A Book of Myths
any man to disobey the command of Naoise, a king of men, the Norseman
reached out his hand for the sword. But Deirdre sprang from the
shoulder of Naoise and would have killed the man ere he struck.
Roughly he threw her aside, and with one blow he shore off the heads
of the three greatest heroes of Alba.
For a little while there was a great stillness there, like the silence
before the coming of a storm. And then all who had beheld the end of
the fair and noble Sons of Usna broke into great lamentation. Only
Conor stood silent, gazing at the havoc he had wrought. To Cuchulainn,
the mighty champion, a good man and a true, Deirdre fled, and begged
him to protect her for the little span of life that she knew yet
remained to her. And with him she went to where the head of Naoise
lay, and tenderly she cleansed it from blood and from the stains of
strife and stress, and smoothed the hair that was black as a raven's
wing, and kissed the cold lips again and again. And as she held it
against her white breast, as a mother holds a little child, she
chanted for Naoise, her heart, and for his brothers, a lament that
still lives in the language of the Gael.
"Is it honour that ye love, brave and chivalrous Ultonians?
Or is the word of a base king better than noble truth?
Of a surety ye must be glad, who have basely slain honour
In slaying the three noblest and best of your brotherhood.
* * * * *
Let now my beauty that set all this warring aflame,
Let now my beauty be quenched as a torch that is spent--
For here shall I quench it, here, where my loved one lies,
A torch shall it be for him still through the darkness of death."
Fiona Macleod's Translation.
Then, at the bidding of Cuchulainn, the Ultonian, three graves were
dug for the brothers, but the grave of Naoise was made wider than the
others, and when he was placed in it, standing upright, with his head
placed on his shoulders, Deirdre stood by him and held him in her
white arms, and murmured to him of the love that was theirs and of
which not Death itself could rob them. And even as she spoke to him,
merciful Death took her, and together they were buried. At that same
hour a terrible cry was heard: "_The Red Branch perisheth! Uladh
passeth! Uladh passeth!_" and when he had so spoken, the soul of
Cathbad the Druid passed away.
To the land of the Ultonians there came on the morrow a mighty host,
and the Red Branch was wiped out for ever. Emain Macha was cast into
ruins, and Conor died in a madness of sorrow.
And still, in that land of Erin where she died, still in the lonely
cleuchs and glens, and up the mist-hung mountain sides of Loch Etive,
where she knew her truest happiness, we can sometimes almost hear the
wind sighing the lament: "Deirdre the beautiful is dead ... is dead!"
"I hear a voice crying, crying, crying: is it the wind
I hear, crying its old weary cry time out of mind?
_The grey wind weeps, the grey wind weeps, the grey wind weeps:_
_Dust on her breast, dust on her eyes, the grey wind weeps._"
Fiona Macleod.
FOOTNOTES:
[14] Now Dunskaith.
[15] Fairies.
[16] The Hill of Howth, at Dublin Bay.
[17] Dale of the Waterfall: now Dalness.
[18] Inistrynich.
[19] Dun Sween.
[20] Glen Lug.
[21] At the head of Holy Loch, Argyllshire.
[22] Glen Etive.
[23] Glenorchy.
[24] Glendaruel.
INDEX
Acheron, 37
Achilles, 71
Acrisius, 105, 121, 122, 123
Adam, 220
Adonis, 178, 192, 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 208
Advocates' Library, 306
Aed, 290, 299, 300, 304, 305
AEgean Sea, 36, 90, 106, 121, 145, 146, 186
AEgean Islands, 172
AEolus, 144
AEsculapius, 88
AEsop, 169
Ainle, 313, 315, 316, 317, 322, 325, 329, 330, 331
Ainnle, 324
Aix, 287
Aix-la-Chapelle, 287
Ajax, 71
Alba, 295, 299, 307, 311, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 325, 327, 331
Alban, Oirir, 324
Alexander the Great, 135
Alpheus, 102, 103, 104
Althaea, 69, 71, 75
Amphion, 124, 128
Anapus, 101
Andromeda, 119, 120, 123
Angelo, Michael, 203
Anglo-Saxon, 245
Angrbotha, 236
Aphrodite, 5, 13, 14, 15, 42, 46, 47, 49, 56, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65,
66, 67, 79, 81, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206
Apollo, 5, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, 42, 43, 44, 45,
49, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130,
131, 132, 133, 139, 140, 141, 142, 145, 164, 165, 173, 185, 186,
187, 188, 190, 191, 192, 267
Apollo Belvidere, 11
Apollo, Phoebus, 19
Appin, 317
Arachne, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89
Arcadia, 71, 77, 78, 197, 211
Arcadian, 75
Archilochus, 223
Ard, Loch, 320
Ardan, 312, 315, 316, 317, 322, 323, 325, 329, 330, 331
Arethusa, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104
Argo, 39
Argonauts, 39
Argos, 105, 122, 128
Aristaeus, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160
Aristophanes, 169
Argyllshire, 324
Arnold, Matthew, 228, 239, 240
Aros, 317
Artemis, 26, 27
Arthur, King, 268
Aschere, 256
Asgard, 230, 231, 235, 239, 240, 242
Asia, 135
Atalanta, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81
Athene, Pallas, 3, 4, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111,
112, 115, 120, 182
Athens, 181, 182
Atlas, 114, 115, 117
Aude the Fair, 282, 287
Aurora, 20, 21
Australia, 220
Awe, Loch, 320
Bacchantes, 40
Bacchus, 40, 136, 138
Baldrsbra, 234
Baldur, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243
Ballycastle, 325
Bann, 301
Bartholomew, 88
Baviere, Naismes de, 272
Belvidere, Apollo, 11
Ben Cruachan, 318
Ben Etair, 317
Benmullet, 295
Beowulf, 229, 244, 245, 246, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256,
257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265
Beowulf's Barrow, 264
Beowulfesby, 245
Bertha, 269, 271, 272
Bion, 206
Blancandrin, 268, 274
Blaye, 287
Bodb the Red, 289, 290, 291, 296, 301
Boreas, 212
Borrach, 321, 325, 326
Bowlby Cliff, 244, 245
Branch, Red, 307, 308, 320, 321, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333
Breton, 267
Brisingamen, 229, 255, 260
Britain, 244, 268
Brittany, 267
Brocken, 233
Browning, E. B., 209, 218
Buinne the Red, 322, 329
Byron, 10
Calliope, 32
Calvary, 216
Calvinism, 215
Calydon, 69, 70, 71, 78
Calydonian Hunt, 69, 72, 76
Campbell, Thos., 266
Carlyle, Thos., 215, 216, 266
Carmichael, Alexander, 307
Carraig Uisneach, 325
Carricknarone, 299, 300
Cassiopeia, 123
Castor, 71
Cathbad, 307, 309, 310, 311, 327, 330, 332
Caucasus, Mt., 8
Celts, 289, 306
Cepheus, 123
Cerberus, 34
Ceyx, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 153
Champions of the Red Branch, 307, 308
Chanson de Roland, 266
Chaos, 2
Charlemagne, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276,
277, 280, 281, 282, 286, 287
Charles, King, 282
Charon, 37, 38
Chemmis, 117
Chinese, 208
Christian, 272, 275, 295, 303
Christianity, 215, 227, 232
Cimmerian Mountains, 148
Circe, 226
Claros, 145
Clio, 129
Clymene, 16, 17, 18, 24
Clytie, 189
Cocytus, 59, 63, 64, 104, 115, 167, 207
Coillchuan, 324
Colophon, 83, 86, 87
Conall, 321
Conchubar, 307
Conn, 290, 295, 299, 304, 305
Connaught, 304
Conor, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 313, 316, 317, 319, 320, 321, 322,
323, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 333
Copenhagen, 244
Cordova, 268, 274
Corinth, 192, 193
Crete, 182, 183
Cruachan, Ben, 318
Cuchulainn, 321, 331, 332
Cyane, 163
Cyclades, 107
Cycnus, 24
Cynthian, 126
Cyprus, 11, 13, 60, 194, 202, 204
Cyrene, 155, 156, 157
Cytherea, 206
Cytherian shores, 203
Daedalus, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 187, 188
Dail-an-eas, 318
Dalness, 318
Danae, 105, 106, 107, 121
Danaides, 35
Dane, 233, 248, 250, 257, 259
Danish, 250, 251, 256
Dante, 16
Daphne, 42, 43, 44
Darthool, 306
Darvra, Lake, 293, 295, 296, 297
Dasent, 236
David, 272
Day, 2
Dearshul, 319
Decca, 304
Dedannans, 289, 291, 297, 301
Deirdre, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317,
318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330,
331, 332, 333
Delos, 172, 186
Demeter, 84, 162, 165, 166, 167, 168
Denmark, 245, 251
Derg, Lough, 290, 291
Derravaragh, Lough, 293
Destiny, The Winged, 223
Diana, II., 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 43, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, 90, 97, 99,
101, 103, 116, 125, 126, 127, 128, 130, 164, 173, 175, 190, 198,
200, 203, 204, 210
Diana Vernon, 26
Douzeperes, 268, 269, 272, 274, 275, 277, 282, 283, 286, 287
Draighen, 325
Druid, 307, 309, 310, 327, 330, 332
Druid's runes, 295
Druids, 294
Dryden, 45
Dryope, 210, 211
Dublin Bay, 317
Dunfidgha, 324
Dun Fin, 324
Dunskaith, 311
Dun Suibhne, 324
Dun Sween, 324
Durendala, 276, 284, 285
Echo, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 210
Edinburgh, 306
Egypt, 39, 117, 193
Egyptian, 217
Egyptians, 117
Emain Macha, 314, 323, 326, 327, 328, 333
Emerson, 243
Endymion, 26, 28, 29, 30
England, 344
Enna, 104
Epaphos, 16, 17, 21
Epimethus, 2, 5, 6, 7
Epirus, 70
Erdgeist, 216
Erebus, 2
Eridanus, 24
Erin, 289, 290, 295, 297, 298, 299, 301, 302, 307, 308, 311, 317, 319,
320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 333
Erris, 295
Eros, 2, 42, 47, 48, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 62, 66, 67, 91, 202, 203
Essa, 317
Etair, Ben, 317
Ethiopia, 118, 119, 120
Ethiopians, 23
Etive, Glen, 325
Etive, Loch, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 333
Etna, 101, 103
Euboean Sea, 122
Eumenides, 194
Europa, 87
Europe, 289
Eurydice, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 115, 159
Eva, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296
Eve, 290, 291
Evenos, 91, 92, 93, 94
Faust, 216
Fechin, St., 222
Felim, 307, 308, 309
Fensalir, 238
Fergus, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 329
Ficra, 290, 295, 299, 304, 305
Finola, 290, 292, 293, 294, 298, 299, 300, 301, 303, 304, 305
Fiori Maggio, 103
Firedrake, 261, 262, 263, 264
Fleece, Golden, 39, 70
Florence, 124
Fontarabian, 282
France, 266, 275, 278, 279, 280, 282, 286
Franks, 267, 273, 276, 277, 279, 280
Freya, 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 235, 238, 239, 255
Friday, 277
Frieslanders, 260
Frigga, 228
Furies, 35, 194, 196
Gabriel, 286
Gael, 300, 306, 307, 322, 332
Gaelic, 319
Galahad, 234
Galatea, 13, 14, 15
Ganelon, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 287
Gautier, Sir, 277, 282
Geasa, 326
Germanic language, 244
Germany, 233
Glendaruadh, 325
Glendaruel, 325
Gleneitche, 325
Glenlaidhe, 324
Glenmasan, 324
Glenmasan MS., 306
Glenorchy, 325
Goar, St., 224
Goethe, 216
Golden Fleece, 39, 70
Gordias, 134, 135
Gorgons, 113, 114, 115, 116, 120, 121, 123
Goths, 248, 249, 250, 252, 253, 260, 264, 265
Gothland, 249, 250, 252, 260
Graeae, 112
Greece, 26, 71, 72, 74, 154, 192, 193, 210, 223, 229, 234, 289
Greek, 100, 128, 160
Greeks, 3, 215
Green Islands, 307
Gregory, Lady, 307, 309
Grendel, 247, 248, 250, 253, 254, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 262
Hades, 34, 35, 36, 39, 65, 67, 167, 194
Halcyon birds, 153
Halcyone, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 153
Hamlet, 124
Hardred, 260
Hastings, 266
Hauteclaire, 278
Hecate, 164, 205
Heine, 220, 223, 226
Hel, 236, 239, 240, 241
Heliades, 24
Hellas, 217
Hellenistic, 218
Henry VI, King, 144
Heorot, 246, 248, 251, 256
Hera, 169, 170, 175
Heredia, De, 208
Hermes, 5, 111, 112, 116, 120, 210, 211
Hermoder, 239, 240
Hesiod, 4
Hesperides, Garden of the, 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 137
Hesperus, 144
Hlidskialf, 231
Hodur, 238, 239
Holy Loch, 324
Homeric Hymns, 210
Howth, Hill of, 317
Hrothgar, 246, 247, 248, 250, 251, 254, 255, 256, 257