Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VI: TALES OF THE OSSIANIC CYCLE 245mansion, where they sought admittance. On entering they foundthemselves in a spacious hall, full of light, with eight-and-twentywarriors and as many fair and yellow-haired maidens, one of thelatter seated on a chair of crystal, and making wonderful musicon a harp. After the Fian warriors have been entertained withthe finest of viands and liquors, it is explained to them that theirhosts are Donn, son of Midir the Proud, and his brother, and thatthey are at war with the rest of the Danaan Folk, and have to dobattle with them thrice yearly on the green before the Brugh. Atfirst each of the twenty-eight had a thousand warriors under him.Now all are slain except those present, and the survivors havesent out one of their maidens in the shape of a fawn to enticethe Fianna to their fairy palace and to gain their aid in the battlethat must be delivered to-morrow. We have, in fact, a variantof the well-known theme of the Rescue of Fairyland. Finn andhis companions are always ready for a fray, and a desperatebattle ensues which lasts from evening till morning, for the fairyhost attack at night. The assailants are beaten off, losing overa thousand of their number; but Oscar, Dermot, and mac Lugaare sorely wounded. They are healed by magical herbs; andmore fighting and other adventures follow, until, after a yearhas passed, Finn compels the enemy to make peace and givehostages, when the Fianna return to earth and rejoin their fellows.No sooner has Keelta finished his tale, standing on the very spotwhere they had found the fairy palace on the night of snow, thana young warrior is seen approaching them. He is thus described:“A shirt of royal satin was next his skin; over and outside it atunic of the same fabric; and a fringed crimson mantle, confinedwith a bodkin of gold, upon his breast; in his hand a gold-hilted [286]sword, and a golden helmet on his head.” A delight in the colourand material splendour of life is a very marked feature in all thisliterature. This splendid figure turns out to be Donn mac Midir,one of the eight-and-twenty whom Finn had succoured, and hecomes to do homage for himself and his people to St. Patrick,