Morag's arm. They thought they would hide behind trees until they heard the
coming of the Pooka and his horse. But they were not far in the wood when they
heard Crom Duv coming towards his house. He came towards them with the iron
spike in his hand. Flann and Morag ran. Then from tree to tree Crom Duv chased
them, shouting and snorting and smashing down branches with the iron spike in
his hand. Morag and Flann came to a stream, and as they ran along its bank
they heard the trampling and panting of a horse coming towards them. Up it
came, a great black horse with a sweeping mane. "Halt, Pooka," said Flann in a
commanding voice. The black horse halted and the Pooka that was its rider
slipped down to its tail.
Flann held the snorting horse and Morag got on its back. Then Flann sprang up
between Morag and the horse's head. Crom Duv was just beside them. "Away,
Pooka, away," said Flann, and the horse started through the wood like the wind
of March.
And then Crom Duv blew on the horn that was across his breast and the Bull of
the Mound bellowed in answer. As they went by the mound the Bull charged down
and its horns tossed the tail of the Pooka's horse. The Bull turned and swept
after them with his head down and hot breath coming out of his nostrils. And
when they were in the hollow he was on the height, and when they were on the
height he was in the hollow. And a hollow or a height behind his Bull came
Crom Duv himself.
Then the breath of the Bull became hot upon Morag and Flann and the Pooka.
"Oh, what shall we do now?" said Morag to the Pooka who was hanging on to the
horse's tail, his little face all twisted up with fear.
"Put your hand into my horse's ear and fling behind what you will find there,"
said the Pooka, his teeth chattering. Flann put his hand into the horse's
right ear and found a twig of ash. He flung it behind them. Instantly a
tangled wood sprang up. They heard the Bull driving through the tangle of the
wood and they heard Crom Duv shouting as he smashed his way through the brakes
and branches. But the Bull and the man got through the wood and again they
began to gain on the Pooka's horse. Again the breath of the Bull became hot
upon them. "Oh, Pooka, what shall we do now?" said Morag.
"Put your hand into my horse's ear and fling behind what you will find there,"
said the Pooka, his teeth chattering with fear as he held on to his horse's
tail. Flann put his hand into the horse's left ear and he found a bubble of
water. He flung it behind them. Instantly it spread out as a lake and as they
rode on, the lake waters spread behind them.
Morag and Flann never knew whether the Giant and the Bull went into that lake,
or if they did, whether they ever came out of it. They crossed the river that
marked the bounds of Crom Duv's domain and they were safe. Flann pulled up the
horse and jumped on to the ground. Morag sprang down with the Little Red Hen.
Then the Pooka swung forward and whispered into his horse's ear. Instantly it
struck fire out of its hooves and sprang down the side of a hill. From that
day to this Morag nor Flann ever saw sight of the Pooka and his big, black,
snorting and foaming horse.
"Dost thou know where we are, my Little Red Hen?" said Morag when the sun was
in the sky again.
"There are things I know and things I don't know," said the Little Red Hen,
"but I know we are near the place we started from."
"Which way do we go to come to that place, my Little Red Hen?" said Morag.
"The way of the sun," said the Little Red Hen. So Morag and Flann went the way
of the sun and the Little Red Hen hopped beside them. Morag had in a weasel-
skin purse around her neck the two rowan berries that Flann had given her.
They went towards the house of the Spae-Woman. And as they went Morag told
Flann of the life she had there when she and her foster-sisters were growing
up, and Flann told Morag of the things he did when he was in the house of the
Spae-Woman after she and her foster-sisters had left it.
They climbed the heather-covered knowe on which was the Spae-Woman's house and
the Little Red Hen went flitting and fluttering towards the gate. The Spae-
Woman's old goat was standing in the yard, and its horns went down and its
beard touched its knees and it looked at the Little Red Hen. Then the Little
Red Hen flew up on its back. "We're here again, here again," said the Little
Red Hen.
And then the Spae-Woman came to the door and saw who the comers were. She
covered them with kisses and watered them with tears, and dried them with
cloths silken and with the hair of her head.
VIII
Flann told the Spae-Woman all his adventures. And when he had told her all he
said--"What Queen is my mother, O my fosterer? "Your mother," said the Spae-
Woman, "is Caintigern, the Queen of the King of Ireland."
"And is my mother then not Sheen whose story has been told me?" "Her name was
changed to Caintigern when her husband who was called the Hunter-King made
himself King over Ireland and began to rule as King Connal."
"Then who is my comrade who is called the King of Ireland's Son?"
"He too is King Connal's son, born of a queen who died at his birth and who
was wife to King Connal before he went on his wanderings and met Sheen your
mother."
And as the Spae-Woman said this someone came and stood at the doorway. A girl
she was and wherever the sun was it shone on her, and wherever the breeze was
it rippled over her. White as the snow upon a lake frozen over was the girl,
and as beautiful as flowers and as alive as birds were her eyes, while her
cheeks had the red of fox-gloves and her hair was the blending of five bright
soft colors. She looked at Flann happily and her eyes had the kind look that
was always in Morag's eyes. And she came and 'knelt down, putting her hands on
his knees. "I am Morag, Flann," she said.
"Morag indeed," said he, "but how have you become so fair?"
"I have eaten the berry from the Fairy Rowan Tree," said she, "and now I am as
fair as I should be."
All day they were together and Flann was happy that his friend was so
beautiful and that so beautiful a being was his friend. And he told her of his
adventures in the Town of the Red Castle and of the Princess Flame-of-Wine and
his love for her. "And if you love her still I will never see you again," said
Morag.
"But," said Flann, "I could not love her after the way she mocked at me."
"When did she mock at you?"
"When I took her a message that the Spae-Woman told me to give her."
"And what was that message?"
"'Ask her,' said the Spae-Woman, 'for seven drops of her heart's blood--she
can give them and live--so that the spell may be taken from the seven wild
geese and the mother who longs for you may be at peace again.' This was the
message the Spae-Woman told me to give Flame-of-Wine. And though I had given
her wonderful gifts she laughed at me when I took it to her. And by the way
she laughed I knew she was hard of heart."
"Yet seven drops of heart's blood are hard to give," said Morag sadly.
"But the maiden who loves can give them," said the Spae-Woman who was behind.
"It is true, foster-mother," said Morag.
That evening Morag said, "To-morrow I must pre-pare for my journey to the
Queen of Senlabor. You, Flann, may not come with me. The Spae-Woman has sent a
message to your mother, and you must be here to meet her when she comes. A
happy meeting to her and you, 0 Flann of my heart. And I shall leave you a
token to give to her. So to-morrow I go to the Queen of Senlabor with the
Rowan Berry and I shall bring my Little Red Hen for company, and shall stay
only until my sisters are wed to Dermott and Downal, your brothers."
The next day when he came into the house he saw Morag dressed for her journey
but seated at the fire. She was pale and ill-looking. "Do not go to-day,
Morag," said he. "I shall go to-day," said Morag. She put her hand into the
bosom of her dress and took out a newly-woven handkerchief folded. "This is a
token for your mother," she said. "I have woven it for her. Give her this gift
from me when you have welcomed her."
"That I will do, Morag, my heart," said Flann.
The Spae-Woman came in and kissed Morag good-by and said the charm for a
journey over her.
May my Silver-
Shielded Magian
Shed all lights
Across your path.
Then Morag put the Little Red Hen under her arm and started out. "I shall find
you," said she to Flann, "at the Castle of the King of Ireland, for it is
there I shall go when I part from my foster-sisters and the Queen of Senlabor.
Kiss me now. But if you kiss anyone until Story of the Fairy Rowan Tree 29l
you kiss me again you will forget me. Remember that."
"I will remember," said Flann, and he kissed Morag and said, "When you come to
the King of Ireland's Castle we will be married."
"You gave me the Rowan Berry," said Morag, "and the Rowan Berry gave me all
the beauty that should be mine. But what good will my beauty be to me if you
forget me?"
"But, Morag," said he, "how could I forget you?"
She said nothing but went down the side of the knowe and Flann watched and
watched until his eyes had no power to see any more.
The Spae-Woman
I
There are many things to tell you still, my kind foster-child, but little time
have I to tell you them, for the barnacle-geese are flying over the house, and
when they have all flown by I shall have no more to say. And I have to tell
you yet how the King of Ireland's Son won home with Fedelma, the Enchanter's
daughter, and how it came to pass that the Seven Wild Geese that were
Caintigern's brothers were disenchanted and became men again. But above all I
have to tell you the end of that story that was begun in the house of the
Giant Crom Duv--the story of Flann and Morag.
The barnacle-geese are flying over the house as I said. And so they were
crossing and flying on the night the King of Ireland's Son and Fedelma whom he
had brought from the Land of Mist stayed in the house of the Little Sage of
the Mountain. On that night the Little Sage told them from what bird had come
the wing that thatched his house. That was a wonderful story. And he told them
too about the next place they should go to--the Spae-woman's house. There, he
said he would find people that they knew--Flann, the King's Son's comrade, and
Caintigern, the wife of the King of Ireland, and Fedelma's sister, Gilveen.
In the morning the Little Sage of the Mountain took them down the hillside to
the place where Fedelma and the King's Son would get a horse to ride to the
Spae-Woman's house. The Little Sage told them from what people the Spae-Woman
came and why she lived amongst the poor and foolish without name or splendor
or riches. And that, too, was a wonderful story.
Now as the three went along the river-side they saw a girl on the other side
of the river and she was walking from the place towards which they were going.
The girl sang to herself as she went along, and the King's Son and Fedelma and
the Little Sage of the Mountain heard what she sang,--
A berry, a berry, a red rowan berry,
A red rowan berry brought mc beauty and love.
But drops of my heart's blood, drops of my heart's blood,
Seven drops of my heart's blood I have given away.
Seven wild geese were men, seven wild geese were men,
Seven drops of my heart's blood are there for your spell.
A kiss for my love, a kiss for my love,
May his kiss go to none till he meet me again.
If to one go his kiss, if to one go his kiss,
He may meet, he may meet, and not know me again.
The girl on the other bank of the river passed on, and the King's Son and
Fedelma with the Little Sage of the Mountain came to the meadow where the
horse was. A heavy, slow-moving horse he seemed. But when they mounted him
they found he had the three qualities of Finn's steeds--a quick rush against a
hill, the gait of a fox, easy and proud, on the level ground, and the jump of
a deer over harriers. They left health and good luck with the Little Sage of
the Mountain, and on the horse he gave them they rode on to the Spae-Woman's
house.
II
When Fedelma and the King of Ireland's Son came to the Spae-Woman's house, who
was the first person they saw there but Gilveen, Fedelma's sister! She came to
where they reined their horse and smiled in the faces of her sister and the
King of Ireland's Son. And she it was who gave them their first welcome. "And
you will be asking how I came here," said Gilveen, "and I will tell you
without wasting candle-light. Myself and sister Aefa went to the court of the
King of Ireland after you, my sister, had gone from us with the lucky man of
your choice. And as for Aefa, she has been lucky too in finding a match and
she is now married to Maravaun the King's Councillor. I have been with
Caintigern the Queen. And now the Queen is in the house of the Spae-Woman with
the youth Flann and she is longing to give the clasp of welcome to both of
you. And if you sit beside me on this grassy ditch I will tell you the whole
story from the first to the last syllable."
They sat together, and Gilveen told Fedelma and the King's Son the story. The
Spae-Woman had sent a message to Caintigern the Queen to tell her she had
tidings of her first-born son. Thereupon Caintigern went to the Spae-Woman's
house and Gilveen, her attendant, went with her. She found there Flann who had
been known as Gilly of the Goatskin, and knew him for the son who had been
stolen from her when he was born. Flann gave his mother a token which had been
given him by a young woman. The token was a handkerchief and it held seven
drops of heart's blood. The Spae-Woman told the Queen that these seven drops
would disenchant her brothers who had been changed from their own forms into
the forms of seven wild geese.
And while Gilveen was telling them all this Flann came to see whose horse was
there, and great was his joy to find his comrade the King of Ireland's Son.
They knew now that they were the sons of the one father, and they embraced
each other as brothers. And Flann took the hand of Fedelma and he told her
and the King's Son of his love for Morag. But when he was speaking of Morag,
Gilveen went away.
Then Flann took them into the Spae-Woman's house, and the Queen who was seated
at the fire rose up and gave them the clasp of welcome. The face she turned to
the King's Son was kindly and she called him by his child's name. She said too
that she was well pleased that he and Flann her son were good comrades, and
she prayed they would be good comrades always.
Fedelma and the King of Ireland's Son rested themselves for a day. Then the
Spae-Woman said that the Queen would strive on the next night--it was the
night of the full moon--to bring back her seven brothers to their own forms.
The Spae-Woman said too that the Queen and herself should be left alone in the
house and that the King of Ireland's Son with Flann and Fedelma and Gilveen
should go towards the King of Ireland's Castle with MacStairn the woodman, and
wait for the Queen at a place a day's journey away.
So the King of Ireland's Son and Flann, Fedelma and Gilveen bade good-by to
the Queen, to the Spae-Woman and to the Spae-Woman's house, and started their
journey towards the King's Castle with MacStairn the Woodman who walked beside
their horses, a big axe in his hands.
At night MacStairn built two bothies for them--one covered with green boughs
for Fedelma and Gilveen and one covered with cut sods for Flann and the King
of Ireland's Son. Flann lay near the opening of this bothie. And at night,
when the only stir in the forest was that of the leaves whispering to the
Secret People, Gilveen arose from where she lay and came to the other bothie
and whispered Flann's name. He awakened, and thinking that Morag had come back
to him (he had been dreaming of her), he put out his arms, drew Gilveen to him
and kissed her. Then Gilveen ran back to her own bothie. And Flann did not
know whether he had awakened or whether he had remained in a dream.
But when he arose the next morning no thought of Morag was in his mind. And
when the King's Son rode with Fedelma he rode with Gilveen. Afterwards Gilveen
gave him a drink that enchanted him, so that he thought of her night and day.
Neither Fedelma nor the King's Son knew what had come over Flann. They
mentioned the name he had spoken of so often--Morag's name but it seemed as if
it had no meaning for him. At noon they halted to bide until the Queen came
with or without her seven brothers. Flann and Gilveen were always together.
And always Gilveen was smiling.
III
When Caintigern had come, when she knew her son Flann, and when it was known
to her and to the Spae-Woman that the token Morag had given him held the seven
drops of heart's blood that would bring back to their own forms the seven wild
geese that were Caintigern's brothers--when all this was known the Spae-Woman
sent her most secret messenger to the marshes to give word to the seven wild
geese that they were to fly to her house on the night when the moon was full.
Her messenger was the corncrake. She traveled night and day, running swiftly
through the meadows. She hid on the edge of the marshes and craked out her
message to the seven wild geese. At last they heard what she said. On the day
before the night of the full moon they flew, the seven together, towards the
Spae-Woman's house.
No one was in the house but Caintigern the Queen. The door was left open to
the light of the moon. The seven wild geese flew down and stayed outside the
door, moving their heads and wings in the full moonlight.
Then Caintigern arose and took bread that the Spae-Woman had made. She
moistened it in her mouth, and into each bit of moistened bread she put a
piece of the handkerchief that had a drop of blood. She held out her hand,
giving each the moistened bread. The first that ate it fell forward on the
floor of the Spae-Woman's house, his head down on the ground. His sister saw
him then as a kneeling man with this arms held behind him as if they were
bound. And when she looked outside she saw the others like kneeling men with
their heads bent and their arms held behind them. Then Caintigern said, giving
the Spae-Woman her secret name, "O Grania Oi, let it be that my brothers be
changed back to men!" When she said this she saw the Spae-Woman coming across
the court-yard. The Spae-Woman waved her hands over the bent figures. They
lifted themselves up as men--as naked, gray men.
The Spae-Woman gave each a garment and the seven men came into the house. They
would stand and not sit, and for long they had no speech. Their sister knelt
before each and wet his hand with her tears. She thought she should see them
as youths or as young men, and they were gray now and past the prime of their
lives.
They stayed at the house and speech came back to them. Then they longed to go
back to their father's, but Caintigern could not bear that they should go from
her sight. At last four of her brothers went and three stayed with her. They
would go to her husband's Castle and the others would go too after they had
been at their father's. Then one day Caintigern said farewell. The thanks that
was due to the Spae-Woman, she said she would give by her treatment of the
maid who had given the token to her son Flann. And she prayed that Morag would
soon come to the King's Castle.
She went with her three brothers to the place where Flann and the King of
Ireland's Son, Fedelma and Gilveen waited for them. A smith groomed and decked
horses for all of them and they rode towards the King of Ireland's Castle,
MacStairn, the Woodman, going before to announce their coming.
The King of Ireland waited at the stone where the riders to his Castle
dismount, and his steward, his Councillor and his Druid were beside him. He
lifted his wife off her horse and she brought him to Flann. And when the King
looked into Flann's eyes he knew he was his son and the son of Sheen, now
known as Caintigern. He gave Flann a father's clasp of welcome. And the queen
brought him to her own three brothers who had been estranged from human
companionship from before he knew her. And she brought him to the youth who
was always known as the King of Ireland's Son, and him his father welcomed
from the path of danger.
And then the King's Son took Fedelma to his father and told him she was his
love and his wife to be. And the King welcomed Fedelma to the Castle. Then
said Gilveen, "There is a secret between this young man, Flann, and myself."
"What is the secret?" said the Queen, laying her hands suddenly upon Gilveen's
shoulders.
"That I am his wife to be," said Gilveen.
The Queen went to her son and said, "Dost thou not remember Morag, Flann, who
gave the token that thou gavest me?"
And Flann said, "Morag! I think the Spae-Woman spoke of her name in a story."
"I am Flann's wife to be," said Gilveen, smiling in his face.
"Yes, my wife to be," said Flann. Then the King welcomed Gilveen too, and they
all went into the Castle. He told his wife he had messages from the King of
Senlabor about his other sons Dermott and Downal, saying that they were making
good names for themselves, and that everything they did was becoming to sons
of Kings. In the hall Fedelma saw Aefa her other sister. Aefa was so proud of
herself since she married Maravaun the King's Councillor that she would hardly
speak to anyone. She gave her sisters the tips of her fingers and she bowed
very slightingly to the two youths. The King questioned his druid as to when
it would be well to have marriages made in his Castle and the druid said it
would be well not to make them until the next appearance of the full moon.
IV
As for Morag she went by track and path, by boher and bohereen, through fords
in rivers and over stepping-stones across them, until at last she came to the
country of Senlabor and to the Castle of the King.
No one of high degree was in the Castle, for all had gone to watch the young
horses being broken in the meadow by the river; the King and Queen had gone,
and the King's foster-daughters; and of the maids in the Castle, Baun and
Deelish had gone too. The King's Councillor also had gone from the Castle.
Morag went and stayed in the kitchen, and the maids who were there did not
know her, either because they were new and had not heard her spoken of at all,
or because she had changed to such beauty through eating the berry of the
Fairy Rowan Tree that no one could know her now for Morag who had cleaned
dishes in that kitchen before.
It was Breas the King's Steward who came to her and asked her who she was. She
told him. Then Breas looked sharply at her and saw she was indeed Morag who
had been in the King's kitchen. Then he said loudly, "Before you left you
broke the dish that the King looked on as his especial treasure, and for this,
you will be left in the Stone House. I who have power in this matter order
that it be so." Then he said in her ear, "But kisses and sweet words would
make me willing to save you."
Morag, in a voice raised, called him by that evil name that he was known by to
the servants and their gossips. But the servants, hearing that name said in
the hearing of Breas, pretended to be scandalized. They went to Morag and
struck her with the besoms they had for sweeping the floor.
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