Myths & Legends of the Celtic RaceRolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race
Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Celts -- Religion; Mythology, Celtic
Oisīn had a son, Oscar, who was the fiercest fighter in battle among all
the Fians. He slew in his maiden battle three kings, and in his fury he
also slew by mischance his own friend and condisciple Linné. His wife was
the fair Aideen, who died of grief after Oscar’s death in the battle of
Gowra, and Oisīn buried her on Ben Edar (Howth), and raised over her the
great dolmen which is there to this day. Oscar appears in this literature
as a type of hard strength, with a heart “like twisted horn sheathed in
steel,” a character made as purely for war as a sword or spear.
*Geena mac Luga*
Another good man that Finn had was Geena, the son of Luga; his mother was
the warrior-daughter of Finn, and his father was a near kinsman of hers.
He was nurtured by a woman that bore the name of Fair Mane, who had
brought up many of the Fianna to manhood. When his time to take arms was
come he stood before Finn and made his covenant of fealty, and Finn gave
him the captaincy of a band. But mac Luga proved slothful and selfish, for
ever vaunting himself and his weapon-skill, and never training his men to
the chase of deer or boar, and he used to beat his hounds and his
serving-men. At last the Fians under him came with their whole company to
Finn at Loch Lena, in Killarney, and there they laid their complaint
against mac Luga, and said: “Choose now, O Finn, whether you will have us
or the son of Luga by himself.”
Then Finn sent to mac Luga and questioned him, but mac Luga could say
nothing to the point as to why the Fianna would none of him. Then Finn
taught him the things befitting a youth of noble birth and a captain of
men, and they were these:
*Maxims of the Fianna*
“Son of Luga, if armed service be thy design, in a great man’s household
be quiet, be surly in the narrow pass.
“Without a fault of his beat not thy hound; until thou ascertain her
guilt, bring not a charge against thy wife.
“In battle meddle not with a buffoon, for, O mac Luga, he is but a fool.
“Censure not any if he be of grave repute; stand not up to take part in a
brawl; have naught to do with a madman or a wicked one.
“Two-thirds of thy gentleness be shown to women and to those that creep on
the floor (little children) and to poets, and be not violent to the common
people.
“Utter not swaggering speech, nor say thou wilt not yield what is right;
it is a shameful thing to speak too stiffly unless that it be feasible to
carry out thy words.
“So long as thou shalt live, thy lord forsake not; neither for gold nor
for other reward in the world abandon one whom thou art pledged to
protect.
“To a chief do not abuse his people, for that is no work for a man of
gentle blood.
“Be no tale-bearer, nor utterer of falsehoods; be not talkative nor rashly
censorious. Stir not up strife against thee, however good a man thou be.
“Be no frequenter of the drinking-house, nor given to carping at the old;
meddle not with a man of mean estate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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