of Etain

ter, and Ailill and Maev of Connacht, were obedient to him. But he was without a wife; and for this reason the sub-Kings and Princes of Ireland would not come to his festivals at Tara, "for," said they, "there is no noble in

s came back and said that they had found in Ulster, by the Bay of Cichmany, the fairest and most accomplished maiden in Ireland, and her na

silk, stiff with embroidery ofgold that glittered in the sun. Her hair before she loosed it was done in two mighty tresses, yellow like the flower of the waterflag, each tress being plaited in four strands, and at the end of each strand a little golden ball. When she laid aside her mantle her arms came through the armholes of her tunic, white as the snow of a single night, and her cheeks were ruddy as the foxglove. Even and small were her teeth, as if a showe

she dwelt long in Tara before the enchantment of her beauty and her grace had worked upon the hearts of all about her, so that the man to whom she spoke grew pale at the womanly sweetness of her voice, and felt himself a king for that day. All fair things and bright she loved, such as racing steeds and shining raiment, and the sight of Eochy's warriors with their silken banners and shields decorated with rich ornament in red and blue. And she would have all about her happy and joyous, and she gave freely of her treasure, and of her sm

ay, when he had come from his own Dún to the yearly Assembly in the great Hall of Tara, he ate not at the banquet but gazed as it were at something afar off, and his wife said to him, "Why dos

kness. And he went home to his Dún in Tethba and there lay ill for a year. Then Eochy the King went to see him, and came near him and laid his hand on his breast, and Ailill heaved a bitter sigh. Eochy asked, "Why art thou not better of this sickness, how goes it with thee no

said, "This is no bodily disease, but either Ailill suffers from the pangs of envy or from the torme

rted he charged her saying, "Do thou be gentle and kind to my brother Ailill while he lives, and should he die, let his burial mound be heaped over him, and a p

es with Ailill." So she went to where he lay in his Dún at Tethba. And s

ain prostrate, in fair weather and in foul,

ilill

; and I cannot eat, nor listen to the m

said

many a thing; tell me what ails th

l rep

am not worthy of thy speech; I am torn

she knew somewhat of hi

my handmaids, tell me of it, and I shall court her for t

d harder to win than the treasures of the Fairy Folk. If I contend with it, it is like a combat with a spectre; if I fly to the ends of the earth from it, it is ther

r the triumph of grim death over his youth and beauty. So at last she went to him again and said, "If it lies with me, Ailill, to heal thee of thy sickness, I may not let thee di

heaviness came upon his eyelids, and a druid sleep overcame him, and there all day he lay buried

of Ailill was approaching from Tethba. He entered the bower where she was; but no lover did she there meet, but only a si

ms as if the strange passion that has befallen me were washed away in that slumber, for now, Etain, I love thee no more but as my Queen and my sister, and I am recovered as if from an evil dream." Then Etain knew that powers not of earth were mingling

ir, and in his hand he bore two spears. His mantle was of crimson silk, his tunic of saffron, and a golden helmet was on his head. And as she gazed upon him, "Etain," he said, "the ti

me, Etain,

versea la

haunts the

rs run w

careless, and

ith 'mine'

s on the pro

in the te

manhood, wh

that grow

world's des

he dreams

the cloud o

m grief

y land thou

e to us,

d strand of

y times

h, was awakened; and having decoyed me from home by a false report, she changed thee by magical arts into a butterfly and then contrived a mighty tempest that drove thee abroad. Seven years wast thou borne hither and thither on the blast till chance blew thee into the fairy palace of Angus my kinsman, by the waters of the Boyne. But Angus knew thee, for the Fairy Folk may not disguise themselves from each other, and he built for thee a magical sunny bower with open windows, through which thou mightest pass, and about it were all manner of blossoming herbs and shrubs, and on the odour and honey of these thou didst live and grow fair and well no

ions, full of dim shapes, strange and glorious. And Midir as she looked at him again seemed transfigured, taller an

said Midir, "but for me, for I it was who laid a druidic sleep on Ailill, and it was I who came to thee in his shape that thy honour might not be stained." Etain said, "I learned then t

oking over the flowery plain of Bregia. And as he thus gazed he was aware of a young warrior standing by his side. Grey-eyed the youth was, and golden-haired, and he was splendidly armed and apparelled as beseemed the lord of a great clan of the Gael. Eochy bade him welcome cou

e here no chessboard, and mine is in t

rd whose squares were alternate gold and silver. From a men-bag made of brazen chain

en said Eochy, "unles

shall we play, t

rform tasks for me if I win and I shall b

ight, while Midir and the fairy host were labouring at the causeway and their oxen drawing to it innumerable loads of earth and gravel, the steward of Eochy stole out and hid himself to watch them, for it was a prohibition to see them at work. And he observed that the fairy oxen were not harnessed with a thong across their foreheads, that the pull might be upon their brows and necks, as was the m

d as they made that noble causeway, there came a breach

enance and was high girt as for war. And the King welcomed him, and Midir said, "Thou hast treated me hardly and

r," said Eochy; "say what sa

re play at ches

, "and what stake

ever the winner shall

for the fourth ti

won the gam

ago had I chos

u demand of me

ms and obtain a kiss fr

he said, "Come back in one month from this day

y off the Queen. And on the appointed day, as the kings sat at meat, Etain and her handmaids were dispensing the wine to them as was wont. Then suddenly as they feasted and talked, behold, Midir, stood in the midst of them. If he was fair and noble to look on as he had appeared before to t

said Midir, "and now let thy debt be paid, since I f

the matter yet lo

d Midir; "that is what hath come from thee." And

ave not availed to win thee from Eochy, and it is not of thine own wil

s self to thee, but to take her in thine arm

se up in

rose up, tumultuous and angry, and rushed out of doors, but nothing could they see save two white swans that circled high in air around the Hill of Tara, and then flew southwards and away towards the fairy