Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Early Legends. 275
motionless at the bottom of the boat. The treacherous
woman then took from her hair the braon siian or, the
magic sleeping pin, and stuck it through his long
glibbs ; and while it lay in his hair no power could wake
him.
His two companions arrived on the rocks an hour
later, and were dismayed at sight of him, far below them,
in dead sleep. In his hair they espied the magic pin,
and in a moment they recognised it, and guessed at what
had occurred. The archer had his bow bent in a trice,
and the next the braon was dashed from the hair of
Cush, and lay powerless at his feet. He awoke, took
his foot again in his hand, looked at the pin, then up at
the cliff, waved his free arm in gratitude, seized on the
oar, and the skiff went skimming over the great sea
fleeter than the swiftest arrow. Fir na MuUa Headha
put his hand to his eyebrow, and spoke to his comrade
:—-"Through the thick air and the mist I still see
the shooting bark ; the dim veils are clearing a little
round Cush, and he seems almost at the world's end ; a
low, thick fog lies beyond ; the boat speeds to it, and it
becomes a land of rocks, and woods, and valleys, as
grey as clouds. He enters a bay, secures his boat,
advances inland. A grove is before him, and under the
shade of trees as old as the world stands a ring of
mighty stones. Within is a cromleacht, and overshadowing
it the holly-bough and berry-bearing yew ; at its foot
springs the marigold. He leaves the dim land behind
him. I see the boat more plainly, but the land has
become a cloud. The boat is larger, but the cloud bank
has vanished. Here he comes swifter than the arrow
from your own bow-string."
Great was the joy of the druidical servants as they
met ; but after a moment Cush fe Crish cried out, " Our
work is only half accomplished. The powerful Amarach
is speeding south, and if she reaches Bean Tra she will
induce Feargal to touch the land, and then our labour is
void. You, O Boghadoir (archer), have done your duty
T 2