Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

140 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[168]his three foster-brothers playing a game on the Plains of Liffey.They separated, Conary going towards Dublin, where he sawbefore him a flock of great birds, wonderful in colour and beauty.He drove after them in his chariot, but the birds would go aspear-cast in front and light, and fly on again, never letting himcome up with them till they reached the sea-shore. Then helighted down from his chariot and took out his sling to cast atthem, whereupon they changed into armed men and turned onhim with spears and swords. One of them, however, protectedhim, and said: “I am Nemglan, king of thy father's birds; andthou hast been forbidden to cast at birds, for here there is no onebut is thy kin.” “Till to-day,” said Conary, “I knew not this.”“Go to Tara to-night,” said Nemglan; “the bull-feast is there,and through it thou shalt be made king. A man stark naked, whoshall go at the end of the night along one of the roads to Tara,having a stone and a sling—'tis he that shall be king.”So Conary stripped off his raiment and went naked through thenight to Tara, where all the roads were being watched by chiefshaving changes of royal raiment with them to clothe the man whoshould come according to the prophecy. When Conary meetsthem they clothe him and bring him in, and he is proclaimedKing of Erin.Conary's GeiseA long list of his geise is here given, which are said to havebeen declared to him by Nemglan. “The bird-reign shall benoble,” said he, “and these shall be thy geise:“Thou shalt not go right-handwise round Tara, norleft-handwise round Bregia, 130Thou shalt not hunt the evil-beasts of Cerna,Thou shalt not go out every ninth night beyond Tara.130Bregia was the great plain lying eastwards of Tara between Boyne andLiffey