Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

190 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[226]and Iveagh. Ailell and Maev made peace with Ulster for sevenyears, and the Ulster men returned home to Emain Macha withgreat glory.Thus ends the “Tain Bo Cuailgnè,” or Cattle Raid of Quelgny;and it was written out in the “Book of Leinster” in the year 1150by the hand of Finn mac Gorman, Bishop of Kildare, and at theend is written: “A blessing on all such as faithfully shall recitethe ‘Tain’ as it stands here, and shall not give it in any otherform.”Cuchulain in FairylandOne of the strangest tales in Celtic legend tells how Cuchulain,as he lay asleep after hunting, against a pillar-stone, had a visionof two Danaan women who came to him armed with rods andalternately beat him till he was all but dead, and he could not lifta hand to defend himself. Next day, and for a year thereafter, helay in sore sickness, and none could heal him.Then a man whom none knew came and told him to go to thepillar-stone where he had seen the vision, and he would learnwhat was to be done for his recovery. There he found a Danaanwoman in a green mantle, one of those who had chastised him,and she told him that Fand, the Pearl of Beauty, wife of Manananthe Sea-god, had set her love on him; and she was at enmitywith her husband Mananan; and her realm was besieged by threedemon kings, against whom Cuchulain's help was sought, and theprice of his help would be the love of Fand. Laeg, the charioteer,was then sent by Cuchulain to report upon Fand and her message.He entered Fairyland, which lies beyond a lake across which hepassed in a magic boat of bronze, and came home with a reportof Fand's surpassing beauty and the wonders of the kingdom; andCuchulain then betook himself thither. Here he had a battle ina dense mist with the demons, who are described as resemblingsea-waves—no doubt we are to understand that they are the folkof the angry husband, Mananan. Then he abode with Fand,enjoying all the delights of Fairyland for a month, after which