Celts -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Great Britain; Folklore -- Great Britain; Tales -- Great Britain
It happened that the five Kings of Ireland met to determine who should
have the head kingship over them, and King Lir of the Hill of the White
Field expected surely he would be elected. When the nobles went into
council together they chose for head king, Dearg, son of Daghda, because
his father had been so great a Druid and he was the eldest of his
father's sons. But Lir left the Assembly of the Kings and went home to
the Hill of the White Field. The other kings would have followed after
Lir to give him wounds of spear and wounds of sword for not yielding
obedience to the man to whom they had given the over-lordship. But Dearg
the king would not hear of it and said: "Rather let us bind him to us
by the bonds of kinship, so that peace may dwell in the land. Send over
to him for wife the choice of the three maidens of the fairest form and
best repute in Erin, the three daughters of Oilell of Aran, my own three
bosom-nurslings."
So the messengers brought word to Lir that Dearg the king would give him
a foster-child of his foster-children. Lir thought well of it, and set
out next day with fifty chariots from the Hill of the White Field. And
he came to the Lake of the Red Eye near Killaloe. And when Lir saw the
three daughters of Oilell, Dearg the king said to him: "Take thy choice
of the maidens, Lir." "I know not," said Lir, "which is the choicest of
them all; but the eldest of them is the noblest, it is she I had best
take." "If so," said Dearg the king, "Ove is the eldest, and she shall
be given to thee, if thou willest." So Lir and Ove were married and went
back to the Hill of the White Field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account