The Harvard Classics, Volume 49, Epic and Saga: With Introductions And Notes
General
The Harvard Classics, Volume 49, Epic and Saga: With Introductions And Notes
Epic poetry; Sagas
"Easily done. Three champions who wrought falsehood in the elfmounds.
This is the punishment inflicted upon them by the king of the elfmounds,
to be destroyed thrice by the King of Tara. Conaire son of Eterscél is
the last king by whom they are destroyed. Those men will escape from
you. To fulfil their own destruction, they have come. But they will not
be slain, nor will they slay anyone. And after that whom sawest thou?"
THE ROOM OF THE DOORWARDS
"There I beheld a trio in the midst of the house at the door. Three
holed maces in their hands. Swift as a hare was each of them round the
other towards the door. Aprons were on them, and they had gray and
speckled mantles. Liken thou that, O Fer rogain!"
"Easily done: Three doorwardens of Tara's King are those, namely Echur
('Key') and Tochur and Tecmang, three sons of Ersa ('Doorpost') and
Comla ('Valve'). Thrice their number will fall by them, and they will
share a man's triumph among them. They will chance to escape
though wounded."
"Woe to him that shall wreak!" etc., says Lomna Drúth.
"Ye cannot," says Ingcél, etc. "And after that whom sawest thou?"
THE ROOM OF FER CAILLE
"There I beheld at the fire in front a man with black cropt hair, having
only one eye and one foot and one hand, having on the fire a pig bald,
black, singed, squealing continually, and in his company a great
big-mouthed woman. Liken thou that, O Fer rogain!"
"Easily done: Fer caille with his pig and his wife Cichuil. They (the
wife and the pig) are his proper instruments on the night that ye
destroy Conaire King of Erin. Alas for the guest who will run between
them! Fer caille with his pig is one of Conaire's tabus."
"Woe to him who shall wreak the Destruction!" says Lomna.
"Ye cannot," quoth Ingcél. "And after that, whom sawest thou there?"
THE ROOM OF THE THREE SONS OF BÁITHIS OF BRITAIN
"There I beheld a room with three enneads in it. Fair yellow manes upon
them, and they are equally beautiful. Each of them wore a black cape,
and there was a white hood on each mantle, a red tuft on each hood, and
an iron brooch at the opening of every mantle, and under each man's
cloak a huge black sword, and the swords would split a hair on water.
They bore shields with scalloped edges. Liken thou them, O Fer rogain!"
"Easily done. That is the robber-band of the three sons of Báithis of
Britain. Three enneads will fall by them in their first conflict, and
among them they will share a man's triumph. And after that whom
sawest thou?"
THE ROOM OF THE MIMES
"There I beheld a trio of jesters hard by the fire. Three dun mantles
they wore. If the men of Erin were in one place, even though the corpse
of his mother or his father were in front of each, not one could refrain
from laughing at them. Wheresoever the king of a cantred is in the
house, not one of them attains his seat on his bed because of that trio
of jesters. Whenever the king's eye visits them it smiles at every
glance. Liken thou that, O Fer rogain!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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