Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Early Legends. 273
the family. She knew by her art that the youth was protected
by the powerful Sighe Finncaev, and she feared
that her influence and her spells would become things
of nought.
Passing from the heights on which the dun of the
chief stood, he had to traverse a rough glen strewed with
rocks and brushwood, and his path led by a circle of
tall stones marking the burial-place of some chief of
former days, and still the favoured resort of those who
practised druidic rites. He felt a sudden awe creep
over him as he was hurrying by the ring of power, and
which was increased by the appearance of a tall figure.
His courage was restored when he discovered it to be
the friendly Sighe, who gave him a few brief directions.
" You have rashly engaged in a most perilous enterprise,
but follow my instructions punctually, and I trust to
bring you out of it with safety and honour. When you
reach the corrach and enter it, wish yourself outside the
bay, and there remain till the darkness of evening comes
on. If you return and touch the land before you see on
the shore my three servants, you are lost. Those
servants I will now present to your sight." She struck
one of the stones with her druidic wand, and at the
touch it fell to pieces. " Ciishfe Crish (Tied Foot), come
out," and a etout figure with his right foot in his hand
stood before them. She struck another stone and cried,
''Fir 7ia Saghaidh (Man of the Arrows), come out."
The stone parted, and yielded an archer with a wellfurnished
quiver. She struck the third, " Fir na Mulla
Headha, come forth," and a figure with an enormous
mouth and swollen cheeks sprung from the fragments of
his stone.
All
will.
bowed before the youth, and asked to know his
He turned to Finncaev, but she had vanished
and he addressed the powerful beings before him in
some perplexity. " I am ignorant of your means of
helping me. I only know that I require you to be on
the shore by sunset of the coming
T
day with the holly
;