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
Balor determined to possess himself of this cow. One day Kian and Sawan
had come to the forge to have some weapons made for them, bringing fine
steel for that purpose. Kian went into the forge, leaving Sawan in charge
of the cow. Balor now appeared on the scene, taking on himself the form of
a little redheaded boy, and told Sawan that he had overheard the brothers
inside the forge concocting a plan for using all the fine steel for their
own swords, leaving but common metal for that of Sawan. The latter, in a
great rage, gave the cow’s halter to the boy and rushed into the forge to
put a stop to this nefarious scheme. Balor immediately carried off the
cow, and dragged her across the sea to Tory Island.
Kian now determined to avenge himself on Balor, and to this end sought the
advice of a Druidess named Birōg. Dressing himself in woman’s garb, he was
wafted by magical spells across the sea, where Birōg, who accompanied him,
represented to Ethlinn’s guardians that they were two noble ladies cast
upon the shore in escaping from an abductor, and begged for shelter. They
were admitted; Kian found means to have access to the Princess Ethlinn
while the matrons were laid by Birōg under the spell of an enchanted
slumber, and when they awoke Kian and the Druidess had vanished as they
came. But Ethlinn had given Kian her love, and soon her guardians found
that she was with child. Fearing Balor’s wrath, the matrons persuaded her
that the whole transaction was but a dream, and said nothing about it; but
in due time Ethlinn was delivered of three sons at a birth.
News of this event came to Balor, and in anger and fear he commanded the
three infants to be drowned in a whirlpool off the Irish coast. The
messenger who was charged with this command rolled up the children in a
sheet, but in carrying them to the appointed place the pin of the sheet
came loose, and one of the children dropped out and fell into a little
bay, called to this day _Port na Delig_, or the Haven of the Pin. The
other two were duly drowned, and the servant reported his mission
accomplished.
But the child who had fallen into the bay was guarded by the Druidess, who
wafted it to the home of its father, Kian, and Kian gave it in fosterage
to his brother the smith, who taught the child his own trade and made it
skilled in every manner of craft and handiwork. This child was Lugh. When
he was grown to a youth the Danaans placed him in charge of Duach, “The
Dark,” king of the Great Plain (Fairyland, or the “Land of the Living,”
which is also the Land of the Dead), and here he dwelt till he reached
manhood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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