Loégairé's expedition

Here is the story of the Loegairé expedition, of the historical cycle Irish.

Loégairé expedition

The Connacians were once assembled at Bird Lake in the Plain of Ae. It was Crimthan Cas who was King of Connaught at that time. They remained assembled at night; the next day, early in the morning, they got up and saw a man coming towards them through the mist: he was wearing a purple coat with five pleats; he had in his hand two javelins with five points; a shield with a golden hump covered it; a sword with a gold hilt was at his belt, and yellow hair floated behind him.

"Greet him who comes to us," said Loégairé Liabn, son of Crimthan, the most beautiful son in Connaught. "Welcome to the warrior we don't know!"

- Thank you, he said.

-Why did you come? said Loégairé.

"To ask for reinforcements," he said.

-From where are you ? said Loégairé.

-I am people of Faerie, he said, Fiachna son of Rété is my name; my wife was taken from me by Eochaid son of Sal. He fell under my blows on the battlefield; she went to see a son of her brother, Goll son of Dolb, king of the fortress of the Plain Plain. I delivered seven battles to him; all have turned against me. A battle is being fought by us today and it is to ask for help that I have come. I will give a pole of silver and a pole of gold to any man who will come with me. With that he turned away.

“It's a shame for you,” said Loégairé, “not to help that man. »He drags fifty warriors in his train; he plunges before them under the lake; they dive after him. They saw a fortress opposite, and a battle opposite. Fiachna son of Rété at their head went to the fortress and they saw the two fighting armies.

“Well,” said Loégairé, “I'll march to the leader of fifty warriors over there.

-I will march against you. Said Goll son of Dolb.

The two fifties fought; Loégairé came out alive with his fifty men, after Goll had fallen and his fifty men around him. Then everything breaks in front of them and they make a great carnage.

"Where's the woman?" says Loégairé

"She's in the fortress of the Pleasant Plain," Fiachna said, with an army around her.

-Stay here, that I go with my fifty. »Says Loégairé.

Then Loégairé went to the fortress of the Pleasant Plain. We began to take it. "There wouldn't be much profit," said Loégairé; your king has fallen and your gentlemen have fallen; take the woman out and in return you will be given life. "

So was done. As she leaves, she says the Lamentation of the Daughter of Eochaid the Mute. Loégaire then left and put his hand in Fiachna's hand. That night, Der Greine daughter of Fiachna was in Loégairé, and fifty women were given to the fifty warriors and remained with them until the end of the year.

"Let's go get news from our country," says Loégairé.

-If you want to come back, said Fiachna, take horses with you and don't get off. "

So was done. They arrived at the assembly. The Connacians were lamenting the aforesaid people at the end of the year when they saw them above them. The Connacians rushed forward to greet them.

"Do not approach," said Loégairé, "we have come to say goodbye to you.

"Don't leave me," said Crimthann; the kingdom of Connacht is yours, its gold, its silver, its horses and their bridles, its beautiful women at your discretion, so that you do not leave me! "

But he turned away from them to enter the sîdh, where he shares the kingship with Fiachna son of Rété, having Fiachna's daughter by his side, and he is not yet released.