Finn and the ghosts

This is the story of Finn and the ghosts of Fenian Cycle.

Finn and the ghosts

Round like a blackbird's egg, the two eyes, black as (death) and faster than a hare. The lower part of his teeth were gray like a holly trunk, their tips were yellow like gold. He had bald and thin legs, various black pointed heels. He had every limb and article black as coal of fire, from the top to the plant.

The giant greeted them and led their horse into the stable. He closed the door of his house in front of them with iron chains. "Welcome, o Finn!" »Said the giant,« it is a long time since you visited (here) and we could not cure you ». The three (Finn, Ossin and Cailte) sat down on the diaper bench and the giant gave them to wash. He lit the fire for them with elderwood, and they were soon smothered in the smoke.

So the people of the house got up from the corners and turned to the fire. The people who appeared were really hateful. There was a hideous old woman there, black as smoke, with three heads, one to pity, one to laugh, and one to sleep. On the other side there was a headless man with one eye on his chest. “Make music for the Warrior King,” said the giant, “we have no snack for strangers; let the people of the house get up to play some music, until their meal is ready ”. "Well," replied the old woman, "this will be done."

So nine human bodies rose from the corner next to Finn and nine heads appeared from the other side on the bench of the house. Then they uttered nine shrill, harsh, horrible, truly frightful cries, while, on the other side, the old woman, the giant and the trunk answered them. The discordant music they were making could have torn the hair from the heads of men, and roused the dead from the ground, and the faint of heart to faint. The trunk melody, however, was the most dreadful and hideous of all. They were hardly to have broken the heads of those who listened to the cries they uttered. “Listen a little! Said the giant, "until the meal is ready for the king." Finally, they fell silent.

The giant stood up and killed Finn's horse, skinned it and immediately peered at it. Cailte prepares to attack the giant. " Be quiet ! Finn said, "We are glad that he spares us ourselves; because the horse does not matter ”. People picked up the same drone. "It was just to give you a good omen (?)," Said the giant, "the music being played is lovely".

The giant made fifty spits of young rowan wood and arranged them around the fire and put the horse's head on them. Far from waiting for the meat to be sufficiently roasted, he presented it raw to Finn. “Keep your own food, O giant,” Finn said, “we are not used to eating such a thing. It doesn't matter that we are once without a meal ”. "Your visit to us is nasty," replied the giant, "refuse our food to grieve us, which is what strangers before you have not done with us." I give my word ", he added," this refusal will cause you harm before your departure! "

So all of a sudden they all left. Immediately the fire ceased to burn; Finn alone was squeezed into a corner to be shaken and beaten (by the ghosts). Since the others wouldn't part with Finn, they were in this situation all night long screaming. Finally, they fell and remained weak in complete fainting. This is how they were like corpses until morning.

When they got up the day after they fell asleep, they saw neither houses nor people in the flat countryside around them. Finn awoke to find his horse attached to the cover (like a box?) Spotless and spotless and spotless. They then held a council to find out who would have done this outrage to them. Finn sang a teinm laida and put his thumb on his tooth to know, then the thing was revealed to him. “Really,” he said, “the three ghosts of Hibar-glend (the valley of the yews) have fallen on us; it is they who have done us this outrage to take revenge on us for their sister Cuillend with the broad muzzle that we killed ”.

Then, they left for Fanttur and for Etrachtaighe, and arrived at the place where the Fians were, they told them their adventures and their races.

Finn and the Fians were coming on their tour of the southern country, when a discord arose between Finn and Ronan, son of Aed, son of Imchad, son of Laigsech Great Head, son of Conall Cernach. Quarrels broke out between them and Ronan was killed by Finn. Ronan left an excellent son named Aed. This one made war on Finn to avenge his father on him. One hundred heroes of the Fians of Find perished by Aed around the three Fiannic chiefs to atone for the death of his father. After that the battle of Maistiu is fought between Aed and Finn, and Aed loses it. Then, Aed challenges Finn and the Fians to single combat and he kills the five Fiachae Fiachae, Aedan, Cu-Laghean, Led and Nechtain Fiachae Fiachae with his valor in single combat. No one dared to oppose him among the Fians, until he came to Finn.

Finn stood up to support the fight with Aed. "No", said Cailte, "I will go for you (?)". “No,” Finn replied, “you can't stand the fight of that well-equipped warrior; every man who was killed by his singular valor had the strength to measure himself against a hundred ”. "No," said Cailte, "I will oppose him, but really," he said, "be sure that he will perish by me, although I perish by him." Cailte went to the place of the fight where Aed was. Each of them addressed the other. "I'll give you conditions," Cailte said, "before we start the fight." "What conditions? Aed replied. "Compensation for your father's death," Cailte replied, "and forgiveness for any harm you have done to the Fians." “I accept,” Aed said. He engaged with Cailte and they both walked over to where Finn was. Everyone was amazed to see Aed agreeing with Cailte. He was then given full indemnity for his father's death and he was therefore peacefully in Finn's procession. Aed was alternately in the sid, that is, the fairy house, where he had been nurtured, and among Finn's Fians. This is why he was called Ferdoman. (Ferdoman, Fer-da-doman, that is to say a man between two domans or mansions). Aed Rind subsequently obtained land, namely the countryside of the country of Echo Rond, that is to say Soghon today.

Masc, daughter of Maigen, was Aed's wife and bore him two children, a son named Enan and a daughter named Celg. Now, Aed had a prediction, that if his daughter were to marry, it would be her untimely death. This is why he refused every man who asked him for his daughter in marriage. He was provoking him to fight, so that he would lose his life.

Then, Ossin, Finn's son, fell very much in love with the girl, but he dared not ask his father for her. He persuaded Conan Honeymouth, son of Dagda, to ask Aed for the daughter, because he had no wife and such a wife was worthy of him. Then, Conan asked for the girl. "No," Aed replied, "(I won't give it to you,) if you don't take it by the sword." “Not at all,” said Conan, “you have your daughter in your power; Do whatever you want with it ".

Ossin suppressed his passion, the love of the girl, for a year; but he decided Conan to ask for her again, for he hoped that if the two heroes fought they would die together and the woman would seek him out - which indeed happened. Then, Conan got angry with Ossin and blamed him greatly. "It would be fairer," Ossin replied, "to get angry with Aed for refusing his daughter and provoking a warrior like you into single combat." Then, Conan became enraged with Aed and challenged him to single combat, if he didn't want to give him his daughter.

They both went to where Finn was, to the House of Caba the farmer (i.e., near Raith-Caba), to Granairiut Sinda (i.e. Magh-in-cairn today. ). Finn had a daughter from Caba, named Bairend, (in marriage), from whom Cluain-Bairend is named after him. Finn then came with them to Snam-da-en to see the duel. His tent was then pitched at Gardiat (that is to say Cros-greancha today), but he could not grant them equal combat.

Snam-dâ-en (the swimming of the two birds), at the ford of this name, took its name from Nar, son of Fiach, son of Conall the Victorious, who resided in the province of Connacht. Esti the warrior was his wife, but she had a lover, Bude, son of Daire, of Cruachain Dubthire. Now, Budi and his foster-brother Luan, son of Lugair, son of Lugaid, visited Esti in the form of two birds and they sang to his people a languid melody which made them fall asleep. Then, as soon as everyone fell asleep, they would come in their own form and Budi would sleep with Esti.

Nar asked his druid where these birds came from in Esti. The druid replied that it was Bude and Luan in the form of two birds. Then, the next day, they came to the river and swam it. Esti went to meet them. Nar came behind her and shot at the birds and killed them with one blow. There was still so much life in Luan that he was able to go along the river to Athluain (Athlone) where he died. That is why Athlone's ford received the name from him. Esti went to Magh-Esten and died there, and it is from her that the field has the name of Magh-Esten. Nar finally died of pain from his wife near Moin-tire-Nair. This is why the poet said: “This is what Athlone was named for, and Snam-da-en at the same time, and Moin-tire-Nair (stupendous fate!) And Magh-Esten aforesaid. "

Finn had a vision that night: he saw a massacre of men Irish on the hill to the right, but he saw neither battle nor order of battle arranged there. Then he saw a flame of fire descending from heaven to earth. Finally, he saw a crowd there in unknown costume ***. Then Finn awoke from sleep and told his dream to his druids, Morna Mungairit and Ercoil Sainarma. Then he put his thumb on his tooth of knowledge and sang an ugly teinm, and the thing was discovered to him. "Truly," he said, "the son of Life will come hither, of which Ireland will be full." Finn then spoke in these terms, predicting the arrival of Saint Ciaran, son of the carpenter: Cain kill daidleuch mac-saoir co aibda ar cach aine grene, ”Etc.