Now, Fin says there's a fine spring well somewhere under the rocks behind the hill here below, and it was his
intention
to pull them asunder ; but having heard of you, he left the place in such a fury that he never thought of it.
Universal Anthology - v01
The Goddess, to console him, replied, " But you surpass the nightingale in beauty, you sur pass him in size; the brilliancy of the emerald shines upon your neck; and you unfold a tail begemmed with painted plumage.
" " Wherefore give me," he retorted, " a beauty that is dumb, if I am "surpassed in voice ?
" " By the will of the Fates," said she, have your respective qualities been assigned ; beauty to you, strength to the Eagle, melody to the Nightingale, to the Raven presages, unpropitious omens to the Crow: all of these are contented with their own endowments.
"
The Fox and the Grapes.
Urged by hunger, a Fox, leaping with all her might, tried to reach a cluster of Grapes upon a lofty vine. When she found she could not reach them, she left them, saying, " They
are not ripe yet ;
I don't like to eat them while sour. "
jESOFS fables. 283
Biting off the Nose to spite the Face.
While a Wild Boar was wallowing, he muddied the shallow water, at which a Horse had been in the habit of quenching his thirst. Upon this, a disagreement arose. The Horse, enraged with the beast, sought the aid of man, and, raising him on his back, returned against the foe. After the Horseman, hurling his javelins, had slain the Boar, he is said to have spoken thus : "I am glad that I gave assistance at your entreaties, for I have captured a prey, and have learned how useful you are ; " and so compelled him, unwilling as he was, to submit to the rein. Then said the Horse, sorrowing, " Fool that I am ! while seeking to revenge a trifling matter, I have met with slavery. "
Strong Spirits can Disdain Slanderers.
A Viper came into a smith's workshop ; and while on the search whether there was anything fit to eat, fastened her teeth upon a File. The latter, however, disdainfully exclaimed, " Why, fool, do you try to wound me with your teeth, who am in the habit of gnawing asunder every kind of iron ? "
Suspect a Scamp's Good Offices.
A Fox having fallen into a well, and being closed in by the sides, which were too high for her, a Goat parched with thirst came to the same spot, and asked whether the water was good and in plenty. The other, devising a stratagem, replied, " Come down, my friend : such is the goodness of the water that my pleasure in drinking cannot be satisfied. " Longbeard descended ; then the Fox, mounting on his high horns, escaped from the well, and left the Goat to stick fast in the inclosed mud.
Of the Vices of Men.
Jupiter has loaded us with a couple of Wallets : the one, filled with our own vices, he has placed at our backs; the other, heavy with those of others, he has hung before.
From this circumstance we are not able to see our own faults ; but as soon as others make a slip, we are ready to censure.
284 jESOP'S fables.
The She-Goats and their Beards.
The She-Goats having obtained of Jupiter the favor of a beard, the He-Goats, full of concern, began to be"indignant that the females rivaled them in their dignity. Suffer them," said the God, " to enjoy their empty honors, and to use the badge that belongs to your rank, so long as they are not sharers in your courage. "
The Man and the Snake.
A Man took up a Snake, stiffened with frost, and warmed her in his bosom, being compassionate to his own undoing ; for when she had recovered, she instantly killed the Man. On another one asking her the reason of this crime, she made answer, "That people may learn not to assist the wicked. "
The Mountain in Labor.
A Mountain was in labor, sending forth dreadful groans, and there was in the districts the highest expectation. After all, it brought forth a Mouse.
The Bald Man and the Fly.
A Fly bit the bare pate of a Bald Man, who, endeavoring to crush it," gave himself a heavy blow. Then said the Fly, jeeringly : You wanted to revenge the sting of a tiny insect with death ; what"will you do to yourself, who have added insult to injury ? The Man made answer : " I am easily reconciled to myself, because I know that there was no intention of doing harm. But you, worthless insect, and one of a con temptible race, who take a delight in drinking human blood, I could wish to destroy you, even at a heavier penalty. "
Avoid Ill-gotten Wealth.
A Man having sacrificed a young boar to the god Hercules, to whom he owed performance of a vow made for the preser vation of his health, ordered the remains of the barley to be set for the Ass. But he refused to touch it, and said, " I would most willingly accept your food, if he who had been fed upon it had not had his throat cut. "
FIN MoCOUL. 285
FIN McCOUL.
A Legend of Knockmany.
By WILLIAM CARLETON.
[William Carleton, a leading writer of Irish peasant stories and sketches and novels of Irish life in general, was born in County Tyrone in 1798. A poor boy, scantily educated in a hedge school, he passed two years (16-18) in a relative's academy, went to Dublin, and in 1830 and 1832 published two series of " Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry," which were very successful. In 1839 he produced a novel, " Fardorougha, the Miser" ; and in 1841 three vol umes of tales mostly pathetic — but one story in a more buoyant vein, "The Misfortunes of Barney Branagan," was very popular. In 1845 he issued " Val entine M'Clutchy," a " repeal " novel ; 1846, " Rody the Rover " ; 1847, "The Black"Prophet" ; 1849, "The Tithe Proctor" ; 1855, "Willy Reilly," 3 vols. ; 1860 The Evil Eye. " He long received a pension of £200 a year for his great literary merits. He died January, 1869. ]
What Irish man, woman, or child has not heard of our re nowned Hibernian Hercules, the great and glorious Fin M'Coul ? Not one, from Cape Clear to the Giant's Causeway, nor from that back again to Cape Clear. And by the way, speaking of the Giant's Causeway, brings me at once to the beginning of my story. Well, it so happened that Fin and his gigantic relatives were all working at the Causeway, in order to make a bridge, or what was still better, a good stout pad road, across to Scot land ; when Fin, who was very fond of his wife Oonagh, took it into his head that he would go home and see how the poor woman got on in his absence. To be sure, Fin was a true Irish man, and so the sorrow thing in life brought him back, only to
see that she was snug and comfortable, and, above all things, that she got her rest well at night ; for he knew that the poor woman, when he was with her, used to be subject to nightly qualms and configurations, that kept him very anxious, decent man, striving to keep her up to the good spirits and health that she had when they were first married. So, accordingly, he pulled up a fir tree; and after lopping off the roots and branches, made a walking stick of it, and set out on his way to Oonagh.
Oonagh, or rather Fin, lived at this time on the very tip top of Knockmany Hill, which faces a cousin of its own called Culla- more, that rises up, half hill, half mountain, on the opposite side — east-east by south, as the sailors say, when they wish to puz zle a landsman.
286 FIN McCOUL.
Now, the truth is, for it must come out, that honest Fin's affection for his wife, though cordial enough in itself, was by no manner of means the real cause of his journey home. There was at that time another giant, named Cucullin, — some say he was Irish, and some say he was Scotch, — but whether Scotch or Irish, sorrow doubt of it but he was a target. No other giant of the day could stand before him ; and such was his strength that, when well vexed, he could give a stamp that shook the country about him. The fame and name of him went far and near ; and nothing in the shape of a man, it was said, had any chance with him in a fight. Whether the story is true or not, I cannot say, but the report went that by one blow of his fists he flattened a thunderbolt, and kept it in his pocket in the shape of a pancake, to show to all his enemies when they were about to fight him. Undoubtedly he had given every giant in Ireland a considerable beating, barring Fin M'Coul himself ; and he swore, by the sol emn contents of Moll Kelly's Primer, that he would never rest, night or day, winter or summer, till he would serve Fin with the same sauce, if he could catch him.
Fin, however, who no doubt was the cock of the walk on his own dunghill, had a strong disinclination to meet a giant who could make a young earthquake, or flatten a thunderbolt when he was angry; so he accordingly kept dodging about from place to place, not much to his credit as a Trojan, to be sure, when ever he happened to get the hard word that Cucullin was on the scent of him. This, then, was the marrow of the whole move ment, although he put it on his anxiety to see Oonagh ; and I am not saying but there was some truth in that too. However, the short and long of it was, with reverence be it spoken, that he heard Cucullin was coming to the Causeway to have a trial of strength with him ; and he was naturally enough seized, in consequence, with a very warm and sudden fit of affection for his wife, poor woman, who was delicate in her health, and lead ing, besides, a very lonely, uncomfortable life of it (he assured them) in his absence. He accordingly pulled up the fir tree, as I said before, and having snedded it into a walking stick, set out on his affectionate travels to see his darling Oonagh on the top of Knockmany, by the way.
In truth, to state the suspicions of the country at that time, the people wondered very much why it was that Fin selected such a windy spot for his dwelling house, and they even went so far as to tell him as much.
FIN McCOUL. 287
"What can you mane, Mr. M'Coul," said they, "by pitching your tent upon the top of Knockmany, where you never are without a breeze, day or night, winter or summer, and where you're often forced to take your nightcap [the cloud that hangs about the peak of a mountain] without either going to bed or turning up your little finger ; ay, an' where, besides this, there's the sorrow's own want of water ? "
" Why," said Fin, " ever since I was the height of a round tower, I was known to be fond of having a good prospect of my own ; and where the dickens, neighbors, could I find a better spot for a good prospect than the top of Knockmany ? As for water, I am sinking a pump [there is upon the top of this hill an opening that bears a very strong resemblance to the crater of an extinct volcano], and, plase goodness, as soon as the Causeway's made, I intend to finish it. "
Now, this was more of Fin's philosophy ; for the real state of the case was, that he pitched upon the top of Knockmany in order that he might be able to see Cucullin coming towards the house, and of course that he himself might go to look after his distant transactions in other parts of the country, rather than — but no matter—we do not wish to be too hard on Fin. Allwe have to say that he wanted spot from which to keep sharp lookout, — and between ourselves, he did want griev ously, — barring Slieve Croob, or Slieve Donard, or its own cousin Cullamore, he could not find neater or more conven ient situation for in the sweet and sagacious province of Ulster.
" God save all here " said Fin, good-humoredly, on put ting" his honest face into his own door.
Musha, Fin, avick, an' you're welcome home to your own Oonagh, you darlin' bully. " Here followed smack that said to have made the waters of the lake at the bottom of the hill curl, as were, with kindness and sympathy.
" Faith," said Fin, " beautiful an' how are you, Oonagh — and how did you sport your figure during my absence, my bilberry "
" Never merrier — as bouncing grass widow as ever there was in sweet Tyrone among the bushes. ' "
Fin gave short, good-humored cough, and laughed most heartily, to show her how much he was delighted that she made herself happy in his absence.
" An' what brought you home so soon, Fin " said she.
'a a
it
is, if
?
; a
a a
? a
it !
it is a
288 FIN McCOUL.
" Why, avourneen," said Fin, putting in his answer in the proper way, " never the thing but the purest of love and affec tion for yourself. Sure you know that's truth, anyhow, Oonagh. "
Fin spent two or three happy days with Oonagh, and felt him self very comfortable, considering the dread he had of Cucullin. This, however, grew upon him so much that his wife could not but perceive something lay on his mind which he kept alto gether to himself. Let a woman alone, in the mean time, for ferreting or wheedling a secret out of her good man, when she wishes. Fin was a proof of this.
" It's this Cucullin," said he, " that's troubling me. When the fellow gets angry, and begins to stamp, he'll shake you a whole townland ; and it's well known that he can stop a thunder bolt, for he always carries one about him in the shape of a pan cake, to show to any one that might misdoubt it. "
As he spoke, he clapped his thumb in his mouth, which he always did when he wanted to prophesy, or to know any thing that happened in his absence ; and the wife, who knew what he did it for, said very sweetly, "Fin, darling, I hope you don't bite your thumb at me, dear ? "
" No," said Fin ; " but I bite my thumb, acushla," said he.
" Yes, jewel ; but take care and don't draw blood," said she. "Ah, Fin ! don't, my bully — don't. "
"He's coming," said Fin; "I
" Thank goodness, dear ! an' who is avick Glory be
"
to God
" That baste, Cucullin," replied Fin " and how to manage
don't know. If run away, am disgraced and know that sooner or later must meet "him, for my thumb tells me so. "
" When will he be here said she.
" To-morrow, about two o'clock," replied Fin, with groan. " Well, my bully, don't be cast down," said Oonagh " de
pend on me, and maybe I'll bring you better out of this scrape than ever you could bring yourself, by your rule thumb. "
This quieted Fin's heart very much, for he knew that Oonagh was hand and glove with the fairies and indeed, to tell the truth, she was supposed to be fairy herself. If she was, however, she must have been kind-hearted one, for by all accounts she never did anything but good in the neighborhood.
Now so happened that Oonagh had sister named Granua, living opposite them, on the very top of Cullamore,
see him below Dungannon. "
it
a
;
a
a
I o'
?
?
I
;
;a
I
II
it, ;
!
FIN McCOUL. 289
which I have mentioned already, and this Granua was quite as powerful as herself. The beautiful valley that lies between them is not more than about three or four miles broad, so that of a summer's evening, Granua and Oonagh were able to hold many an agreeable conversation across it, from the one hilltop to the other. Upon this occasion Oonagh resolved to consult her sister as to what was best to be done in the difficulty that sur rounded them.
" Granua," said she, " are you at home ? "
"No," said the other; "I'm picking bilberries in Altha- dhawan" (AnglicS, the Devil's Glen).
" Well," said Oonagh, " get up to the top of Cullamore, look about you, and then tell us what you see. "
" Very well," replied Granua ; after a few minutes, " I am
there now. " "
" What do you see ?
" Goodness be about us ! " exclaimed Granua, " I see the big
gest giant that ever was known coming up from Dungannon. " " Ay," said Oonagh, " there's our difficulty. That giant is the great Cucullin ; " and he's now comin' up to leather Fin.
What's to be done ?
" I'll call to him," she replied, "to come up to Cullamore and
asked the other.
refresh himself, and maybe that will give you and Fin time to think of some plan to get yourselves out of the scrape. But," she proceeded, " I'm short of butter, having in the house only half a dozen firkins, and as I'm to have a few giants and giant esses to spend the evenin' with me, I'd feel thankful, Oonagh, if you'd throw me up fifteen or sixteen tubs, or the largest miscaun you have got, and you'll oblige me very much. "
" I'll do that with a heart and a half," replied Oonagh ; " and, indeed, Granua, I feel myself under great obligations to you for your kindness in keeping him off of us till we see what can be done ; for what would become of us all if anything hap pened Fin, poor man. "
She accordingly got the largest miscaun of butter she had — which might be about the weight of a couple a dozen mill stones, so that you may easily judge of its size — and calling up to her sister, " Granua," said she, " are you ready ? I'm going to throw you up a miscaun, so be prepared to catch it. "
" I will," said the other ; " a good throw now, and take care it does not fall short. "
Oonagh threw it ; but, in consequence of her anxiety about
290 FIN McCOUL.
"
Fin and Cucullin, she forgot to say the charm that was to send it up, so that, instead of reaching Cullamore, as she expected, it fell about halfway between the two hills, at the edge of the Broad Bog near Augher. "
" My curse upon you ! she exclaimed ;
me. I now change you into a gray stone.
timony of what has happened ; and may evil betide the first living man that will ever attempt to remove or injure you ! "
And, sure enough, there it lies to this day, with the mark of the four fingers and thumb imprinted in it, exactly as it came out of her hand.
" Never mind," said Granua, " I must only do the best I can with Cucullin. If all fail, I'll give him a cast of heather broth to keep the wind out of his stomach, or a panada of oak bark to draw it in a bit ; but, above all things, think of some plan to get Fin out of the scrape he's in, otherwise he's a lost man. You know you used to be sharp and ready witted ; and my own opinion, Oonagh, is that it will go hard with you or you'll outdo Cucullin yet. "
you've disgraced Lie there as a tes
She then made a high smoke on the top of the hill, after which she put her finger in her mouth and gave three whistles, and by that Cucullin knew he was invited to Cullamore — for this was the way that the Irish long ago gave a sign to all strangers and travelers, to let them know they were welcome to come and take share of whatever was going.
In the mean time, Fin was very melancholy, and did not know what to do or how to act at all. Cucullin was an ugly customer, no doubt, to meet with ; and, moreover, the idea of the confounded " cake " aforesaid flattened the very heart within him. What chance could he have, strong and brave though he was, with a man who could, when put in a passion, walk the country into earthquakes and knock thunderbolts into pan cakes ? The thing was impossible ; and Fin knew not on what hand to turn him. Right and left —backward or forward — where to go he could form no guess whatsoever.
" Oonagh," said he, " can you do nothing for me ? Where's all your invention ? Am I to be skivered like a rabbit before your eyes, and to have my name disgraced forever in the sight of all my tribe, and me the best man among them ? How am I to fight this man mountain — this huge cross between an earth
quake and a thunderbolt ? — with a pancake in his pocket that
"
was once
FIN McCOUL.
291
" Be easy, Fin," replied Oonagh ; " troth, I'm ashamed of you. Keep your toe in your pump, will you ? Talking of pan cakes, maybe we'll give him as good as any he brings with him — thunderbolt or otherwise. If I don't treat him to as smart feeding as he's got this many a day, never trust Oonagh again. Leave him to me, and do just as I bid you. "
This relieved Fin very much ; for, after all, he had great confidence in his wife, knowing, as he did, that she had got him out of many a quandary before. The present, however, was the greatest of all ; but still he began to get courage, and was able to eat his victuals as usual. Oonagh then drew the nine woolen threads of different colors, which she always did to find out the best way of succeeding in anything of importance she went about. She then platted them into three plats with three colors in each, putting one on her right arm, one round her heart, and the third round her right ankle, for then she knew that nothing could fail with her that she undertook.
Having everything now prepared, she sent round to the neighbors and borrowed one and twenty iron griddles, which she took and kneaded into the hearts of one and twenty cakes of bread, and these she baked on the fire in the usual way, set ting them aside in the cupboard according as they were done. She then put down a large pot of new milk, which she made into curds and whey, and gave Fin due instructions how to use the curds when Cucullin should come. Having done all this, she sat down quite contented, waiting for his arrival on the next day about two o'clock, that being the hour at which he was expected — for Fin knew as much by the sucking of his thumb. Now, this was a curious property that Fin's thumb had ; but, notwithstanding all the wisdom and logic he used to suck out of could never have stood to him here were not for the wit of his wife. In this very thing, moreover, he was very much resembled by his great foe, Cucullin for was well known that the huge strength he possessed all lay in the middle finger of his right hand, and that he happened by any mis chance to lose it, he was no more, notwithstanding his bulk, than
common man.
At length, the next day, he was seen coming across the val
ley, and Oonagh knew that was time to commence operations. She immediately made the cradle, and desired Fin to lie down in it, and cover himself up with the clothes.
" You must pass for your own child," said she " so just lie
;
it it
a
it
if
;
it, it
292 FIN McCOUL.
there snug, and say nothing, but be guided by me. " This, to be sure, was wormwood to Fin, — I mean going into the cradle in such a cowardly manner, — but he knew Oonagh well ; and finding that he had nothing else for it, with a very rueful face he gathered himself into it, and lay snug, as she had desired him.
About two o'clock, as he had been expected, Cucullin came in. "God save all here ! " said he ; "is this where the great Fin M'Coul lives? "
" Indeed it is, honest man," replied Oonagh ; " God save you kindly — won't you be sitting ? "
" Thank you, ma'am," said he, sitting down ; " you're Mrs. M'Coul, I suppose ? "
"I am," said she ; "and I have no reason, I hope, to be ashamed of my husband. "
" No," said the other, " he has the name of being the strong est and bravest man in Ireland ; but for all that, there's a man not far from you that's very desirous of taking a shake with him. Is he at home ? "
"Why, then, no," she replied ; "and if ever a man left his house in a fury, he did. It appears that some one told him of a big basthoon of a giant called Cucullin being down at the Causeway to look for him, and so he set out there to try if he could catch him. Troth, I hope, for the poor giant's sake, he won't meet with him, for if he does, Fin will make paste of him at once. "
"Well," said the other, "I am Cucullin, and I have been seek ing him these twelve months, but he always kept clear of me; and I will never rest, night or day, till I lay my hands on him. "
At this Oonagh set up a loud laugh of great contempt, by the way, and looked at him as if he was only a mere handful
all at once. " "Howcould I?
time, you perceive that the wind's on the door, and as Fin him self is from home, maybe you'd be civil enough to turn the house, for it's always what Fin does when he's here. "
of a"man. " Did you ever see Fin ?
his distance. "
" I thought so," she replied ; "
said she, changing her manner said he ; "he always took care to keep
I judged as much ; and if you take my advice, you poor-looking creature, you'll pray night and day that you may never see him, for I tell you it will be a black day for you when you do. But, in the mean
FIN McCOUL. 293
This was a startler even to Cucullin ; but he got up, how ever, and after pulling the middle finger of his right hand until it cracked three times, he went outside, and getting his arms about the house, completely turned it as she had wished. When Fin saw this, he felt a certain description of moisture, which shall be nameless, oozing out through every pore of his skin ; but Oonagh, depending upon her woman's wit, felt not a whit daunted.
" Arrah, then," said she, " as you are so civil, maybe you'd do another obliging turn for us, as Fin's not here to do it him self. You see, after this long stretch of dry weather we've had, we feel very badly off for want of water.
Now, Fin says there's a fine spring well somewhere under the rocks behind the hill here below, and it was his intention to pull them asunder ; but having heard of you, he left the place in such a fury that he never thought of it. Now, if you try to find it, troth I'd feel it a kindness. "
She then brought Cucullin down to see the place, which was then all one solid rock ; and, after looking at it for some time, he cracked his right middle finger nine times, and, stoop ing down, tore a cleft about four hundred feet deep, and a quarter of a mile in length, which has since been christened by the name of Lumford's Glen. This feat nearly threw Oonagh herself off her guard ; but what won't a woman's sagacity and presence of mind accomplish ?
" You'll now come in," said she, " and eat a bit of such hum ble fare as we can give you. Fin, even although he and you are enemies, would scorn not to treat you kindly in his own house ; and, indeed, if I didn't do it even in his absence, he would not be pleased with me. "
She accordingly brought him in, and placing half a dozen of the cakes we spoke of before him, together with a can or two of butter, a side of boiled bacon, and a stack of cabbage, she desired him to help himself — for this, be it known, was long before the invention of potatoes. Cucullin, who by the way was a glutton as well as a hero, put one of the cakes in his mouth to take a huge whack out of it, when both Fin and Oonagh were stunned with a noise that resembled something between a growl and a yell. " Blood and fury! " he shouted ; "how is this ? Here are two of my teeth out ! What kind of bread is this you gave me ? "
" What's the matter ? " said Oonagh, coolly.
294 FIN McCOUL.
" Matter ! " shouted the other again ; " why, here are the
two best teeth in my head gone. " — "Why," said she, "that's Fin's bread
the only bread he ever eats when at home ; but, indeed, I forgot to tell you that nobody can eat it but himself, and that child in the cradle there. I thought, however, that, as you were reported to be rather a stout little fellow of your size, you might be able to manage it, and I did not wish to affront a man that thinks himself able to
fight Fin. Here's another cake — maybe it's not so hard as that. " Cucullin at the moment was not only hungry, but ravenous,
so he accordingly made a fresh set at the second cake, and immediately another yell" was heard twice as loud as the first. " Thunder and giblets ! he roared, " take your bread out of this, or I will not have a tooth in my head ; there's another pair of them gone ! "
" Well, honest man," replied Oonagh, " if you're not able to eat the bread, say so quietly, and don't be wakening the child in the cradle there. There, now, he's awake upon me. "
Fin now gave a skirl that startled the giant, as coming from such a youngster as he was represented to be. " Mother," said he, "I'm hungry —get me something to eat. " Oonagh went over, and putting into his hand a cake that had no griddle in it, Fin, whose appetite in the mean time was sharpened by what he saw going forward, soon made it disappear. Cucullin was thunderstruck, and secretly thanked his stars that he had the good fortune to miss meeting Fin, for, as he said to himself, I'd have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that, which even his son that's but in his cradle can munch before my eyes.
" I'd like to take a glimpse at the lad in the cradle," said he to Oonagh ; " for I can tell you that the infant who can man age that nutriment is no joke to look at, or to feed of a scarce summer. "
" With all the veins of my heart," replied Oonagh ; " get up, acushla, and show this decent little man something that won't be unworthy of your father, Fin M'Coul. "
Fin, who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible, got up, and bringing Cucullin out, "Are you
strong ? " said he. " " Thunder and 'ounds !
exclaimed the other, " what a voice "Are you strong ? " said Fin again ; "are you able to
in so small a chap ! "
FIN McCOUL. 295
squeeze water out of that white stone ? " he asked, putting one into Cucullin's hand. The latter squeezed and squeezed the stone, but to no purpose ; he might pull the rocks of Lumford's Glen asunder, and flatten a thunderbolt, but to squeeze water out of a white stone was beyond his strength. Fin eyed him with great contempt, as he kept straining and squeezing and squeez ing and straining, till he got black in the face with the efforts.
" Ah, you're a poor creature ! " said Fin. " You a giant ! Give me the stone here, and when I'll show what Fin's little son can do, you may then judge of what my daddy himself is. "
Fin then took the stone, and slyly exchanging it for the curds, he squeezed the latter until the whey, as clear as water, oozed out in a little shower from his hand.
"I'll now go in,"said he, "to my cradle; for Iscorn to lose my time with any one that's not able to eat my daddy's bread, or squeeze water out of a stone. Bedad, you had better be off out of this before he comes back ; for if he catches you, it's in flummery he'd have you in two minutes. "
Cucullin, seeing what he had seen, was of the same opinion himself ; his knees knocked together with the terror of Fin's return, and he accordingly hastened in to bid Oonagh farewell, and to assure her, that from that day out, he never wished to hear of, much less to see, her husband. " I admit fairly that I'm
not a match for him," said he, " strong as
avoid him as I would the plague, and that I will make myself scarce in this part of the country while I live. "
Fin, in the mean time, had gone into the cradle, where he lay very quietly, his heart at his mouth with delight that Cu cullin was about to take his departure, without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him.
" It's well for you," said Oonagh, " that he doesn't happen to be here, for it's nothing but hawk's meat he'd make of you. "
" I know that," says Cucullin ; " divil a thing else he'd make of me ; but before I go, will you let me feel what kind of teeth they are that can eat griddle bread like that? " — and he pointed to it as he spoke.
" With all pleasure in life," said she ; " only as they're far back in his head, you must put your finger a good way in. "
Cucullin was surprised to find such a powerful set of grinders in one so young ; but he was still much more so on finding, when he took his hand from Fin's mouth, that he had left the very finger upon which his whole strength depended,
Iam ; tell him Iwill
296 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
behind him. He gave one loud groan, and fell down at once with terror and weakness. This was all Fin wanted, who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was com pletely at his mercy. He instantly started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great Cucullin, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers, lay a corpse before him. Thus did Fin, through the wit and inven tion of Oonagh, his wife, succeed in overcoming his enemy by stratagem, which he never could have done by force : and thus also is it proved that the women, if they bring us into many an unpleasant scrape, can sometimes succeed in getting us out of
others that are as bad.
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. By EIRIKR MAGNUSSON asd WILLIAM MORRIS.
[William Morris, English poet and art reformer, was born March 24, 1834 ; educated at Oxford, and was one of the Preraphaelites. His best-known poem is "The Earthly Paradise"; he has also written "The Defense of Guinevere," "The Life and Death of Jason," "Sigurd the" Volsung," "The Fall of the Niblungs," and smaller ones. In prose he wrote The House of the Wolfings," "The Glittering Plain," etc. He founded a manufactory of house hold decorations to reform public taste, and a printing house for artistic typog raphy. He was also a fervent Socialist. He died October 3, 1896. ]
I. The Dragon's Hoard.
OF THE BIRTH AND WAXING OF SIGURD FAFNIR'S-BANE.
Now Sigurd's foster-father was hight Regin, the son of Hreidmar ; he taught him all manner of arts, the chess play, and the lore of runes, and the talking of many tongues, even as the wont was with kings' sons in those days. But on a day when they were together Regin asked Sigurd, if he knew how much wealth his father had owned, and who had the ward thereof 5 Sigurd answered, and said that the kings kept the ward thereof. "
"
Said Regin, "Dost thou trust them all utterly ?
Sigurd said, It is seemly that they keep it till I may do somewhat therewith, for better they wot how to guard it than I do. "
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 297
Another time came Regin to talk to Sigurd, and said, —
" A marvelous thing truly that thou must needs be a horse boy to the kings, and go about like a running knave. "
" Nay," said Sigurd, " it is not so, for in all things I have my will, and whatso thing I desire is granted me with good will. "
" Well, then," said Regin, "ask for a horse of them. "
" Yea," quoth Sigurd, " and that shall I have, whenso I have need thereof. "
Thereafter Sigurd went to the king, and the king said, — "What wilt thou have of us ? "
Then said Sigurd, " I would even a horse of thee for my dis
port. " " Then said the king,
Choose for thyself a horse, and whatso thing else thou desirest among my matters. "
So the next day went Sigurd to the wood, and met on the way an old man, long-bearded, that he knew not, who asked him whither away.
Sigurd said, " I am minded to choose me a horse ; come thou, and counsel me thereon. "
" Well, then," said he, " go we and drive them to the river which is called Busil-tarn. "
They did so, and drave the horses down into the deeps of the river, and all swam back to land but one horse ; and that horse Sigurd chose for himself ; gray he was of hue, and young of years, great of growth, and fair to look on, nor had any man yet crossed his back.
Then spake the graybeard, "From Sleipnir's kin is this horse come, and he must be nourished heedfully, for it will be the best of all horses ; " and therewithal he vanished away.
So Sigurd called the horse Grani, the best of all the horses of the world ; nor was the man he met other than Odin him self.
" Not enough is thy wealth, and I grieve right sore that thou must needs run here and there like a churl's son ; but I can tell thee where there is much wealth for the winning, and great name and honor to be won in the getting of it. "
Sigurd asked where that might be, and who had watch and
Now yet again spake Regin to Sigurd, and said, —
ward over it. " Regin answered,
Fafnir is his name, and but a little way hence he lies, on the waste of Gnita-heath ; and when thou
298 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
comest there thou mayest well say that thou hast never seen more gold heaped together in one place, and that none might desire more treasure, though he were the most ancient and famed of all kings. "
" Young am I," says Sigurd, " yet know I the fashion of this worm, and how that none durst go against him, so huge and
evil is he. " " Regin said,
Nay, it is not so, the fashion and the growth of him is even as of other lingworms [dragons], and an overgreat tale men make of it ; and even so would thy forefathers have
deemed ; but thou, though thou be of the kin of the Volsungs, shalt scarce have the heart and mind of those, who are told of as the first in all deeds of fame. "
Sigurd said, " Yea, belike I have little of their hardihood and prowess, but thou hast naught to do, to lay a coward's name upon me, when I am scarce out of my childish years. Why dost thou egg me on hereto so busily ? "
Regin said, " Therein lies a tale which I must needs tell thee. "
" Let me hear the same," said Sigurd.
regin's tale of his brothers, and of the gold called ANDVARl'S HOARD.
" Thus the tale begins," said Regin. " Hreidmar was my father's name, a mighty man and a wealthy ; and his first son was named Fafnir, his second Otter, and I was the third, and the least of them all both for prowess and good conditions ; but I was cunning to work in iron, and silver, and gold, whereof I could make matters that availed somewhat. Other skill my brother Otter followed, and had another nature withal, for he was a great fisher, and above other men herein ; in that he had the likeness of an otter by day, and dwelt ever in the river, and bare fish to bank in his mouth, and his prey would he ever bring to our father, and that availed him much ; for the most part he kept him in his otter gear, and then he would come home, and eat alone, and slumbering, for on the dry land he might see naught. But Fafnir was by far the greatest and grimmest, and would have all things about called his.
" Now," says Regin, " there was a dwarf called Andvari, who ever abode in that force [waterfall] which was called Andvari's force, in the likeness of a pike, and got meat for himself, for
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 299
many fish there were in the force ; now Otter, my brother, was ever wont to enter into the force, and bring fish aland, and lay them one by one on the bank. And so it befell that Odin, Loki, and Hcenir, as they went their ways, came to Andvari's force, and Otter had taken a salmon, and ate it slumbering upon the river bank; then Loki took a stone and cast it at Otter, so that he gat his death thereby ; the gods were well content with their prey, and fell to flaying off the otter's skin ; and in the evening they came to Hreidmar's house, and showed him what they had taken ; thereon he laid hands on them, and doomed them to such ransom, as that they should fill the otter skin with gold, and cover it over without with red gold ; so they sent Loki to gather gold together for them ; he came to Ran [the goddess of the sea] and got her net, and went therewith to Andvari's force, and cast the net before the pike, and
the pike ran into the net and was taken. Then said Loki —
" <What fish of all fishes Swims strong in the flood,
But hath learnt little wit to beware ? Thine head must thou buy
From abiding in hell,
And find me the wan waters flame. ' He answered —
" ' Andvari folk call me, Call Oinn my father,
Over many a force have I fared ; For a Norn of ill-luck,
This life on me lay
Through wet days ever to wade. '
" So Loki beheld the gold of Andvari, and when he had given up the gold, he had but one ring left, and that also Loki took from him ; then the dwarf went into a hollow of the rocks, and cried out, that that gold ring, yea, and all the gold withal, should be the bane of every man who should own it thereafter.
"Now the gods rode with the treasure to Hreidmar, and fulfilled the otter skin, and set it on its feet, and they must cover it over utterly with gold ; but when this was done then Hreidmar came forth, and beheld yet one of the muzzle hairs, and bade them cover that withal; then Odin drew the ring, Andvari's heirloom, from his hand, and covered up the hair therewith, then sang Loki, —
300
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
" ' Gold enow, gold enow,
A great weregild, thou hast,
That my head in good hap I may hold ; But thou and thy son
Are naught fated to thrive,
The bane shall it be of you both. '
" Thereafter," says Regin, " Fafnir slew his father and mur dered him, nor got I aught of the treasure, and so evil he grew, that he fell to lying abroad, and begrudged any share in the wealth to any man, and so became the worst of all worms [ser pents], and ever now lies brooding upon that treasure; but for me, I went to the king and became his master smith ; and thus is the tale told of how I lost the heritage of my father, and the weregild for my brother. "
So spake Regin ; but since that time gold is called Ottergild, and for no other cause than this.
But Sigurd answered, " Much hast thou lost, and exceeding evil have thy kinsmen been ! but now, make a sword by thy craft, such a sword as that none can be made like unto it ; so that I may do great deeds therewith, if my heart avail thereto, and thou wouldst have me slay this mighty dragon. "
Regin says, " Trust me well herein ; and with that same sword shalt thou slay Fafnir. "
OF THE WELDING TOGETHER OF THE SHARDS OF THE SWORD GRAM.
So Regin makes a sword, and gives it into Sigurd's hands. He took the sword, and said, —
" Behold thy smithying, Regin ! " and therewith smote it into the anvil, and the sword brake ; so he cast down the brand, and bade him forge a better.
Then Regin forged another sword, and brought it to Sigurd,
who looked thereon. " Then said Regin,
Belike thou art well content therewith, hard master though thou be in smithying. "
So Sigurd proved the sword, and brake it even as the first ; then he said to Regin, —
" Ah, art thou, mayhappen, a traitor and a liar like to those former kin of thine ? "
Therewith he went to his mother, and she welcomed him in seemly wise, and they talked and drank together.
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 801
Then spake Sigurd, " Have I heard aright, that King Sig- mund gave thee the good sword Gram in two pieces ? "
So Sigurd said, " Deliver them into my hands, for I would have them. "
She said he looked like to win great fame, and gave him the sword. Therewith went Sigurd to Regin, and bade him make a good sword thereof as he best might ; Regin grew wroth thereat, but went into the smithy with the pieces of the sword, thinking well meanwhile that Sigurd pushed his head far enow into the matter of smithying. So he made a sword, and as he bore it forth from the forge, it seemed to the smiths as though fire burned along the edges thereof. Now he bade Sigurd take the sword, and said he knew not how to make a sword if this one failed. Then Sigurd smote it into the anvil, and cleft it down to the stock thereof, and neither burst the sword nor brake it. Then he praised the sword much, and thereafter went to the river with a lock of wool, and threw it up against the stream, and it fell asunder when it met the sword. Then was Sigurd glad, and went home.
" True enough," she said.
But Regin said, " Now whereas I have made the sword for thee, belike thou wilt hold to thy troth given, and wilt go meet Fafnir? "
"Surely will I hold thereto," said Sigurd ; " yet first must I avenge my father. "
OF THE SLAYING OF THE WORM FAFNIR.
Now Sigurd and Regin ride up the heath along that same way wherein Fafnir was wont to creep when he fared to the water ; and folk say that thirty fathoms was the height of that cliff along which he lay when he drank of the water below. Then Sigurd spake, —
" How sayedst thou, Regin, that this drake [dragon] was no greater than other lingworms ; methinks the track of him is marvelous great ? "
Then said Regin, " Make thee a hole, and sit down therein, and whenas the worm comes to the water, smite him into the heart, and so do him to death, and win for thee great fame thereby. "
But Sigurd said, " What will betide me if I be before the blood of the worm ? "
302 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Says Regin, " Of what avail to counsel thee if thou art still afeard of everything ? Little art thou like thy kin in stoutness of heart. "
Then Sigurd rides right over the heath; but Regin gets him gone, sore afeard.
But Sigurd fell to digging him a pit, and whiles he was at that work, there came to him an old man with a long beard, and asked what he wrought there, and he told him.
Then answered the old man and said, "Thou doest after sorry counsel: rather dig thee many pits, and let the blood run therein; but sit thee down in one thereof, and so thrust the worm's heart through. "
And therewithal he vanished away; but Sigurd made the pits even as it was shown to him.
Now crept the worm down to his place of watering, and the earth shook all about him, and he snorted forth venom on all the way before him as he went; but Sigurd neither trembled nor was adrad at the roaring of him. So whenas the worm crept over the pits, Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts; then up leapt Sigurd from the pit and drew the sword back again unto him, and therewith was his arm all bloody, up to the very shoul der.
Now when that mighty worm was ware that he had his death wound, then he lashed out head and tail, so that all things soever that were before him were broken to"pieces.
So whenas Fafnir had his death wound, he asked, Who art thou ? and who is thy father ? and what thy kin, that thou wert so hardy as to bear weapons against me ? "
Sigurd answered, " Unknown to men is my kin. [Sigurd refusing to tell his name is to be referred to the superstition that a dying man could throw a curse on his enemy. ] I am called a noble beast: neither father have I nor mother, and all alone have I fared hither. "
Said Fafnir, " Whereas thou hast neither father nor mother, of what wonder wert thou born then ? But now, though thou tellest me not thy name on this my death day, yet thou know- est verily that thou liest unto me. "
He answered, " Sigurd am I called, and my father was Sigmund. "
Says Fafnir, " Who egged thee on to this deed, and why wouldst thou be driven to it? Hadst thou never heard how
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 303
that all folk were adrad of me, and of the awe of my counte" nance ? But an eager father thou hadst, O bright-eyed swain!
Sigurd answered, "A hardy heart urged me on hereto; and a strong hand and this sharp sword, which well thou knowest now, stood me in stead in the doing of the deed; Seldom hath hardy eld a faint-heart youth. "
Fafnir said, " Well, I wot that hadst thou waxed amid thy kin, thou mightest have good skill to slay folk in thine anger; but more of a marvel is it, that thou, a bondsman taken in war, shouldst have the heart to set on me, for few among bondsmen have heart for the fight. "
Said Sigurd, " Wilt thou then cast it in my teeth that I am far away from my kin ? Albeit I was a bondsman, yet was I never shackled. God wot thou hast found me free enow. " "
In angry wise dost thou take my speech;
Fafnir answered,
but hearken, for that same gold which I have owned shall be
thy bane too. " " Quoth Sigurd,
Fain would we keep all our wealth till that day of days; yet shall each man die once for all. "
Said Fafnir, "Few things wilt thou do after my counsel; but take heed that thou shalt be drowned if thou farest un warily over the sea; so bide thou rather on the dry land, for the coming of the calm tide. "
And yet again he said, " Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and it gladdens my heart that thine too he bringeth about; for thus will things be according to his will. "
And once again he spake, "A countenance of terror I bore up before all folk, after that I brooded over the heritage of my brother, and on every side did I spout out poison, so that none durst come anigh me, and of no weapon was I adrad, nor ever had I so many men before me, as that I deemed myself not stronger than all; for all men were sore afeard of me. "
Sigurd answered and said, " Few may have victory by means of that same countenance of terror, for whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all. "
Then says Fafnir, " Such counsel I give thee, that thou take thy horse and ride away at thy speediest, for ofttimes it falls out so, that he who gets a death wound avenges himself none the less. "
304 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Sigurd answered, " Such as thy redes are I will nowise do after them ; nay, I will ride now to thy lair and take to me that great treasure of thy kin. "
" Ride there then," said Fafnir, " and thou shalt find gold enow to suffice thee for all thy life days ; yet shall that gold be thy bane, and the bane of every one soever who owns it. "
Then up stood Sigurd, and said, " Home would I ride and lose all that wealth, if I deemed that by the losing thereof I should never die; but every brave and true man will fain have his hand on wealth till that last day: but thou, Fafnir, wallow in the death pain till Death and Hell have thee. "
And therewithal Fafnir died.
OF THE SLAYING OF KEGIN, SON OF HREIDMAR.
Thereafter came Regin to Sigurd, and said, " Hail, lord and master, a noble victory hast thou won in the slaying of Fafnir, whereas none durst heretofore abide in the path of him; and now shall this deed of fame be of renown while the world stands fast. "
Then stood Regin staring on the earth a long while, and pres ently thereafter spake from heavy mood, "Mine own brother hast thou slain, and scarce may I be called sackless of the deed. "
Then Sigurd took his sword Gram and dried it on the earth, and spake to Regin, —
" Afar thou faredst when I wrought this deed and tried this sharp sword with the hand and the might of me; with all the might and main of a dragon must I strive, while thou wert laid alow in the heather bush, wotting not if it were earth or heaven. "
Said Regin, " Long might this worm have lain in his lair, if the sharp sword I forged with my hand had not been good at need to thee; had that not been, neither thou nor any man would have prevailed against him as at this time. "
Sigurd answers, " Whenas men meet foes in fight, better is stout heart than sharp sword. " "
Then said Regin, exceeding heavily, Thou hast slain my brother, and scarce may I be sackless of the deed. "
Therewith Sigurd cut out the heart of the worm with the sword called Ridil; but Regin drank of Fafnir's blood, and spake: " Grant me a boon, and do a thing little for thee to do. Bear the heart to the fire, and roast it, and give me thereof to eat. "
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 305
Then Sigurd went his ways and roasted it on a rod; and when the blood bubbled out he laid his finger thereon to essay it, if it were fully done; and then he set his finger in his mouth, and lo, when the heart blood of the worm touched his tongue, straightway he knew the voice of all fowls, and heard withal how the woodpeckers chattered in the brake beside him, —
" There sittest thou, Sigurd, roasting Faf nir's heart for an other, that thou shouldest eat thine own self, and then thou shouldest become the wisest of all men. "
And another spake, " There lies Regin, minded to beguile
the man who trusts in him. " " But yet again said the third,
Let him smite the head from off him then, and be only lord of all that gold. "
And once more the fourth spake and said, "Ah, the wiser were he if he followed after that good counsel, and rode there after to Fafnir's lair, and took to him that mighty treasure that lieth there, and then rode over Hindfell, whereas sleeps Bryn- hild; for there would he get great wisdom. Ah, wise he were, if he did after your redes, and bethought him of his own weal; for where wolfs ears are, wolf's teeth are near. "
Then cried the fifth, " Yea, yea, not so wise is he as I deem him, if he spareth him, whose brother he hath slain already.
The Fox and the Grapes.
Urged by hunger, a Fox, leaping with all her might, tried to reach a cluster of Grapes upon a lofty vine. When she found she could not reach them, she left them, saying, " They
are not ripe yet ;
I don't like to eat them while sour. "
jESOFS fables. 283
Biting off the Nose to spite the Face.
While a Wild Boar was wallowing, he muddied the shallow water, at which a Horse had been in the habit of quenching his thirst. Upon this, a disagreement arose. The Horse, enraged with the beast, sought the aid of man, and, raising him on his back, returned against the foe. After the Horseman, hurling his javelins, had slain the Boar, he is said to have spoken thus : "I am glad that I gave assistance at your entreaties, for I have captured a prey, and have learned how useful you are ; " and so compelled him, unwilling as he was, to submit to the rein. Then said the Horse, sorrowing, " Fool that I am ! while seeking to revenge a trifling matter, I have met with slavery. "
Strong Spirits can Disdain Slanderers.
A Viper came into a smith's workshop ; and while on the search whether there was anything fit to eat, fastened her teeth upon a File. The latter, however, disdainfully exclaimed, " Why, fool, do you try to wound me with your teeth, who am in the habit of gnawing asunder every kind of iron ? "
Suspect a Scamp's Good Offices.
A Fox having fallen into a well, and being closed in by the sides, which were too high for her, a Goat parched with thirst came to the same spot, and asked whether the water was good and in plenty. The other, devising a stratagem, replied, " Come down, my friend : such is the goodness of the water that my pleasure in drinking cannot be satisfied. " Longbeard descended ; then the Fox, mounting on his high horns, escaped from the well, and left the Goat to stick fast in the inclosed mud.
Of the Vices of Men.
Jupiter has loaded us with a couple of Wallets : the one, filled with our own vices, he has placed at our backs; the other, heavy with those of others, he has hung before.
From this circumstance we are not able to see our own faults ; but as soon as others make a slip, we are ready to censure.
284 jESOP'S fables.
The She-Goats and their Beards.
The She-Goats having obtained of Jupiter the favor of a beard, the He-Goats, full of concern, began to be"indignant that the females rivaled them in their dignity. Suffer them," said the God, " to enjoy their empty honors, and to use the badge that belongs to your rank, so long as they are not sharers in your courage. "
The Man and the Snake.
A Man took up a Snake, stiffened with frost, and warmed her in his bosom, being compassionate to his own undoing ; for when she had recovered, she instantly killed the Man. On another one asking her the reason of this crime, she made answer, "That people may learn not to assist the wicked. "
The Mountain in Labor.
A Mountain was in labor, sending forth dreadful groans, and there was in the districts the highest expectation. After all, it brought forth a Mouse.
The Bald Man and the Fly.
A Fly bit the bare pate of a Bald Man, who, endeavoring to crush it," gave himself a heavy blow. Then said the Fly, jeeringly : You wanted to revenge the sting of a tiny insect with death ; what"will you do to yourself, who have added insult to injury ? The Man made answer : " I am easily reconciled to myself, because I know that there was no intention of doing harm. But you, worthless insect, and one of a con temptible race, who take a delight in drinking human blood, I could wish to destroy you, even at a heavier penalty. "
Avoid Ill-gotten Wealth.
A Man having sacrificed a young boar to the god Hercules, to whom he owed performance of a vow made for the preser vation of his health, ordered the remains of the barley to be set for the Ass. But he refused to touch it, and said, " I would most willingly accept your food, if he who had been fed upon it had not had his throat cut. "
FIN MoCOUL. 285
FIN McCOUL.
A Legend of Knockmany.
By WILLIAM CARLETON.
[William Carleton, a leading writer of Irish peasant stories and sketches and novels of Irish life in general, was born in County Tyrone in 1798. A poor boy, scantily educated in a hedge school, he passed two years (16-18) in a relative's academy, went to Dublin, and in 1830 and 1832 published two series of " Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry," which were very successful. In 1839 he produced a novel, " Fardorougha, the Miser" ; and in 1841 three vol umes of tales mostly pathetic — but one story in a more buoyant vein, "The Misfortunes of Barney Branagan," was very popular. In 1845 he issued " Val entine M'Clutchy," a " repeal " novel ; 1846, " Rody the Rover " ; 1847, "The Black"Prophet" ; 1849, "The Tithe Proctor" ; 1855, "Willy Reilly," 3 vols. ; 1860 The Evil Eye. " He long received a pension of £200 a year for his great literary merits. He died January, 1869. ]
What Irish man, woman, or child has not heard of our re nowned Hibernian Hercules, the great and glorious Fin M'Coul ? Not one, from Cape Clear to the Giant's Causeway, nor from that back again to Cape Clear. And by the way, speaking of the Giant's Causeway, brings me at once to the beginning of my story. Well, it so happened that Fin and his gigantic relatives were all working at the Causeway, in order to make a bridge, or what was still better, a good stout pad road, across to Scot land ; when Fin, who was very fond of his wife Oonagh, took it into his head that he would go home and see how the poor woman got on in his absence. To be sure, Fin was a true Irish man, and so the sorrow thing in life brought him back, only to
see that she was snug and comfortable, and, above all things, that she got her rest well at night ; for he knew that the poor woman, when he was with her, used to be subject to nightly qualms and configurations, that kept him very anxious, decent man, striving to keep her up to the good spirits and health that she had when they were first married. So, accordingly, he pulled up a fir tree; and after lopping off the roots and branches, made a walking stick of it, and set out on his way to Oonagh.
Oonagh, or rather Fin, lived at this time on the very tip top of Knockmany Hill, which faces a cousin of its own called Culla- more, that rises up, half hill, half mountain, on the opposite side — east-east by south, as the sailors say, when they wish to puz zle a landsman.
286 FIN McCOUL.
Now, the truth is, for it must come out, that honest Fin's affection for his wife, though cordial enough in itself, was by no manner of means the real cause of his journey home. There was at that time another giant, named Cucullin, — some say he was Irish, and some say he was Scotch, — but whether Scotch or Irish, sorrow doubt of it but he was a target. No other giant of the day could stand before him ; and such was his strength that, when well vexed, he could give a stamp that shook the country about him. The fame and name of him went far and near ; and nothing in the shape of a man, it was said, had any chance with him in a fight. Whether the story is true or not, I cannot say, but the report went that by one blow of his fists he flattened a thunderbolt, and kept it in his pocket in the shape of a pancake, to show to all his enemies when they were about to fight him. Undoubtedly he had given every giant in Ireland a considerable beating, barring Fin M'Coul himself ; and he swore, by the sol emn contents of Moll Kelly's Primer, that he would never rest, night or day, winter or summer, till he would serve Fin with the same sauce, if he could catch him.
Fin, however, who no doubt was the cock of the walk on his own dunghill, had a strong disinclination to meet a giant who could make a young earthquake, or flatten a thunderbolt when he was angry; so he accordingly kept dodging about from place to place, not much to his credit as a Trojan, to be sure, when ever he happened to get the hard word that Cucullin was on the scent of him. This, then, was the marrow of the whole move ment, although he put it on his anxiety to see Oonagh ; and I am not saying but there was some truth in that too. However, the short and long of it was, with reverence be it spoken, that he heard Cucullin was coming to the Causeway to have a trial of strength with him ; and he was naturally enough seized, in consequence, with a very warm and sudden fit of affection for his wife, poor woman, who was delicate in her health, and lead ing, besides, a very lonely, uncomfortable life of it (he assured them) in his absence. He accordingly pulled up the fir tree, as I said before, and having snedded it into a walking stick, set out on his affectionate travels to see his darling Oonagh on the top of Knockmany, by the way.
In truth, to state the suspicions of the country at that time, the people wondered very much why it was that Fin selected such a windy spot for his dwelling house, and they even went so far as to tell him as much.
FIN McCOUL. 287
"What can you mane, Mr. M'Coul," said they, "by pitching your tent upon the top of Knockmany, where you never are without a breeze, day or night, winter or summer, and where you're often forced to take your nightcap [the cloud that hangs about the peak of a mountain] without either going to bed or turning up your little finger ; ay, an' where, besides this, there's the sorrow's own want of water ? "
" Why," said Fin, " ever since I was the height of a round tower, I was known to be fond of having a good prospect of my own ; and where the dickens, neighbors, could I find a better spot for a good prospect than the top of Knockmany ? As for water, I am sinking a pump [there is upon the top of this hill an opening that bears a very strong resemblance to the crater of an extinct volcano], and, plase goodness, as soon as the Causeway's made, I intend to finish it. "
Now, this was more of Fin's philosophy ; for the real state of the case was, that he pitched upon the top of Knockmany in order that he might be able to see Cucullin coming towards the house, and of course that he himself might go to look after his distant transactions in other parts of the country, rather than — but no matter—we do not wish to be too hard on Fin. Allwe have to say that he wanted spot from which to keep sharp lookout, — and between ourselves, he did want griev ously, — barring Slieve Croob, or Slieve Donard, or its own cousin Cullamore, he could not find neater or more conven ient situation for in the sweet and sagacious province of Ulster.
" God save all here " said Fin, good-humoredly, on put ting" his honest face into his own door.
Musha, Fin, avick, an' you're welcome home to your own Oonagh, you darlin' bully. " Here followed smack that said to have made the waters of the lake at the bottom of the hill curl, as were, with kindness and sympathy.
" Faith," said Fin, " beautiful an' how are you, Oonagh — and how did you sport your figure during my absence, my bilberry "
" Never merrier — as bouncing grass widow as ever there was in sweet Tyrone among the bushes. ' "
Fin gave short, good-humored cough, and laughed most heartily, to show her how much he was delighted that she made herself happy in his absence.
" An' what brought you home so soon, Fin " said she.
'a a
it
is, if
?
; a
a a
? a
it !
it is a
288 FIN McCOUL.
" Why, avourneen," said Fin, putting in his answer in the proper way, " never the thing but the purest of love and affec tion for yourself. Sure you know that's truth, anyhow, Oonagh. "
Fin spent two or three happy days with Oonagh, and felt him self very comfortable, considering the dread he had of Cucullin. This, however, grew upon him so much that his wife could not but perceive something lay on his mind which he kept alto gether to himself. Let a woman alone, in the mean time, for ferreting or wheedling a secret out of her good man, when she wishes. Fin was a proof of this.
" It's this Cucullin," said he, " that's troubling me. When the fellow gets angry, and begins to stamp, he'll shake you a whole townland ; and it's well known that he can stop a thunder bolt, for he always carries one about him in the shape of a pan cake, to show to any one that might misdoubt it. "
As he spoke, he clapped his thumb in his mouth, which he always did when he wanted to prophesy, or to know any thing that happened in his absence ; and the wife, who knew what he did it for, said very sweetly, "Fin, darling, I hope you don't bite your thumb at me, dear ? "
" No," said Fin ; " but I bite my thumb, acushla," said he.
" Yes, jewel ; but take care and don't draw blood," said she. "Ah, Fin ! don't, my bully — don't. "
"He's coming," said Fin; "I
" Thank goodness, dear ! an' who is avick Glory be
"
to God
" That baste, Cucullin," replied Fin " and how to manage
don't know. If run away, am disgraced and know that sooner or later must meet "him, for my thumb tells me so. "
" When will he be here said she.
" To-morrow, about two o'clock," replied Fin, with groan. " Well, my bully, don't be cast down," said Oonagh " de
pend on me, and maybe I'll bring you better out of this scrape than ever you could bring yourself, by your rule thumb. "
This quieted Fin's heart very much, for he knew that Oonagh was hand and glove with the fairies and indeed, to tell the truth, she was supposed to be fairy herself. If she was, however, she must have been kind-hearted one, for by all accounts she never did anything but good in the neighborhood.
Now so happened that Oonagh had sister named Granua, living opposite them, on the very top of Cullamore,
see him below Dungannon. "
it
a
;
a
a
I o'
?
?
I
;
;a
I
II
it, ;
!
FIN McCOUL. 289
which I have mentioned already, and this Granua was quite as powerful as herself. The beautiful valley that lies between them is not more than about three or four miles broad, so that of a summer's evening, Granua and Oonagh were able to hold many an agreeable conversation across it, from the one hilltop to the other. Upon this occasion Oonagh resolved to consult her sister as to what was best to be done in the difficulty that sur rounded them.
" Granua," said she, " are you at home ? "
"No," said the other; "I'm picking bilberries in Altha- dhawan" (AnglicS, the Devil's Glen).
" Well," said Oonagh, " get up to the top of Cullamore, look about you, and then tell us what you see. "
" Very well," replied Granua ; after a few minutes, " I am
there now. " "
" What do you see ?
" Goodness be about us ! " exclaimed Granua, " I see the big
gest giant that ever was known coming up from Dungannon. " " Ay," said Oonagh, " there's our difficulty. That giant is the great Cucullin ; " and he's now comin' up to leather Fin.
What's to be done ?
" I'll call to him," she replied, "to come up to Cullamore and
asked the other.
refresh himself, and maybe that will give you and Fin time to think of some plan to get yourselves out of the scrape. But," she proceeded, " I'm short of butter, having in the house only half a dozen firkins, and as I'm to have a few giants and giant esses to spend the evenin' with me, I'd feel thankful, Oonagh, if you'd throw me up fifteen or sixteen tubs, or the largest miscaun you have got, and you'll oblige me very much. "
" I'll do that with a heart and a half," replied Oonagh ; " and, indeed, Granua, I feel myself under great obligations to you for your kindness in keeping him off of us till we see what can be done ; for what would become of us all if anything hap pened Fin, poor man. "
She accordingly got the largest miscaun of butter she had — which might be about the weight of a couple a dozen mill stones, so that you may easily judge of its size — and calling up to her sister, " Granua," said she, " are you ready ? I'm going to throw you up a miscaun, so be prepared to catch it. "
" I will," said the other ; " a good throw now, and take care it does not fall short. "
Oonagh threw it ; but, in consequence of her anxiety about
290 FIN McCOUL.
"
Fin and Cucullin, she forgot to say the charm that was to send it up, so that, instead of reaching Cullamore, as she expected, it fell about halfway between the two hills, at the edge of the Broad Bog near Augher. "
" My curse upon you ! she exclaimed ;
me. I now change you into a gray stone.
timony of what has happened ; and may evil betide the first living man that will ever attempt to remove or injure you ! "
And, sure enough, there it lies to this day, with the mark of the four fingers and thumb imprinted in it, exactly as it came out of her hand.
" Never mind," said Granua, " I must only do the best I can with Cucullin. If all fail, I'll give him a cast of heather broth to keep the wind out of his stomach, or a panada of oak bark to draw it in a bit ; but, above all things, think of some plan to get Fin out of the scrape he's in, otherwise he's a lost man. You know you used to be sharp and ready witted ; and my own opinion, Oonagh, is that it will go hard with you or you'll outdo Cucullin yet. "
you've disgraced Lie there as a tes
She then made a high smoke on the top of the hill, after which she put her finger in her mouth and gave three whistles, and by that Cucullin knew he was invited to Cullamore — for this was the way that the Irish long ago gave a sign to all strangers and travelers, to let them know they were welcome to come and take share of whatever was going.
In the mean time, Fin was very melancholy, and did not know what to do or how to act at all. Cucullin was an ugly customer, no doubt, to meet with ; and, moreover, the idea of the confounded " cake " aforesaid flattened the very heart within him. What chance could he have, strong and brave though he was, with a man who could, when put in a passion, walk the country into earthquakes and knock thunderbolts into pan cakes ? The thing was impossible ; and Fin knew not on what hand to turn him. Right and left —backward or forward — where to go he could form no guess whatsoever.
" Oonagh," said he, " can you do nothing for me ? Where's all your invention ? Am I to be skivered like a rabbit before your eyes, and to have my name disgraced forever in the sight of all my tribe, and me the best man among them ? How am I to fight this man mountain — this huge cross between an earth
quake and a thunderbolt ? — with a pancake in his pocket that
"
was once
FIN McCOUL.
291
" Be easy, Fin," replied Oonagh ; " troth, I'm ashamed of you. Keep your toe in your pump, will you ? Talking of pan cakes, maybe we'll give him as good as any he brings with him — thunderbolt or otherwise. If I don't treat him to as smart feeding as he's got this many a day, never trust Oonagh again. Leave him to me, and do just as I bid you. "
This relieved Fin very much ; for, after all, he had great confidence in his wife, knowing, as he did, that she had got him out of many a quandary before. The present, however, was the greatest of all ; but still he began to get courage, and was able to eat his victuals as usual. Oonagh then drew the nine woolen threads of different colors, which she always did to find out the best way of succeeding in anything of importance she went about. She then platted them into three plats with three colors in each, putting one on her right arm, one round her heart, and the third round her right ankle, for then she knew that nothing could fail with her that she undertook.
Having everything now prepared, she sent round to the neighbors and borrowed one and twenty iron griddles, which she took and kneaded into the hearts of one and twenty cakes of bread, and these she baked on the fire in the usual way, set ting them aside in the cupboard according as they were done. She then put down a large pot of new milk, which she made into curds and whey, and gave Fin due instructions how to use the curds when Cucullin should come. Having done all this, she sat down quite contented, waiting for his arrival on the next day about two o'clock, that being the hour at which he was expected — for Fin knew as much by the sucking of his thumb. Now, this was a curious property that Fin's thumb had ; but, notwithstanding all the wisdom and logic he used to suck out of could never have stood to him here were not for the wit of his wife. In this very thing, moreover, he was very much resembled by his great foe, Cucullin for was well known that the huge strength he possessed all lay in the middle finger of his right hand, and that he happened by any mis chance to lose it, he was no more, notwithstanding his bulk, than
common man.
At length, the next day, he was seen coming across the val
ley, and Oonagh knew that was time to commence operations. She immediately made the cradle, and desired Fin to lie down in it, and cover himself up with the clothes.
" You must pass for your own child," said she " so just lie
;
it it
a
it
if
;
it, it
292 FIN McCOUL.
there snug, and say nothing, but be guided by me. " This, to be sure, was wormwood to Fin, — I mean going into the cradle in such a cowardly manner, — but he knew Oonagh well ; and finding that he had nothing else for it, with a very rueful face he gathered himself into it, and lay snug, as she had desired him.
About two o'clock, as he had been expected, Cucullin came in. "God save all here ! " said he ; "is this where the great Fin M'Coul lives? "
" Indeed it is, honest man," replied Oonagh ; " God save you kindly — won't you be sitting ? "
" Thank you, ma'am," said he, sitting down ; " you're Mrs. M'Coul, I suppose ? "
"I am," said she ; "and I have no reason, I hope, to be ashamed of my husband. "
" No," said the other, " he has the name of being the strong est and bravest man in Ireland ; but for all that, there's a man not far from you that's very desirous of taking a shake with him. Is he at home ? "
"Why, then, no," she replied ; "and if ever a man left his house in a fury, he did. It appears that some one told him of a big basthoon of a giant called Cucullin being down at the Causeway to look for him, and so he set out there to try if he could catch him. Troth, I hope, for the poor giant's sake, he won't meet with him, for if he does, Fin will make paste of him at once. "
"Well," said the other, "I am Cucullin, and I have been seek ing him these twelve months, but he always kept clear of me; and I will never rest, night or day, till I lay my hands on him. "
At this Oonagh set up a loud laugh of great contempt, by the way, and looked at him as if he was only a mere handful
all at once. " "Howcould I?
time, you perceive that the wind's on the door, and as Fin him self is from home, maybe you'd be civil enough to turn the house, for it's always what Fin does when he's here. "
of a"man. " Did you ever see Fin ?
his distance. "
" I thought so," she replied ; "
said she, changing her manner said he ; "he always took care to keep
I judged as much ; and if you take my advice, you poor-looking creature, you'll pray night and day that you may never see him, for I tell you it will be a black day for you when you do. But, in the mean
FIN McCOUL. 293
This was a startler even to Cucullin ; but he got up, how ever, and after pulling the middle finger of his right hand until it cracked three times, he went outside, and getting his arms about the house, completely turned it as she had wished. When Fin saw this, he felt a certain description of moisture, which shall be nameless, oozing out through every pore of his skin ; but Oonagh, depending upon her woman's wit, felt not a whit daunted.
" Arrah, then," said she, " as you are so civil, maybe you'd do another obliging turn for us, as Fin's not here to do it him self. You see, after this long stretch of dry weather we've had, we feel very badly off for want of water.
Now, Fin says there's a fine spring well somewhere under the rocks behind the hill here below, and it was his intention to pull them asunder ; but having heard of you, he left the place in such a fury that he never thought of it. Now, if you try to find it, troth I'd feel it a kindness. "
She then brought Cucullin down to see the place, which was then all one solid rock ; and, after looking at it for some time, he cracked his right middle finger nine times, and, stoop ing down, tore a cleft about four hundred feet deep, and a quarter of a mile in length, which has since been christened by the name of Lumford's Glen. This feat nearly threw Oonagh herself off her guard ; but what won't a woman's sagacity and presence of mind accomplish ?
" You'll now come in," said she, " and eat a bit of such hum ble fare as we can give you. Fin, even although he and you are enemies, would scorn not to treat you kindly in his own house ; and, indeed, if I didn't do it even in his absence, he would not be pleased with me. "
She accordingly brought him in, and placing half a dozen of the cakes we spoke of before him, together with a can or two of butter, a side of boiled bacon, and a stack of cabbage, she desired him to help himself — for this, be it known, was long before the invention of potatoes. Cucullin, who by the way was a glutton as well as a hero, put one of the cakes in his mouth to take a huge whack out of it, when both Fin and Oonagh were stunned with a noise that resembled something between a growl and a yell. " Blood and fury! " he shouted ; "how is this ? Here are two of my teeth out ! What kind of bread is this you gave me ? "
" What's the matter ? " said Oonagh, coolly.
294 FIN McCOUL.
" Matter ! " shouted the other again ; " why, here are the
two best teeth in my head gone. " — "Why," said she, "that's Fin's bread
the only bread he ever eats when at home ; but, indeed, I forgot to tell you that nobody can eat it but himself, and that child in the cradle there. I thought, however, that, as you were reported to be rather a stout little fellow of your size, you might be able to manage it, and I did not wish to affront a man that thinks himself able to
fight Fin. Here's another cake — maybe it's not so hard as that. " Cucullin at the moment was not only hungry, but ravenous,
so he accordingly made a fresh set at the second cake, and immediately another yell" was heard twice as loud as the first. " Thunder and giblets ! he roared, " take your bread out of this, or I will not have a tooth in my head ; there's another pair of them gone ! "
" Well, honest man," replied Oonagh, " if you're not able to eat the bread, say so quietly, and don't be wakening the child in the cradle there. There, now, he's awake upon me. "
Fin now gave a skirl that startled the giant, as coming from such a youngster as he was represented to be. " Mother," said he, "I'm hungry —get me something to eat. " Oonagh went over, and putting into his hand a cake that had no griddle in it, Fin, whose appetite in the mean time was sharpened by what he saw going forward, soon made it disappear. Cucullin was thunderstruck, and secretly thanked his stars that he had the good fortune to miss meeting Fin, for, as he said to himself, I'd have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that, which even his son that's but in his cradle can munch before my eyes.
" I'd like to take a glimpse at the lad in the cradle," said he to Oonagh ; " for I can tell you that the infant who can man age that nutriment is no joke to look at, or to feed of a scarce summer. "
" With all the veins of my heart," replied Oonagh ; " get up, acushla, and show this decent little man something that won't be unworthy of your father, Fin M'Coul. "
Fin, who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible, got up, and bringing Cucullin out, "Are you
strong ? " said he. " " Thunder and 'ounds !
exclaimed the other, " what a voice "Are you strong ? " said Fin again ; "are you able to
in so small a chap ! "
FIN McCOUL. 295
squeeze water out of that white stone ? " he asked, putting one into Cucullin's hand. The latter squeezed and squeezed the stone, but to no purpose ; he might pull the rocks of Lumford's Glen asunder, and flatten a thunderbolt, but to squeeze water out of a white stone was beyond his strength. Fin eyed him with great contempt, as he kept straining and squeezing and squeez ing and straining, till he got black in the face with the efforts.
" Ah, you're a poor creature ! " said Fin. " You a giant ! Give me the stone here, and when I'll show what Fin's little son can do, you may then judge of what my daddy himself is. "
Fin then took the stone, and slyly exchanging it for the curds, he squeezed the latter until the whey, as clear as water, oozed out in a little shower from his hand.
"I'll now go in,"said he, "to my cradle; for Iscorn to lose my time with any one that's not able to eat my daddy's bread, or squeeze water out of a stone. Bedad, you had better be off out of this before he comes back ; for if he catches you, it's in flummery he'd have you in two minutes. "
Cucullin, seeing what he had seen, was of the same opinion himself ; his knees knocked together with the terror of Fin's return, and he accordingly hastened in to bid Oonagh farewell, and to assure her, that from that day out, he never wished to hear of, much less to see, her husband. " I admit fairly that I'm
not a match for him," said he, " strong as
avoid him as I would the plague, and that I will make myself scarce in this part of the country while I live. "
Fin, in the mean time, had gone into the cradle, where he lay very quietly, his heart at his mouth with delight that Cu cullin was about to take his departure, without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him.
" It's well for you," said Oonagh, " that he doesn't happen to be here, for it's nothing but hawk's meat he'd make of you. "
" I know that," says Cucullin ; " divil a thing else he'd make of me ; but before I go, will you let me feel what kind of teeth they are that can eat griddle bread like that? " — and he pointed to it as he spoke.
" With all pleasure in life," said she ; " only as they're far back in his head, you must put your finger a good way in. "
Cucullin was surprised to find such a powerful set of grinders in one so young ; but he was still much more so on finding, when he took his hand from Fin's mouth, that he had left the very finger upon which his whole strength depended,
Iam ; tell him Iwill
296 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
behind him. He gave one loud groan, and fell down at once with terror and weakness. This was all Fin wanted, who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was com pletely at his mercy. He instantly started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great Cucullin, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers, lay a corpse before him. Thus did Fin, through the wit and inven tion of Oonagh, his wife, succeed in overcoming his enemy by stratagem, which he never could have done by force : and thus also is it proved that the women, if they bring us into many an unpleasant scrape, can sometimes succeed in getting us out of
others that are as bad.
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. By EIRIKR MAGNUSSON asd WILLIAM MORRIS.
[William Morris, English poet and art reformer, was born March 24, 1834 ; educated at Oxford, and was one of the Preraphaelites. His best-known poem is "The Earthly Paradise"; he has also written "The Defense of Guinevere," "The Life and Death of Jason," "Sigurd the" Volsung," "The Fall of the Niblungs," and smaller ones. In prose he wrote The House of the Wolfings," "The Glittering Plain," etc. He founded a manufactory of house hold decorations to reform public taste, and a printing house for artistic typog raphy. He was also a fervent Socialist. He died October 3, 1896. ]
I. The Dragon's Hoard.
OF THE BIRTH AND WAXING OF SIGURD FAFNIR'S-BANE.
Now Sigurd's foster-father was hight Regin, the son of Hreidmar ; he taught him all manner of arts, the chess play, and the lore of runes, and the talking of many tongues, even as the wont was with kings' sons in those days. But on a day when they were together Regin asked Sigurd, if he knew how much wealth his father had owned, and who had the ward thereof 5 Sigurd answered, and said that the kings kept the ward thereof. "
"
Said Regin, "Dost thou trust them all utterly ?
Sigurd said, It is seemly that they keep it till I may do somewhat therewith, for better they wot how to guard it than I do. "
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 297
Another time came Regin to talk to Sigurd, and said, —
" A marvelous thing truly that thou must needs be a horse boy to the kings, and go about like a running knave. "
" Nay," said Sigurd, " it is not so, for in all things I have my will, and whatso thing I desire is granted me with good will. "
" Well, then," said Regin, "ask for a horse of them. "
" Yea," quoth Sigurd, " and that shall I have, whenso I have need thereof. "
Thereafter Sigurd went to the king, and the king said, — "What wilt thou have of us ? "
Then said Sigurd, " I would even a horse of thee for my dis
port. " " Then said the king,
Choose for thyself a horse, and whatso thing else thou desirest among my matters. "
So the next day went Sigurd to the wood, and met on the way an old man, long-bearded, that he knew not, who asked him whither away.
Sigurd said, " I am minded to choose me a horse ; come thou, and counsel me thereon. "
" Well, then," said he, " go we and drive them to the river which is called Busil-tarn. "
They did so, and drave the horses down into the deeps of the river, and all swam back to land but one horse ; and that horse Sigurd chose for himself ; gray he was of hue, and young of years, great of growth, and fair to look on, nor had any man yet crossed his back.
Then spake the graybeard, "From Sleipnir's kin is this horse come, and he must be nourished heedfully, for it will be the best of all horses ; " and therewithal he vanished away.
So Sigurd called the horse Grani, the best of all the horses of the world ; nor was the man he met other than Odin him self.
" Not enough is thy wealth, and I grieve right sore that thou must needs run here and there like a churl's son ; but I can tell thee where there is much wealth for the winning, and great name and honor to be won in the getting of it. "
Sigurd asked where that might be, and who had watch and
Now yet again spake Regin to Sigurd, and said, —
ward over it. " Regin answered,
Fafnir is his name, and but a little way hence he lies, on the waste of Gnita-heath ; and when thou
298 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
comest there thou mayest well say that thou hast never seen more gold heaped together in one place, and that none might desire more treasure, though he were the most ancient and famed of all kings. "
" Young am I," says Sigurd, " yet know I the fashion of this worm, and how that none durst go against him, so huge and
evil is he. " " Regin said,
Nay, it is not so, the fashion and the growth of him is even as of other lingworms [dragons], and an overgreat tale men make of it ; and even so would thy forefathers have
deemed ; but thou, though thou be of the kin of the Volsungs, shalt scarce have the heart and mind of those, who are told of as the first in all deeds of fame. "
Sigurd said, " Yea, belike I have little of their hardihood and prowess, but thou hast naught to do, to lay a coward's name upon me, when I am scarce out of my childish years. Why dost thou egg me on hereto so busily ? "
Regin said, " Therein lies a tale which I must needs tell thee. "
" Let me hear the same," said Sigurd.
regin's tale of his brothers, and of the gold called ANDVARl'S HOARD.
" Thus the tale begins," said Regin. " Hreidmar was my father's name, a mighty man and a wealthy ; and his first son was named Fafnir, his second Otter, and I was the third, and the least of them all both for prowess and good conditions ; but I was cunning to work in iron, and silver, and gold, whereof I could make matters that availed somewhat. Other skill my brother Otter followed, and had another nature withal, for he was a great fisher, and above other men herein ; in that he had the likeness of an otter by day, and dwelt ever in the river, and bare fish to bank in his mouth, and his prey would he ever bring to our father, and that availed him much ; for the most part he kept him in his otter gear, and then he would come home, and eat alone, and slumbering, for on the dry land he might see naught. But Fafnir was by far the greatest and grimmest, and would have all things about called his.
" Now," says Regin, " there was a dwarf called Andvari, who ever abode in that force [waterfall] which was called Andvari's force, in the likeness of a pike, and got meat for himself, for
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 299
many fish there were in the force ; now Otter, my brother, was ever wont to enter into the force, and bring fish aland, and lay them one by one on the bank. And so it befell that Odin, Loki, and Hcenir, as they went their ways, came to Andvari's force, and Otter had taken a salmon, and ate it slumbering upon the river bank; then Loki took a stone and cast it at Otter, so that he gat his death thereby ; the gods were well content with their prey, and fell to flaying off the otter's skin ; and in the evening they came to Hreidmar's house, and showed him what they had taken ; thereon he laid hands on them, and doomed them to such ransom, as that they should fill the otter skin with gold, and cover it over without with red gold ; so they sent Loki to gather gold together for them ; he came to Ran [the goddess of the sea] and got her net, and went therewith to Andvari's force, and cast the net before the pike, and
the pike ran into the net and was taken. Then said Loki —
" <What fish of all fishes Swims strong in the flood,
But hath learnt little wit to beware ? Thine head must thou buy
From abiding in hell,
And find me the wan waters flame. ' He answered —
" ' Andvari folk call me, Call Oinn my father,
Over many a force have I fared ; For a Norn of ill-luck,
This life on me lay
Through wet days ever to wade. '
" So Loki beheld the gold of Andvari, and when he had given up the gold, he had but one ring left, and that also Loki took from him ; then the dwarf went into a hollow of the rocks, and cried out, that that gold ring, yea, and all the gold withal, should be the bane of every man who should own it thereafter.
"Now the gods rode with the treasure to Hreidmar, and fulfilled the otter skin, and set it on its feet, and they must cover it over utterly with gold ; but when this was done then Hreidmar came forth, and beheld yet one of the muzzle hairs, and bade them cover that withal; then Odin drew the ring, Andvari's heirloom, from his hand, and covered up the hair therewith, then sang Loki, —
300
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
" ' Gold enow, gold enow,
A great weregild, thou hast,
That my head in good hap I may hold ; But thou and thy son
Are naught fated to thrive,
The bane shall it be of you both. '
" Thereafter," says Regin, " Fafnir slew his father and mur dered him, nor got I aught of the treasure, and so evil he grew, that he fell to lying abroad, and begrudged any share in the wealth to any man, and so became the worst of all worms [ser pents], and ever now lies brooding upon that treasure; but for me, I went to the king and became his master smith ; and thus is the tale told of how I lost the heritage of my father, and the weregild for my brother. "
So spake Regin ; but since that time gold is called Ottergild, and for no other cause than this.
But Sigurd answered, " Much hast thou lost, and exceeding evil have thy kinsmen been ! but now, make a sword by thy craft, such a sword as that none can be made like unto it ; so that I may do great deeds therewith, if my heart avail thereto, and thou wouldst have me slay this mighty dragon. "
Regin says, " Trust me well herein ; and with that same sword shalt thou slay Fafnir. "
OF THE WELDING TOGETHER OF THE SHARDS OF THE SWORD GRAM.
So Regin makes a sword, and gives it into Sigurd's hands. He took the sword, and said, —
" Behold thy smithying, Regin ! " and therewith smote it into the anvil, and the sword brake ; so he cast down the brand, and bade him forge a better.
Then Regin forged another sword, and brought it to Sigurd,
who looked thereon. " Then said Regin,
Belike thou art well content therewith, hard master though thou be in smithying. "
So Sigurd proved the sword, and brake it even as the first ; then he said to Regin, —
" Ah, art thou, mayhappen, a traitor and a liar like to those former kin of thine ? "
Therewith he went to his mother, and she welcomed him in seemly wise, and they talked and drank together.
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 801
Then spake Sigurd, " Have I heard aright, that King Sig- mund gave thee the good sword Gram in two pieces ? "
So Sigurd said, " Deliver them into my hands, for I would have them. "
She said he looked like to win great fame, and gave him the sword. Therewith went Sigurd to Regin, and bade him make a good sword thereof as he best might ; Regin grew wroth thereat, but went into the smithy with the pieces of the sword, thinking well meanwhile that Sigurd pushed his head far enow into the matter of smithying. So he made a sword, and as he bore it forth from the forge, it seemed to the smiths as though fire burned along the edges thereof. Now he bade Sigurd take the sword, and said he knew not how to make a sword if this one failed. Then Sigurd smote it into the anvil, and cleft it down to the stock thereof, and neither burst the sword nor brake it. Then he praised the sword much, and thereafter went to the river with a lock of wool, and threw it up against the stream, and it fell asunder when it met the sword. Then was Sigurd glad, and went home.
" True enough," she said.
But Regin said, " Now whereas I have made the sword for thee, belike thou wilt hold to thy troth given, and wilt go meet Fafnir? "
"Surely will I hold thereto," said Sigurd ; " yet first must I avenge my father. "
OF THE SLAYING OF THE WORM FAFNIR.
Now Sigurd and Regin ride up the heath along that same way wherein Fafnir was wont to creep when he fared to the water ; and folk say that thirty fathoms was the height of that cliff along which he lay when he drank of the water below. Then Sigurd spake, —
" How sayedst thou, Regin, that this drake [dragon] was no greater than other lingworms ; methinks the track of him is marvelous great ? "
Then said Regin, " Make thee a hole, and sit down therein, and whenas the worm comes to the water, smite him into the heart, and so do him to death, and win for thee great fame thereby. "
But Sigurd said, " What will betide me if I be before the blood of the worm ? "
302 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Says Regin, " Of what avail to counsel thee if thou art still afeard of everything ? Little art thou like thy kin in stoutness of heart. "
Then Sigurd rides right over the heath; but Regin gets him gone, sore afeard.
But Sigurd fell to digging him a pit, and whiles he was at that work, there came to him an old man with a long beard, and asked what he wrought there, and he told him.
Then answered the old man and said, "Thou doest after sorry counsel: rather dig thee many pits, and let the blood run therein; but sit thee down in one thereof, and so thrust the worm's heart through. "
And therewithal he vanished away; but Sigurd made the pits even as it was shown to him.
Now crept the worm down to his place of watering, and the earth shook all about him, and he snorted forth venom on all the way before him as he went; but Sigurd neither trembled nor was adrad at the roaring of him. So whenas the worm crept over the pits, Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts; then up leapt Sigurd from the pit and drew the sword back again unto him, and therewith was his arm all bloody, up to the very shoul der.
Now when that mighty worm was ware that he had his death wound, then he lashed out head and tail, so that all things soever that were before him were broken to"pieces.
So whenas Fafnir had his death wound, he asked, Who art thou ? and who is thy father ? and what thy kin, that thou wert so hardy as to bear weapons against me ? "
Sigurd answered, " Unknown to men is my kin. [Sigurd refusing to tell his name is to be referred to the superstition that a dying man could throw a curse on his enemy. ] I am called a noble beast: neither father have I nor mother, and all alone have I fared hither. "
Said Fafnir, " Whereas thou hast neither father nor mother, of what wonder wert thou born then ? But now, though thou tellest me not thy name on this my death day, yet thou know- est verily that thou liest unto me. "
He answered, " Sigurd am I called, and my father was Sigmund. "
Says Fafnir, " Who egged thee on to this deed, and why wouldst thou be driven to it? Hadst thou never heard how
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 303
that all folk were adrad of me, and of the awe of my counte" nance ? But an eager father thou hadst, O bright-eyed swain!
Sigurd answered, "A hardy heart urged me on hereto; and a strong hand and this sharp sword, which well thou knowest now, stood me in stead in the doing of the deed; Seldom hath hardy eld a faint-heart youth. "
Fafnir said, " Well, I wot that hadst thou waxed amid thy kin, thou mightest have good skill to slay folk in thine anger; but more of a marvel is it, that thou, a bondsman taken in war, shouldst have the heart to set on me, for few among bondsmen have heart for the fight. "
Said Sigurd, " Wilt thou then cast it in my teeth that I am far away from my kin ? Albeit I was a bondsman, yet was I never shackled. God wot thou hast found me free enow. " "
In angry wise dost thou take my speech;
Fafnir answered,
but hearken, for that same gold which I have owned shall be
thy bane too. " " Quoth Sigurd,
Fain would we keep all our wealth till that day of days; yet shall each man die once for all. "
Said Fafnir, "Few things wilt thou do after my counsel; but take heed that thou shalt be drowned if thou farest un warily over the sea; so bide thou rather on the dry land, for the coming of the calm tide. "
And yet again he said, " Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and it gladdens my heart that thine too he bringeth about; for thus will things be according to his will. "
And once again he spake, "A countenance of terror I bore up before all folk, after that I brooded over the heritage of my brother, and on every side did I spout out poison, so that none durst come anigh me, and of no weapon was I adrad, nor ever had I so many men before me, as that I deemed myself not stronger than all; for all men were sore afeard of me. "
Sigurd answered and said, " Few may have victory by means of that same countenance of terror, for whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all. "
Then says Fafnir, " Such counsel I give thee, that thou take thy horse and ride away at thy speediest, for ofttimes it falls out so, that he who gets a death wound avenges himself none the less. "
304 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Sigurd answered, " Such as thy redes are I will nowise do after them ; nay, I will ride now to thy lair and take to me that great treasure of thy kin. "
" Ride there then," said Fafnir, " and thou shalt find gold enow to suffice thee for all thy life days ; yet shall that gold be thy bane, and the bane of every one soever who owns it. "
Then up stood Sigurd, and said, " Home would I ride and lose all that wealth, if I deemed that by the losing thereof I should never die; but every brave and true man will fain have his hand on wealth till that last day: but thou, Fafnir, wallow in the death pain till Death and Hell have thee. "
And therewithal Fafnir died.
OF THE SLAYING OF KEGIN, SON OF HREIDMAR.
Thereafter came Regin to Sigurd, and said, " Hail, lord and master, a noble victory hast thou won in the slaying of Fafnir, whereas none durst heretofore abide in the path of him; and now shall this deed of fame be of renown while the world stands fast. "
Then stood Regin staring on the earth a long while, and pres ently thereafter spake from heavy mood, "Mine own brother hast thou slain, and scarce may I be called sackless of the deed. "
Then Sigurd took his sword Gram and dried it on the earth, and spake to Regin, —
" Afar thou faredst when I wrought this deed and tried this sharp sword with the hand and the might of me; with all the might and main of a dragon must I strive, while thou wert laid alow in the heather bush, wotting not if it were earth or heaven. "
Said Regin, " Long might this worm have lain in his lair, if the sharp sword I forged with my hand had not been good at need to thee; had that not been, neither thou nor any man would have prevailed against him as at this time. "
Sigurd answers, " Whenas men meet foes in fight, better is stout heart than sharp sword. " "
Then said Regin, exceeding heavily, Thou hast slain my brother, and scarce may I be sackless of the deed. "
Therewith Sigurd cut out the heart of the worm with the sword called Ridil; but Regin drank of Fafnir's blood, and spake: " Grant me a boon, and do a thing little for thee to do. Bear the heart to the fire, and roast it, and give me thereof to eat. "
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 305
Then Sigurd went his ways and roasted it on a rod; and when the blood bubbled out he laid his finger thereon to essay it, if it were fully done; and then he set his finger in his mouth, and lo, when the heart blood of the worm touched his tongue, straightway he knew the voice of all fowls, and heard withal how the woodpeckers chattered in the brake beside him, —
" There sittest thou, Sigurd, roasting Faf nir's heart for an other, that thou shouldest eat thine own self, and then thou shouldest become the wisest of all men. "
And another spake, " There lies Regin, minded to beguile
the man who trusts in him. " " But yet again said the third,
Let him smite the head from off him then, and be only lord of all that gold. "
And once more the fourth spake and said, "Ah, the wiser were he if he followed after that good counsel, and rode there after to Fafnir's lair, and took to him that mighty treasure that lieth there, and then rode over Hindfell, whereas sleeps Bryn- hild; for there would he get great wisdom. Ah, wise he were, if he did after your redes, and bethought him of his own weal; for where wolfs ears are, wolf's teeth are near. "
Then cried the fifth, " Yea, yea, not so wise is he as I deem him, if he spareth him, whose brother he hath slain already.
