Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

116 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Raceinto four white swans, and lays on them the following doom:three hundred years they are to spend on the waters of LakeDerryvaragh, three hundred on the Straits of Moyle (betweenIreland and Scotland), and three hundred on the Atlantic by Errisand Inishglory. After that, “when the woman of the South ismated with the man of the North,” the enchantment is to have anend.When the children fail to arrive with Aoife at the palace ofBōv her guilt is discovered, and Bōv changes her into “a demonof the air.” She flies forth shrieking, and is heard of no more inthe tale. But Lir and Bōv seek out the swan-children, and findthat they have not only human speech, but have preserved thecharacteristic Danaan gift of making wonderful music. From allparts of the island companies of the Danaan folk resort to LakeDerryvaragh to hear this wondrous music and to converse withthe swans, and during that time a great peace and gentlenessseemed to pervade the land.But at last the day came for them to leave the fellowship oftheir kind and take up their life by the wild cliffs and ever angrysea of the northern coast. Here they knew the worst of loneliness,cold, and storm. Forbidden to land, their feathers froze to therocks in the winter nights, and they were often buffeted anddriven apart by storms. As Fionuala sings:[141]“Cruel to us was AoifeWho played her magic upon us,And drove us out on the water—Four wonderful snow-white swans.“Our bath is the frothing brine,In bays by red rocks guarded;For mead at our father's tableWe drink of the salt, blue sea.